ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
PhilippinesFalling for Internet date cost American P100,000
What's even more foolish is that he sent "her" money for the visa processing. I'm not sure how someone could be that stupid. Anyone here knows that the American has to be the petitioner and pay the fees for the foreign fiance! That guy obviously had no clue about how it works.
The_Sage1MalePhilippines2009-11-29 21:04:00
Philippinescalls to philippines
I've researched just about every way to call to and from the Philippines and it's expensive and there's little avoiding it. However, I did come up with the most affordable set up and I hope people follow this example because it will cost you very little.

I bought my fiance a netbook and had her internet at home set up.
When I want to call her, I set myself up an account on localphone.com and it exchanges her number for a local one. It basically works a little like a calling card. The rate is 13 cents a minute for cell phone and 12 cents a minute for landline. So when I want to get ahold of her if she's not online, I'll call her for half a minute or less and tell her to get online, or communicate whatever I need to communicate in a short amount of time. You can send a text message to the Philippines cell phone from the website as well...it only costs 5 cents a text.

So, when I call her I then tell her to get on SKYPE.

Video calls SKYPE to SKYPE are totally free.

But the catch is, I set up her SKYPE account for unlimited calling to the US and Canada for 3 dollars a month. So for next to nothing, she can call my cellphone or any US/Canada phone from her computer on SKYPE. SKYPE charges 25 cents a minute to call the Philippines so that should be avoided.

Our communication method is very efficient and costs very little.
The_Sage1MalePhilippines2009-12-02 21:14:00
PhilippinesHotels that I stayed at in Cebu
When I went to Cebu to see my fiance, I spent my 2 weeks staying at 4 different hotels just to make things interesting, and partly due to the fact that the Hilton is pricey and that I couldn't stay there the whole trip.

The first 2 nights I stayed at the ACE Penzionne in Lapu-Lapu City. Convenient location! Nothing special here...but for 20 dollars a night...it wasn't too bad at all. The shower fluctuated from blazing lava hot to ice freezing cold and went back and forth until you were numb. Other than that, the room was clean and the service was tolerable. Hope you like ants. 5/10 rating.

The next 3 nights I stayed at the amazing Hilton Resort and Spa. What a time that was. It was also the only hotel I stayed at without ANTS. It's hard to get rid of them. The view was incredible from the window...it has it's own beach and a nice swimming pool, and a gorgeous restaraunt right on the ocean. And you also got to listen to Koreans sing American pop songs with their funny accents. That was a lot of fun. This is probably the best hotel I've stayed at to date. The breakfast buffet was so incredible that I wish I could have ate there more. 10/10 here

The next 6 nights I went to the Crown Regency. Now, there are 3 Crown Regencies in the Cebu area. I thought there was 2. I had booked the Crown Regency Residences via hotels.com, and when I got to the right place, they were booked and sent us off to the Towers for no extra charge. I thought hmm maybe we're in for a treat..but was I wrong! The Crown Regency Towers were aweful. Don't ever stay at any of the Crown Regencies. They had a nasty breakfast buffet and the food didn't even look appealing in the slightest. Hello Jollibee. The service was RUDE and didn't want to help you. The Koreans I encountered there couldn't help but push you out of their way while they helped theirselves to the nasty dogfood they served. The worst part about this hotel is that they have 6 elevators...and they were only running 2. We waited 15 minutes to get into an elevator once and there was no stairway. And everyone kept piling in and some people just smelled. To make matters worse, the 2nd elevator shut down and then they were only running one. Wait time could be up to 20 minutes to get to your room. And then, something smelled like dead rotting fish in the elevator...and the motion always made us both sick. Combine a bumpy taxi ride and a smelly rickety elevator and you get the hint. It also amazes me the amount of ants in a hotel room 16 stories above ground. I give this one 1/10.

This hotel was so bad that I called hotels.com and complained that I didn't get what I booked for. They let me cancel the last few nights and so I booked the ALTA resort in Cordova for the last 3 nights of my trip. That was a really good decision. We headed from inner city to the hotel and it took forever...an hour and a half maybe.
I was pleasantly surprised about the ALTA. You spent about 46 dollars a night for a nice resort. It was the only peace and quiet I've heard the whole trip. The scenery and gardening was beautiful and the help was good. They were really understaffed though, but luckily there weren't too many people there. They have a nice pool and even their own little zoo. They had some little angry monkeys in a cage who snatched greedily from my hands a banana. That was priceless watching them fight over the food I gave them. The owner is a really nice American guy that I chatted to for hours.
The rooms are fairly basic but really clean and new looking. My biggest complaint for this place is that it's way too far from everything. It takes a long time to get to the city or the airport...it's a great place to stay but not for too long!
Pool is open 24 hours...nothing like a romantic night swim. They also have a dock where you can get boat rides from various people who live by the river. I never got to do it but I wanted to. If you stay here, don't eat at the restaraunt unless it's your complimentery breakfast. The food isn't that great but it's not that bad. So/so.
I give this one 6/10


The_Sage1MalePhilippines2009-12-03 22:04:00
PhilippinesDoes the Philippines use NTSC for analog TV?
Where did you find a FOREX agent in Omaha? I'm not seeing on their website that there's a store in the entire state.
The_Sage1MalePhilippines2009-12-03 22:41:00
PhilippinesDoes the Philippines use NTSC for analog TV?
I will certainly check into DHL and FOREX...I dont live that far from Omaha! I just don't want the package to be turned over to PHIL POST because they are so slow and are more likely to steal the contents.

The TV is actually a Coby 22" LCD with a built in DVD player. It's a cheaper brand but given the price and the low weight it's ideal. They just need something nice to watch TV with via antenna and have a way to watch movies since they've never had a DVD PLayer. It would save me money to have a built in DVD Player rather than buy a seperate one and pay all the more shipping. I got it on amazon for 250 dollars and free shipping. The only bad things I read about it is that the remote isn't that good and the speakers aren't loud enough...but you can always hook up external speakers if you have to. They have a really small apartment house so they don't need anything big. It's a vast improvement from the old broken down tube tv.

http://www.cobyusa.c...mp;pcat_id=2001







The_Sage1MalePhilippines2009-12-03 21:38:00
PhilippinesDoes the Philippines use NTSC for analog TV?
I got an awesome deal on an LCD TV with a built in DVD player. It's a 22 inch. But even with the shipping cost that it will cost to ship there, it's still way cheaper than it is to buy a TV in the Philippines with a flat screen. This TV has dual voltage and can take anything between 100-240 volts, so that's not an issue. On wikipedia and other sources it says the Philippines takes NTSC for their broadcasting signal.
The TV I bought works for ATSC/NTSC and DVB-T(I think). Shouldn't it work in the Philippines?

I'm also wondering if mailing priority or priority express is guarenteed. I know that it can be insured but I don't want the TV to get stolen in the mail. They have global guarenteed express as well. Anyone have any experience sending valuables in the mail?

Edited by The_Sage1, 03 December 2009 - 03:24 AM.

The_Sage1MalePhilippines2009-12-03 03:23:00
Philippineshow to deal with the stress of this journey!!!
Try masturbating once or twice daily. Then, take long hot baths while chanting "consulate is going to approve the visa, consulate is going to approve the visa" for about 10-30 minutes. Then, dry up and head on down to your favorite restaurant and have a feast. Then, go to the gym afterwards so you don't feel so fat.
The_Sage1MalePhilippines2009-12-03 21:41:00
PhilippinesFor the American men that went to Cebu
I'd like to hear your fun/interesting experiences and compare them to mine. This was my first time out of the country and I went to Lapu-Lapu City and Cebu City.
There's a lot that happened in 2 weeks, but I'd like to throw some interesting stuff in there. I'd like to start off by saying that the people I encountered in Cebu are some of the nicest people I've ever met. I truly enjoyed it there and I hope to go back again. They treat foreigners so nicely. But here's some interesting things I noticed.

-Everytime I walked out of the hotel, a bunch of people would involuntarily flag down a taxi for me...even if I didn't want one. They probably thought I was crazy for actually wanting to walk. I guess not all Americans are fat and lazy. I love to hike. I enjoyed riding the tricycles and jeepneys way more than the taxis.

-I felt like people saw me as a giant wallet with legs walking around with hundred dollar bills sticking out the sides. There's no such thing as window shopping if you're an American there. When you walk in the store, they expect you to spend big dollars. I did buy a new acoustic guitar for 45 dollars, and it plays like a dream.

-I also felt like I was being eye-humped constantly. Being a younger American guy, walking around the women were just constantly giving you those looks. I only went there for one woman so I needed to stay by her side to avoid women flirting with me. The only time I was ever seperated from her in public was when she went to try on some clothes at the mall. This girl came running up to me with this big smile and I could tell she was trying to flirt. I was just looking at Oakley Sunglasses and marvelling at the price. I don't think I've ever got that much attention in my life. I felt like a super-model woman walking into a bar full of single guys. It was an awkward feeling at times. But you now what? This is the true test of love. You're in love...and all these girls tempt you...and you stay true...you've passed the hardest test!

-The food was awesome. America is all about cheap processed foods and hardly anything is natural anymore. I had some chicken in the Philippines and it was the most tender and juicy chicken I've ever had in years. I'm not sure that it's the best place to get a good ol' burger though. Go for the chicken and rice!

-Philippine Airlines is nicer than any American airliner that I've flown on. They sure took care of you and fed you delicious foods. And when there's big delays(and there was), they just give you more food.

-I'm a big fan of history since I'm going to be a history major. I loved seeing the old Spanish architecture, Fort San Pedro, Magellan's Cross, the Taoist Temple and the Mountain Top. I got bombarded by a mob of beggars at Magellan's Cross. I feel bad for people that are struggling, but you can't give money out to everyone...or you'll go broke in no time. I enjoyed the Mountain Top the most...would have liked to have a picnic up there!

-Coming out of the Cebu Mall at night was SCARY. There was a mob of around 2 dozen people trying to get me to give them money while I was scurrying into the taxi. I thought they were going to mug me. Lucky for me, I carried a decoy wallet with no money in it and no personal information...and old expired credit cards. I kept my money in a belt below the waist. When I got into the taxi with my fiance, we quickly learned the driver was drunk and took us this ridiculously long route back the the Crown Regency. He tried to charge us double the fare until my fiance scared him by threatening to call her father who is a cop. It worked.




The_Sage1MalePhilippines2009-12-03 22:33:00
PhilippinesIm in shock and I dont know what to do
I'd say that she has a really high risk factor for not being loyal. It's better to have a woman that would choose to not have any money rather than disrespect herself like that. For all you know, she could have another man she's sleeping around with and you wouldn't even know it. Don't rule this out. I hate to sound harsh...but consider these things - there's lots of great woman out there.
The_Sage1MalePhilippines2009-12-06 05:12:00
PhilippinesPaystubs
Actually, do I need W-2s from my most recent job or all the jobs I've worked at this year?
The_Sage1MalePhilippines2009-12-06 05:06:00
PhilippinesPaystubs
I know that from what I read you need 12 months worth of pay stubs for the consulate. I however have only been drawing income from my current job since August. I was in college in the spring in summer. I had a job for only a few weeks back in February but I'm wondering if I would need those paystubs, or would it not matter?
The_Sage1MalePhilippines2009-12-06 04:58:00
PhilippinesIntent to marry letter
QUOTE (Hopp @ Dec 6 2009, 12:52 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (vanillamocha @ Dec 5 2009, 09:49 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (The_Sage1 @ Dec 5 2009, 11:56 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I've heard a few people mention something of bringing a letter of intent to marry to the consulate. I'm not sure if it's needed or not. I thought the USCIS was the only one that needed it.


Hi!!! innocent.gif

I also heard about the renewed letter of intent to marry. I asked the attorney who handled our case and said it's not needed anymore. I had my interview last NOv.13 and it was not asked from me. But, if you wanted to be sure then make a new copy of it.. anyways as they say it's better to be sure than sorry..

Good luck and bless us all!! star_smile.gif star_smile.gif



Why wouldn't the couple just DO IT and not contemplate it?? Just print out the same letter at time of I-129F application, and both sign and date their letters again at visa interview time. DONE and no worries. This task is so simple!
. Actually I don't have photo copies of our original intent to marry letters. Should we just write a new one, sign and date it?

The_Sage1MalePhilippines2009-12-06 01:21:00
PhilippinesIntent to marry letter
I've heard a few people mention something of bringing a letter of intent to marry to the consulate. I'm not sure if it's needed or not. I thought the USCIS was the only one that needed it.
The_Sage1MalePhilippines2009-12-05 23:56:00
Philippineswhat about with proof of singleness?
She called the CFO in CEbu to ask them. That's just what they told her. I'm not even aware of any statement of singleness in the USA. How can they ask for something we don't have? We do have legal documents like tax returns that say our status though.
The_Sage1MalePhilippines2009-12-09 02:22:00
PhilippinesWhat happens after your packet leaves NVC?
How are you guys receiving case numbers from the NVC when I haven't even heard a single thing and my fiance hasn't received anything either. I did call the NVC and the consulate received our petition on the 27th of November...but we still haven't got anything since then. Is there something I'm missing here? What case number?
The_Sage1MalePhilippines2009-12-09 06:34:00
PhilippinesCo-sponsor letter?
I'm just wondering if it would be a good thing to type up a letter to the USEM for the need to consider a co-sponsor....if it would help any. Any thoughts?
The_Sage1MalePhilippines2009-12-13 17:58:00
PhilippinesW-2's for the I-134 support documents
I need to obtain new W-2s for 2008's taxes...since I can't find the W-2s. My tax person might have photo copies of them but is that sufficient?

Also, do I need a W-2 of my current job, even if it's not included on 2008's taxes? W-2s dont normally show up until January or February and her interview is going to be in January.


The_Sage1MalePhilippines2009-12-13 17:57:00
PhilippinesCFO Seminar Poll
Neither. I think they both should be burnt to the ground. Someone do us all a favor and put the torch to 'em. That way, the beneficiary can get their visa and be on their way.
The_Sage1MalePhilippines2009-12-13 21:06:00
Philippinesbooking plane tickets for your fiance
I just booked through Cebu Pacific. Seriously? I wouldn't want to send a photo copy of my card in the mail. Yikes. Are you certain of this?
The_Sage1MalePhilippines2009-12-15 02:54:00
Philippinesbooking plane tickets for your fiance
We're having a tough time finding tickets from CEB to MNL for under 70 dollars round trip for the rest of this month and the beginning of January. I did find a decent deal for Cebu Pacific Air on Jan 11th...but I dont know if we want to wait that long or not. Seems the prices are up for the holidays.
The_Sage1MalePhilippines2009-12-13 05:44:00
Philippinesbooking plane tickets for your fiance
Is it allowed to book plane tickets online here in the USA for your fiance...if she is just to go from Cebu to Manila and back for her medical/interview?
The_Sage1MalePhilippines2009-12-13 04:03:00
Philippinesno packet3/letter from USEM
We have the medical for January 7th and the interview for January 19th. Hope this isn't a problem getting into St. Lukes. I need to call them.
The_Sage1MalePhilippines2009-12-15 23:42:00
PhilippinesStill no packet from the embassy
I did schedule the interview for Jan 19th but I never received an NVC letter and she never received a letter from the USEM. They did allow it on the phone but are you sure she doesn't need to bring any documents indicating she is eligible for an interview?
The_Sage1MalePhilippines2009-12-16 06:33:00
PhilippinesStill no packet from the embassy
I'd like to get her to go to St. Lukes on Jan 7th which is a Thursday...and stay through Friday in case she has a follow-up. Think it's safe to do that those 2 days?
The_Sage1MalePhilippines2009-12-13 17:03:00
PhilippinesStill no packet from the embassy
It's been since November 27th since the Consulate in Manila received our petition and still no packet. Is this normal to wait this long? hmm...
The_Sage1MalePhilippines2009-12-13 02:37:00
Philippineshubby passed the interview!!!!!
Did anyone even look at the I-134 and support documents? Hmm.
The_Sage1MalePhilippines2009-12-14 05:13:00
PhilippinesAna had her interview this morning
Did they even read your I-134 and supporting documents?
The_Sage1MalePhilippines2009-12-16 01:09:00
PhilippinesNo one denied lately?
I found out that the one that posted "Denied" in the consulate section really was just asked for additional documents. However, there is someone in the consulate/embassy forum that got denied for insufficient income even though they had a reliable co-sponsor. Such a shame.
The_Sage1MalePhilippines2009-12-17 03:14:00
PhilippinesNo one denied lately?
It looks like someone in the consulate review section under Philippines put "denied"...but didn't elaborate on anything. I wonder what happened.
The_Sage1MalePhilippines2009-12-16 23:45:00
PhilippinesNo one denied lately?
It honestly makes me wonder if most of the people that go through the Philippines that post about their denial aren't exactly telling the whole story.
The_Sage1MalePhilippines2009-12-06 04:44:00
PhilippinesNo one denied lately?
I've seen lots of positive things going on lately...seems like no one has had much trouble the last month or so. Can anyone confirm any denials/major issues there lately? Haven't seen any. I know someone on another forum posted a letter from their lawyer who received word from the embassy that they are going easy on the fiances being interviewed and giving them visas.
The_Sage1MalePhilippines2009-12-06 03:28:00
PhilippinesAny American men eat BALUT...
I'm not sure how people can call it a delicacy when I wouldn't touch it with a 10 foot poll. Then again...escargo(snail) is kind of a French delicasy. I'm not a big fan of things that are raw or slimey.
The_Sage1MalePhilippines2009-12-16 03:05:00
PhilippinesAny American men eat BALUT...
I wouldn't dare to touch the stuff. I'd even eat something nasty like escargo before I touched balut!
The_Sage1MalePhilippines2009-12-15 22:03:00
Philippinesjust done my CFO seminar at ST mary
I'm totally confused about what my fiance should bring to the CFO because I keep hearing different things. I know she needs her passport but does she actually need a photo copy of it?

Also, does she need to bring evidence of our relationship to the CFO? I read this on one source. I also understand she needs a copy of my passport and also something that state's my singleness.
The_Sage1MalePhilippines2009-12-13 17:55:00
Philippinesco sponsorship is not ok
This is copied and pasted from the letter:

"While our immigration law does not disallow joint sponsorships for K nonimmigrant visa
applicants, the mere submission of an I-134 Affidavit of Support from joint sponsors is not
sufficient to establish that the alien is not likely to become a public charge."

See? They don't allow or disallow co-sponsorship - it's a grey area.
The_Sage1MalePhilippines2009-12-18 10:18:00
Philippinesco sponsorship is not ok
My fiance hasn't had her interview yet, but I am planning on using a co-sponsor. That's not the point. The point is that they are telling people they accept co-sponsors on a case by case basis, and then telling all the benificiaries being interviewed that they don't accept co-sponsors. That's called lying.
The_Sage1MalePhilippines2009-12-18 08:45:00
Philippinesco sponsorship is not ok
Um, it's in a letter sent straight from the embassy themselves. It simply states that they accept co-sponsors on a case by case basis. In other words, they may or may not accept one...and it's up to the consulate to decide.
Saying they do OR do not accept co-sponsors is incorrect. It's up to the consulate to decide.
The_Sage1MalePhilippines2009-12-18 08:20:00
Philippinesco sponsorship is not ok
I wrote my state senator about this issue of co-sponsorship. I just can't sit by and watch the consulates deceive people like this and do nothing. They say they accept co-sponsorship, and turn their backs at the interview and deny it.
The_Sage1MalePhilippines2009-12-18 07:41:00
Philippinesco sponsorship is not ok
Does your fiance work full or part time? It probably would have helped if he did work full time if that's the case.

The USEM in Manila needs to make up their mind and stop deceiving people about co-sponsors. They sent out a letter stating that they accept co-sponsors on a case by case basis. So why they are telling people they don't accept them at all is beyond me.
The_Sage1MalePhilippines2009-12-18 07:22:00
PhilippinesSending regular money to fiancee. Good or Bad for Interview ?
My guess is that sending money to show your support is definately either going to be a plus or have a neutral effecet...so you wouldn't lose either way.

But if you were sending your fiance very large sums of money, I would watch out. I think the consulate would have reason to grow suspicious if you're sending thousands and thousands of dollars.
The_Sage1MalePhilippines2009-12-19 09:21:00