First of all, I really don’t know what all the complaints about NAIA (Manila’s Airport) are about. Until you have flown into the international airport in L’viv, Ukraine, you really don’t know what crude is! The comfort room is actually across the street and has not been cleaned since the Soviets left and Olga the security screener is not nearly as cute as the nice Pinays at NAIA.
balikbayan visa
On the Road to Manila
Headed to Manila today to obtain my 13(a) Permanent Visa to live in the Philippines. With this visa I will not be required to make annual trips out of the Philippines which is necessary if one uses the Balikbayan Privilege, and I will not have to renew my visa once the 13(a) is obtained. Just have to renew my Alien Certificate of Registration every five years (which I can do in Cebu) and make my annual report to the local Immigration Office in Iloilo which only costs P310. I just like to simplify things as much as possible for myself, and since we live in the rural province of Guimaras, and quite a distance from Manila, it is easier for me just to obtain this permanent visa. I'm all for making things easier for myself as I spend my twilight years in the Philippines.
I’m a Registered Alien in the Philippines.
Visited the local Philippine Immigration Office in Iloilo City this past Thursday to register as an Alien in the Philippines. Here's the official notice from the Immigration website:
ANNUAL REPORT 2011: NOTICE TO ALL FOREIGNERS IN THE PHILIPPINES
NOTICE is hereby given to All registered foreign nationals, immigrant or non-immigrant, resident or non-resident visa holders all over the Philippines, that you are required to report in person, pursuant to Section 10 of the Alien Registration Act of 1950, within the first sixty (60) days of CY 2011 at the Alien Registration Division (ARD), Bureau of Immigration, Manila, or at the Immigration District/Subport/Field/Satellite office nearest your place of residence.
Any of the following documents shall be presented by the registered foreigner during the Annual Report (AR): 1. Alien Certificate of Registration (ACR) / or ACR I-Card; 2. Certificate of Residence (CR); or 3. Official Receipts (O.R.) covering previous payment of AR fee. An Annual Report fee of P300.00 and P10.00 Legal Research fee shall be paid by the foreigner.
100 Degrees Heat Blast in the Philippines! American Expat in the Philippines Experiences!
The Philippines' weather service, PAGASA, Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, is predicting a high of 38 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Farenheit) for Manila today. That's hot!
How I Met The Sainted Patient Wife— Part Three, the Conclusion!
When I ended yesterday's blog entry on the story of how I met The Sainted Patient Wife, a destructive earthquake had just shattered Taiwan killing thousands, and major aftershocks were still rippling throughout the nation. I had no way to check Melinda’s status in Taipei City; I had no phone number there, so I decided to see if I could get any information from the Internet. I posted a question in a forum that was discussing the earthquake and asked if anyone knew what the status was in Taipei City. 
