Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
Philippines	My fiancee is having problems getting a Philippines passport	QUOTE (bmtrrbt @ Oct 6 2009, 11:04 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> i guess thats why they didnt accept her postal id because she has two different postal id. She has 1 postal ID from her previous address, and 1 ID from her new address. To be honest, I don't know if she showed the DFA both postal IDs, but why should it matter? They are only evidence that she moved from one place to another! QUOTE (bmtrrbt @ Oct 6 2009, 11:04 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> document is a document and id is an id... This doesn't help me at all! I am not from the Philippines, and I have no idea what these documents look like, and I don't know which are commonly used as IDs! Plus, since the Baptismal Certificate, SSS-ID, School Form 137, Voter's Registration Record, etc. ALL show "full name, date and place of birth, and citizenship" as specified by the passport application for "Proof of ID", then why can only SOME of them be used as an ID? I was hoping she could use the Baptismal Certificate and School Form 137, but she says these are both "documents" and she needs to get an "ID". Right now, she is going to get her SSS-ID. QUOTE (bmtrrbt @ Oct 6 2009, 11:04 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> she doesnt have voters id? or tell her to get a voters affidavit... how about philippine health insurance id? She doesn't have either of these. Thanks for your help!	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2009-10-06 22:28:00
Philippines	My fiancee is having problems getting a Philippines passport	QUOTE (abbielovesjeremy @ Oct 6 2009, 12:22 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> to the OP: like what the others said, NBI and police clearances will help. because these clearances have your picture and your data. SSS ID can help too. it is considered a valid ID. Since the NBI clearance isn't listed on the passport application, I didn't think they would accept it, but I told my fiance to bring all her documents & IDs with her just in case. However, the DFA didn't accept her NBI clearance as a valid ID. She keeps saying she needs an "ID" (because they rejected her postal ID) and not a "Document" (because they already accepted her Baptismal Certificate). Does anyone know if the DFA makes a distinction between which forms serve as a "Proof of ID" and which are only counted as "Supporting Documents"? By the way, what is the difference between the NBI clearance and a police clearance? Are you sure the DFA accepts police clearances, or are you just guessing? QUOTE (abbielovesjeremy @ Oct 6 2009, 12:22 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> the only thing they asked from me are my cedula and baranggay clearance. Do you mean the cedula and barangay clearance are all that is required to get a police clearance or that you can use a cedula and barangay clearance as proof of ID for the passport? I think you meant that the cedula and barangay clearance only help you get a police clearance, but I want to be sure. My fiance already has a cedula, a barangay clearance, and an NBI clearance. The DFA rejected her NBI clearance, and I don't think the DFA will accept a cedula or a barangay clearance.	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2009-10-06 22:10:00
Philippines	My fiancee is having problems getting a Philippines passport	QUOTE (Lady AA @ Oct 6 2009, 04:45 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> NBI and Police Clearance is acceptable at DFA. When I get a new passport that is the proof of identification i bring to the DFA. My fiance showed the DFA her NBI clearance, Baptismal Certificate, and 2 different Postal IDs, but they only accepted her Baptismal Certificate. She keeps saying that she needs an "ID", not a "document", although I really don't know what that means. Why would the DFA allow some people to use an NBI clearance but not my fiance?	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2009-10-06 21:54:00
Philippines	My fiancee is having problems getting a Philippines passport	Hi all, The DFA denied my fiancee from getting a passport yesterday, because they no longer accept postal IDs as a form of identification. I would be grateful for any advice about what forms the DFA will accept as "Proof of identification" and "Other supporting documents" for a passport. The DFA Web site is as vague as the passport application is, and my fiancee has heard conflicting reports during her visit to the DFA office and later when she called to ask them more questions. She brought the following with her to the DFA: Duly accomplished application form. = completed Birth Certificate (BC) in Security Paper (SECPA) issued by the National Statistics Office (NSO) = completed Three (3) colored photos of the applicant taken against a royal blue background. = brought with her, but taken again at the DFA to comply with their standards Proof of identity / Supporting documents indicating full name, date and place of birth and citizenship = Postal ID and/or Baptismal certificate Other Supporting documents = Postal ID and/or Baptismal certificate Before the DFA rejected her, we thought a postal ID would be fine, because the passport application ONLY says that the "Proof of identity" needs to "indicate full name, date and place of birth and citizenship". But apparently postal IDs are easy to fake, so they are no longer accepted. So now we are scrambling to figure out what forms of identification my fiancee already has or can obtain within a reasonable amount of time. As a simple girl from the province of Samar, she does not have most of the forms of ID suggested on the passport application, and so our options are few. First, does anyone know if there is a difference between which documents can be used as a "Proof of ID" and which can be used as "Other supporting documents"? As far as I can tell, she can use the Baptismal Certificate as either a "Proof of ID" or as one of the "Other supporting documents", but I am not sure if there is a distinction between the two categories. For example, can the Baptismal Certificate NOT be used as "Proof of ID", as my fiancee has been led to believe? Am I right to assume that an applicant can pick any 2 of the documents listed under "Other supporting documents" to fulfill both of those requirements or can "Proof of ID" only be shown with specific documents (which aren't specified anywhere on the DFA site or on the passport application, by the way)? Here is the list of "Other supporting documents" taken directly from the passport application: Marriage Contract PRC / IBP ID Land Title Driver’s License Voter’s Registration Record Baptismal Certificate Seaman’s Book Income Tax Return (Old) Government Service Record Old SSS-E1 form/or digitized SSS-ID School Form 137 or Transcript of Records Other documents that show full name and birth details of applicant and citizenship --- What? Does anyone know what other documents this could refer to? Since she is unmarried (of course), has never voted, doesn't drive or own land, and has never held a job for which she has paid taxes or social security, that eliminates nearly all of these potential forms of identification. As far as I can tell, the only documents that she might be able to obtain right away are: Baptismal Certificate = already has with her in Manila School Form 137 = she hasn't seen this in 3 or 4 years and doesn't know if it is at her parents house in Samar or not ...and maybe she can also get the following fairly quickly: Voter’s Registration Record Old SSS-E1 form/or digitized SSS-ID Other documents that show full name and birth details of applicant and citizenship However, she was told that she can only use the voter's registration record if she voted THE YEAR BEFORE SHE APPLIES FOR A PASSPORT, and she was told conflicting stories about whether the school form 137 needs to be the original form or if it can be a new copy sent to her recently by her high school. Can anyone help us please? Can the Baptismal Certificate be used as "Proof of ID"? If not, what form can? And in her case, what would be the easiest document to get?	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2009-10-06 03:05:00
Philippines	My fiancee finally got her passport!	QUOTE (sweet angel @ Dec 19 2009, 02:54 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Great news! God is good all the time..Goodluck on ur journey and Godbless! Thanks so much! I am sooooo happy now! And this is ONLY the 1st step!	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2009-12-20 03:47:00
Philippines	My fiancee finally got her passport!	I just wanted to thank everyone who offered us help and advice in my previous two posts about how to get a Philippines passport. For us, the process was not simple or straightforward, but after more than 3 months and 4 failed attempts, the Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs FINALLY decided that she had collected enough documents from almost every government agency that they simply couldn't deny her any longer! She even got a passport despite the fact that her birth certificate was late registered and she didn't have any "OLD" DOCUMENTS! In the end, she was able to get a Tax Identification Number (TIN) ID and a voter's registration record, in addition to all the other documents she already had! Good thing that worked, because I don't know how she would have gotten a driver's license! She's never driven or owned a car, but she was told that is what she needed the last time she was rejected! Thank God another digitized government ID worked instead! She needs to take another (a 4th!) passport photo, but after that, it is finally done! LBC will mail her passport to Catbalogan by January 25. It normally takes 2 weeks, but the DFA will be closed for most of the Christmas and New Year holiday. I think she just got accepted right before the long break, which is nice so we won't freak out and worry for another month! Thanks for everyone's support during this frustrating time! For anyone who was keeping track of my progress or who might be having a similar problem, here is what documents finally worked for her, in the absence of her original high school ID or any other "Old" documents: Proof of identity/supporting documents [Original ID i.e. Senior Citizen's ID, Voter's ID, digitized government-issued IDs like SSS, PRC, BIR, Driver's License, original school ID (for students only) AND original supporting documents indicating full name, date and place of birth and citizenship] Original ID Tax Identification Number (TIN) ID from the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) -- issued 2009, digitized government ID Supporting Documents Voter's Registration Record -- issued 2009 (COMELEC couldn't find her old voting record from a previous election), normally a digitized government ID, but in a small city like Catbalogan, they only issue a paper document Other Supporting documents High School ID -- "new" copy issued 2009, since the original ID was destroyed due to water damage from heavy rainfall Baptismal certificate -- "new" copy had to be made because the original had the wrong date of birth NBI clearance -- paper document (not the digitized renewal ID), issued 2009 CENOMAR -- issued 2009 Other documents my fiancee has that are not accepted Postal ID -- issued 2009 Barangay clearance -- issued 2009 (I don't think this is accepted) Other documents that the DFA told me are not accepted NBI renewal clearance ID (even though this is digitized government ID, the DFA told me it is NOT accepted, which is a shame since it is so easy to get, only taking a day or two) Personally, I found the instructions on the back of the Philippines passport application to be very confusing. In particular, it doesn't mention which documents are not accepted EVEN IF they show "show full name and birth details of applicant and citizenship" and it also doesn't say what to do if you're late registered. I can't verify the legitimacy of the following site, but it seemed to give clearer guidelines on what documents the DFA will accept: http://www.citizense...equirements/new Edited by Karen_and_Jay, 17 December 2009 - 02:32 AM.	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2009-12-17 02:29:00
Philippines	FINALLY IM WITH FIANCE HERE IN USA...but.....	All I can think to say is be thankful that he got to see you fulfill your dream of marrying your husband! Apparently it was important to him, and one of his last actions on Earth was helping you complete an amazing journey in your life! He got to see you happy! Edited by Karen_and_Jay, 20 December 2009 - 04:01 AM.	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2009-12-20 04:00:00
Philippines	Jenny made it finally to the medical exam!	Just a quick update for closure's sake... Jenny did pass her medical on the 25th and are now facing our last biggest obstacle for now which is the interview... Its been a long hard road... But worth every moment! Thank you for your comments Congrats on passing the medical exam!	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2010-03-01 01:15:00
Philippines	Has anyone gotten a chest X-ray in the Philippines before the medical exam?	The answer is simple: go get your girl after she passes her medical. Yeah, I'd already suggested that to my fiancee, but she is deathly afraid of going to the medical exam on her own. I don't think I can convince her to go by herself! My advance chest x-rays were both clear, according to the doctor. But St. Luke's still did find a abnormality on my lung that puts me to a dreadful sputum test. After that, we went back to the clinic where my previous x-rays were done and had the radiologist read my chest x-ray negatives and he told us right there that he found a small scar on my upper right lobe that the doctor did not. We wished he did so that we would be prepared. No, I don't know any. Sorry to hear about your situation! I am glad it worked out after the sputum test! Thanks for your answer!	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2010-03-05 20:33:00
Philippines	Has anyone gotten a chest X-ray in the Philippines before the medical exam?	The reason we think she will pass the SLEC x-ray is because the vast majority of people pass it with no problems. The odds are certainly very much in your favor. Even if she had to undergo the two-month culture, the odds are also greatly in your favor that she would pass the culture and not have to go through the six-month treatment regimen. So, why worry over something that has almost no chance of happening? Thanks for that vote of confidence, but if she has to take the 2-month sputum test, I will already be back in the USA and I don't know when I will be able to afford flying back to the Philippines or when my boss will give me more vacation time! And my fiancee is afraid to fly to the USA on her own since she's only flown once (with me) from Manila to Calbayog! i too was so paranoid before i took my med exam just because of the dreadful sputum tests that might cause some delay for us.. i even had flu a week before my med exam.. and as much as i am so sure that i don't have tb, i still decided to have an advance chest xray at a diagnostic lab here in our place just to have peace of mind.. i was so relieved that the results were ok, my lungs are clear.. but then again i still have that small doubt in my mind that it's still possible to have a different result at st. luke's as what i have read from other threads here.. but still having the advance chest xray made me feel better and relaxed by the time i took my actual med exam.. let your fiance have an advance chest xray just to lessen the worries.. St. luke's is really very strict and they only honor their own results.. i do hope and pray all goes well for your fiance.. Thanks for the great advice! I'll have to see if I can convince her to take an advanced test!	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2010-03-05 03:08:00
Philippines	Has anyone gotten a chest X-ray in the Philippines before the medical exam?	St. Luke's is really very strict with regard to this.. even if you have previous xray's for comparison purposes and even if it came from St. Lukes medical center(not the clinic) they will still honor their own results.. i have read a thread about a vjer here who went on her medical at st. lukes extension, unfortunately she had findings on her xray, then she went to st. luke's hospital (main) to have her xray again.. here's the link.. Thank you SOOOO much for this link and the helpful information! Hello everyone! I'm Aes and I'd like to share my experience regarding SLMEC's sputum exam requirements. 10 years ago, I worked as factory worker at MEPZ in Lapu-lapu City and was exposed everyday to rubber being burnt since our company was making rubber products. AFter 3 long years I quit because of the difficulty in breathing that I have been experiencing then. In 2002, I had my x-ray since I applied as a crew in a food establishment. X-ray has always been a requirement to rule out any communicable disease especially Pulmonary Tuberculosis. In my x-ray, it showed some fibrosis or scars. However, the doctor said it was not an indication of PTB, but a sign of inhaling noxious smells such that of rubber. But during those times, I always have cough , and does not stop even with medication until now. In 2005, when I enrolled in nursing, we were to undergo physical exam, including X-ray. Again, the scars were very visible. But still the doctor said, I am negative from PTB. Last December 2009, I had my medical exam at SLMEC. My scars were already very visible. And the medical technologist explained that I should have these AFB staining and if even if the result is negative, still I have to undergo the sputum culture. I tried to explain my part in the humblest way I could, not even telling them I am a nurse, but the medical technologists still insisted that I should have sputum tests. I told them if I could talk to the doctor (because as a nurse I believe I could explain why I have scars etc), and they said no. So I had to undergo AFB staining and for those 3 samples taken, it was all negative. But again, there's the sputum culture. I had no chance to explain anymore to the pulmonologist since she was of ill-behavior for me. Shouldn't doctors be approachable to their clients? Anyways, I was told to submit my old X-ray for comparsion, which I was not able to comply because I could not retrieve my old x-ray film. Last February 15, I called up SLMEC and my sputum culture was negative. (Thanks God) Although SLMEC does not honor x-rays taken outside the clinic, to give you a peace of mind and to prepare yourself whether or not you will need to wait for two long months, I suggest you have an advanced x-ray at a renowned hospital. Then bring that with you when you have your medical exam. If in the case you will have scars, at least they can have something to compare with. I met a girl at SLMEC and there was already scarring in her lungs. She also brought with her an old x-ray film. I am not sure of the diagnosis, but although she had to undergo sputum culture for 2 months, she was also prescribed fr a medication for two months. And did it in her province. After two months, she came back to SLMEC (that's when I met her), and she had another x-ray. Her x-ray then was clear and she was given clearance. So she did not undergo the 6 months PTB medications. That's all. thank you for spending the time to read on my reply. Godbless us all. Chris and Aes Thanks for the information, but now I'm more worried than ever!	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2010-03-01 03:00:00
Philippines	Has anyone gotten a chest X-ray in the Philippines before the medical exam?	My wife had an early x-ray. We thought it would be a good idea because it gave us some peace of mind. Also, it's easy to get an x-ray...just walk into the clinic and pay the 250-300 Php. Thanks for the price estimate. I've also heard a range of 500-1,000php. However, keep in mind that the early x-ray she gets is going to be taken by an x-ray machine which is not nearly as hi-tech as the one at St. Lukes Extension Clinic. The one at St. Lukes produces a higher resolution x-ray than the average x-ray machine. That means the St. Lukes machine will likely catch spots on the lungs that other machines may miss. My wife is a Registered Nurse who has seen perhaps a dozen different x-ray machines at hospitals and clinics around the Philippines. She said that the one at St. Lukes is very modern and hi-tech. Do you or your wife happen to know a place that might have a "high-tech" X-ray machine? Chances are very good that she will pass the chest x-ray and have no problems. What makes you say that? I've seen some horror stories on here of people who had previous chest X-rays look clean but St. Luke's still found abnormalities! so i am just thinking if we want to be safe then lets go directly to st.luke's and have our x-rays there... It sounds to me like St. Luke's Medical Center Extension Clinic ONLY performs these medical exams for visas and is very busy and crowded. I doubt they have time to perform "early" chest X-rays, but please someone -- correct me if I'm wrong about that! It would be great if any of us could go to St. Luke's just for the chest X-ray ahead of the rest of the medical exam!	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2010-03-01 02:58:00
Philippines	Has anyone gotten a chest X-ray in the Philippines before the medical exam?	Be sure to speak with the radiologist though, this way you'll know if her St. Luke's medical will have no problem. What do you mean? Do you think some Filipino hospitals might have an X-ray machine that is as good or almost as good as the one at St. Luke's? If so, do you know any hospitals that have a good X-ray machine? But the entire plan was completely changed caused St. Luke's. Prior to that, I had 2 clear chest x-rays but St. Luke's did still find something suspesious on mine and we had no choice but to follow the "3-day sputum 2 month culture test" rule. I am so sorry to hear that! That is exactly what I'm worried about! I know an early X-ray won't rule out a possible rejection by St. Luke's, but I think it might make me feel a little better about it!	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2010-03-01 01:44:00
Philippines	Has anyone gotten a chest X-ray in the Philippines before the medical exam?	Thank you SOO much for relating your experience, mshopeful! They didn't honor results from other hospital they will only compare it but still their findings will prevail. I thought that might be the case, but thanks for confirming that! If your fiancee feels she's healthy and there's no one in her family who was infected by TB, I think getting early medical is just a waste of money. Her neighbor had TB when she was a child, and she went near him. As far as she remembers, she never had symptoms of TB, but I thought it would be good for our peace of mind if she checked her lungs ahead of time. Of course it won't be a guarantee that she will pass, but it is a good idea. She has never really had any problems coughing before... Edited by Karen_and_Jay, 27 February 2010 - 05:35 AM.	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2010-02-27 05:32:00
Philippines	Has anyone gotten a chest X-ray in the Philippines before the medical exam?	Most infections in humans result in an asymptomatic, latent infection, and about one in ten latent infections eventually progresses to active disease, which, if left untreated, kills more than 50% of its victims. Thanks for the helpful graphic, but I do know about latent TB since I am doing research on it! hehe, thanks!	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2010-02-27 05:27:00
Philippines	Has anyone gotten a chest X-ray in the Philippines before the medical exam?	True...but you need to have someone read it like they do in St. Lukes. We were a little worried about my wife's chest xray too...she coughs quite a bit (but i think it's from the pollution and other irritants here)...she got a clear chest x-ray with no problems. But if it will give you piece of mind...get the xray...it shouldnt cost that much...but I am pretty sure she would have to get the sputnum done at St. Lukes....but it will give you a heads up if they see something before your medical. Yeah, I bet you're right about St. Luke's requiring to do the sputum test there. Doing a chest X-ray elsewhere first would really just give us peace of mind! If something showed up on the first chest X-ray, she would need to go to the medical exam by herself before I get there!	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2010-02-27 02:42:00
Philippines	Has anyone gotten a chest X-ray in the Philippines before the medical exam?	People have done the chest xrays just in case. Just have her go get the skin TB test (even though there are false positives on that)...but it will let you know about TB....now for the x-ray...people do them just in case St. Lukes says they see something so they have something to compare it to. I am 99% sure the sputnum test has to be done at St. Lukes (since it is immigration related and the medical extension there is the only one certified for it). I know that if she has to do treatment...she will have to stay in manila because she has to do it at St. Lukes from what I have read. Thanks for the info, but I think it is better to do a chest X-ray instead of just the skin test, because the skin test can indicate the BCG vaccine and/or previous TB exposure, whereas the chest X-ray is a little more specific for previous TB infection. A positive skin test would require a chest X-ray. If they don't see anything on the chest X-ray, they won't order a sputum test. So I think a chest X-ray for our own edification might be the best idea.	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2010-02-27 02:25:00
Philippines	Has anyone gotten a chest X-ray in the Philippines before the medical exam?	Another question: does anyone know if St. Luke's accepts sputum test results from a Filipino clinic or hospital?	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2010-02-27 02:16:00
Philippines	Has anyone gotten a chest X-ray in the Philippines before the medical exam?	I was thinking of having my fiancee get a chest X-ray before the St. Luke's medical exam to find out if she will need a sputum test. I am 99% positive she doesn't have active TB now, but a neighbor in her village died from TB when she was a kid. She doesn't remember having a TB infection, but I can't rule out the possibility that she has latent TB or that something will show up on her chest X-ray that requires a sputum test. And I heard that the St. Luke's clinic is particularly strict with any abnormal speck or dot that shows up on a chest X-ray. So do you think an early X-ray is a good idea or not? I want to go with her to the St. Luke's medical exam, but I can't stay in the Philippines long enough to wait for a sputum test or TB treatment if either is necessary. And I really don't want to have to leave the Philippines without her! Can anyone just walk into a doctor's office or hospital and request a chest X-ray? Has anyone here does that before? If so, do you have any idea about the best place (hospital, clinic, doctor's office) to go and how much it will cost? Thanks in advance for your help! Edited by Karen_and_Jay, 27 February 2010 - 02:13 AM.	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2010-02-27 02:09:00
Philippines	Can my fiancee and I do the medical exam, visa interview, and CFO seminar in 2 weeks?	Schedule the interview for a Monday, then arrived in Manila the Monday before that to do the medical Mon/Tues, then you have several days to do the CFO, getting sticker later is easy. The key to your time line is receipt of the Visa. if they do not allow you to a pick up the Visa/Passport (~ 2 days), then it can take 5 to 10 days to arrive at your hotel, or her house. We did the first part in 8 days with no problem, and we had the time to wait for the visa, so start to finish it took a total of 16 days and we had Visa/ CFO stamp, and were good to go to fly to the US. I already had her ticket booked, but I would only have had to pay a $100 fee to change the flight date. Thanks for the post! I'll keep that in mind when scheduling my trip!	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2010-03-05 20:35:00
Philippines	Can my fiancee and I do the medical exam, visa interview, and CFO seminar in 2 weeks?	I was really worried about my wife's x-ray too. She has been to japan and korea....korea is where most people get contact with TB....although, I have been in korea for 2 years and (knock on wood) I never tested positive with the skin test. Being military and in korea NOT being able to drink for 6 months.....THAT WOULD REALLY SUCK!! Thanks again for all the helpful information! I'm probably freaking out more than I should, but I was really hoping to go to the Philippines AFTER I knew my fiancee already got her visa, so I wouldn't have to worry about her passing each step of the process during my stay. I generally don't take risks like this, but I think I might have to, unless my persuasive powers somehow get stronger!	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2010-03-01 02:35:00
Philippines	Can my fiancee and I do the medical exam, visa interview, and CFO seminar in 2 weeks?	they have like 3 security guards by the front door. I didnt see ANY people other than applicants coming out of St. Lukes. The only way your fiancee can have someone accompany her is if she is disabled or a minor....neither of which she is eligable for.... the only thing I saw guards letting slide was when the girls had water in their bag (food and drinks not allowed inside) the guards were pretty much by the book. If you go early in the morning, I am betting there will be 20-30 people ahead of you no matter how early you get there....my wife said that there was like 18 in the waiting area when she first got there inside at her first check area. This is something that your fiancee will have to do on her own. there will be plenty more girls doing the same thing. She can take a cellphone, so you can text back and forth. Thanks for the info! I guess I'll have to dress like a Pinay!	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2010-02-27 02:40:00
Philippines	Can my fiancee and I do the medical exam, visa interview, and CFO seminar in 2 weeks?	From everyone's review here it is quicker to go around lunch 12-1 (we went at 12:15) and it is much quicker...even if she goes at 4am...they dont start anything until 6 am. Some of the other members had good luck going at 12-1... I saw your previous thread about the best time to go to St. Luke's, where some Pinays mentioned that Americans snuck inside early in the morning. What would be my chances of getting inside the building if I go early? Are there big burly security guards who will kick my out-of-shape #### to the curb? Can you tell my fiancee REALLY doesn't want to go by herself?	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2010-02-27 01:51:00
Philippines	Can my fiancee and I do the medical exam, visa interview, and CFO seminar in 2 weeks?	I do understand your anticipation but if everything works well, I think 3 weeks is enough already. I don't know if they have change some procedures with the medical, cfo and interview but if not you might make it. Based on my experience, done my medical, CFO and interview within 10 days stay in Manila. You can check my timeline though. If all goes well, you might bring your fiancee with back home. I agree with Scott lunch time or after lunch time is the best time going to SLEC because it's not that busy anymore. I did mine around 3pm and was done after an hour because there's only 2 of us doing the exam. If she lived within Manila, she can do her medical right after you receive your NOA2. Your fiancee will do the exam all by herself because chaperons are not allowed inside SLEC only the appointees are allowed. With the needle thing, I am also scared with needles but if your already there, you will have the courage to do it. If your fiancee will do her medical ahead of time, before the USEM have your papers for the interview, 2 weeks might be enough for your stay and bring her back to the States with you. With the ticket issue, my fiance (now husband) bought my ticket right after I passed my interview. I would suggest wait til you get the approval before purchasing the ticket. Good Luck! Thanks for your reply! I didn't know only the appointees could go inside St. Luke's! From everyone's review here it is quicker to go around lunch 12-1 (we went at 12:15) and it is much quicker...even if she goes at 4am...they dont start anything until 6 am. Some of the other members had good luck going at 12-1...last month they said both days were around 2 hours. Everything went fast for my wife with the medical except for getting the exam...it was the longest part...i think she waited 2 hours for that alone. Okay -- sounds like you know your stuff! the only good thing about you being there with her is to take her out to eat at robinson's mall after. Hehe, good call! Hopefully, that will help her forget all the needles!	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2010-02-27 01:02:00
Philippines	Can my fiancee and I do the medical exam, visa interview, and CFO seminar in 2 weeks?	Thanks for the quick answer! First of all, does your fiancee live in Manila? Right now, she is staying with her aunt in Caloocan, so she's not too far. I feel it is really doable in 3 weeks to be safe...but you can do it in 2 weeks IF the stars are aligned. I hope so! If you are here...I know you will have "contact" with your fiancee (you know what i mean?)...she will probably have to get a waiver letter done because they probably wont do the immunizations on the off chance she is pregnant (they told my wife to come back next month on the first or second day of her period to get the immunizations). Besides scheduling the exam around the time of her period, how can I be sure she can get her immunizations? I guess we could abstain until after the medical exam! The big thing for you to have is the interview date. You can knock out the medical pretty quick (go there about lunchtime and it should be faster...took my wife 5 hours the first day though) Really? It is quicker to go at lunch-time than at 4 a.m. like everyone else suggests? In the U.S., things seem to go much slower during lunch since 1/2 the workers are on their lunch break, so why would it go quicker during lunch in the Philippines? She can do the CFO before she gets her VISA, but will have to go back to get the sticker...so it is better to wait until she has the VISA in hand. I heard that too, but thanks for reminding me! You know that if you can get more time off work getting a visa extension for an american is pretty much pay the 3030 pesos and wait an hour...I have done it twice. I think I will have a hard time convincing my boss to give me three weeks, even though my graduate student handbook states we should get 3 weeks every year! Not sure how I would get more time off than that! The best bet would be to have her do her medical after you get the NOA2 so she can get her immunizations at the same time (and you wont have to pay for them in the US .... depends on how your medical coverage is) Doing this will be better since IF she does have to do the dreaded SPUTUM test, you wont lose anytime and wont be leaving without her again. I know it would be easier for her to go before I arrive, but she is really scared to go by herself because of the needles. I didn't realize I couldn't go in with her. That will probably freak her out even more! Thanks for your advice!	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2010-02-27 00:35:00
Philippines	Can my fiancee and I do the medical exam, visa interview, and CFO seminar in 2 weeks?	I would like to be with my Pinay fiancee for her medical exam and visa interview, but I can only get 2 or 3 weeks vacation from my job (and can only stay 21 days without a visa). Is there any flexibility with either the medical exam or the visa interview so that we can schedule both within the same week? I thought she could call the U.S. Embassy to schedule the interview first, and then go to the medical exam maybe the week before. If that is possible, then is there any way she can pass her medical exam, receive her visa, and attend the CFO seminar in or 2- or 3-week span? Is that expecting too much? What is the minimal amount of time needed to take the medical exam, visa interview, and CFO seminar? What is a more realistic time frame? Is 2 weeks possible? 3 weeks? I am worried that if we try this, she will get a RFE at the interview that delays us beyond my 21-day time frame or maybe something will show up on her chest X-ray (although I am sure she doesn't have TB, I don't know how often false positives show up). It would be devastating to travel there expecting to bring her back with me and leave alone. I have already gone home by myself and don't want to do it again! If anyone has any suggestions how to proceed, even suggestions about how to plan our itinerary, I am all ears. I was thinking I shouldn't schedule her flight to the USA until I am sure she has her visa. But how do I assure she will sit next to me on the trip home? Don't I need to book a round-trip flight to enter the Philippines? Or can I book a one-way flight there and then book a one- or two-passenger trip home once we find out about her visa? Any suggestions about that, or even suggestions about something I overlooked? Thanks for all your help in advance!	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2010-02-27 00:02:00
Philippines	PINAY IN NJ!!!!!!	QUOTE (narcissist_pinay @ Dec 27 2009, 02:10 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> ???? I live in NJ, but my fiancee will not be here until mid-2010 at the earliest. I'm very interested in this thread, and will answer any questions I can. I am a graduate student in Piscataway and have lived in NJ almost my entire life. The majority of the people bashing New Jersey have probably never been here! It's a common thing to pick on NJ!	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2009-12-28 20:42:00
Philippines	PINAY IN NJ!!!!!!	QUOTE (Galt's gallstones @ Dec 27 2009, 07:43 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> There are quite a few Filipinos living in New Jersey. http://www.thefilipi...nnewjersey.html Thanks! This will help me out too if/when my fiancee joins me here!	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2009-12-28 20:31:00
Philippines	Anyone flying in June?	either it was a long time or not enough time to clear customs, immigration, and get to the next flight (only 2 hours in seattle). Karen only has 2.5 hours in Minneapolis to clear customs & immigration! Is that enough time? We had to get off the plane, go thru security, and get right back on the plane never have figured that one out, but I think that is SOP in Japan. Same thing happened to me on a layover in Alaska for China Airlines. Seemed kind of a waste of time for all of us to get off and then back on, but it felt good to get off the plane for a bit.	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2010-05-19 23:14:00
Philippines	Anyone flying in June?	Delta however flys nearly non-stop. One stop in Japan for fuel where she'll never get off the plane then direct to Detroit. 3 hour layover in Detroit where I'll meet her (perfect for getting through the POE), then straight to Wichita. My fiancee and I are flying Delta and going through Tokyo too. China Airlines gave the best deal last year, but it was not as good this year. I think that might be because this year I only looked for tickets 4 weeks in advance instead of last year's 6-week buffer. To my surprise, there's no fee for checked bags either..who knew!! Grand total: $1006 The three airlines I have checked (Continental, Delta, and China Airlines) allow two checked bags without a fee for all international flights! As far as I know, Delta also gives free booze (not sure if it is beer only or if that also means hard liquor) on international flights!	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2010-05-17 22:13:00
Philippines	How long does it take for wife to adjust to US Time	Its better sometimes to try and force yourself to stay awake during the day to get into the correct cycle. Agreed. I've done this on both my trips across the International Date Line, and it worked well for me. It was a struggle to stay awake until normal bedtime at my destination, but after that, it was cake!	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2010-05-10 22:51:00
Philippines	Bisayan nickname translation needed??	Or is she calling me rotten baby?? Pasaway Visayans! My wife and her friends like messing with Americanos. They would get guys to believe that "Utot mo Mabaho" was "hello, how are you?" I am not good with Tagalog grammar, but I know "utot" = fart and "mabaho" = stinky. What does "utot mo mabaho" mean -- "my fart stinks"? Karen likes saying something pasaway to me in Tagalog and then saying something innocent the second time when I ask her to repeat herself!	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2010-05-17 21:48:00
Philippines	Married and Sooo Happy!	What is this? That girl in the window really looks Photoshopped! BTW, she is not a white lady! She is just wearing a white shirt!	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2010-05-23 00:23:00
Philippines	Married and Sooo Happy!	For phone right now we are using Startec which you dial a 10-10 number and after a 50cent connect charge it's 9 cents a minute. That's temporary until we get http://www.pinoytawagunlimited.com/ which is $40 a month for unlimited calling to Phil. You tried rebtel.com? It is like 12.9 cents a min to a cell phone and no connect fees. It is a prepay service that reloads automatically if you want. Thanks for the suggestions, guys! I'll have to look into them with Karen when she gets here! Edited by Karen_and_Jay, 21 May 2010 - 04:48 PM.	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2010-05-21 16:47:00
Philippines	Married and Sooo Happy!	Congratulations to the both of you, and Wilma -- welcome to the United States! If you think you cleaned your house and think you've got it "filipina ready".....think again! Wilma has been non-stop cleaning! And wondering how I could live so messy....I said you should have seen before I cleaned it. The main thing I hear is "omg it's so dusty....you never dust?" I bet I'll hear the same! Karen always tells me I'm a "good boy" when she hears I'm cleaning! Make sure you show your new bride how to use the exhaust fan over the stove and tell her about this little device called a "smoke alarm." Yesterday I finally went to work and left Wilma alone for the 1st time and she started cooking her some breakfast, and ummm well she set off the smoke alarm and she said she freaked out and began running around screaming...... I've thought about this too, since my smoke alarm is overly sensitive and ALWAYS going off! This alarm has gone off as soon as I've added oil to the frying pan! For the time being, I've pulled out the battery, since there's another smoke alarm nearby but out of the reach of the stove. Apparently the alarm is either too sensitive to be in a kitchen or the fan above my stove is not strong enough. It's annoying to me, but I bet it's scary to someone who doesn't know what it is! Not sure if it's just my Wilma, but she is always worried about ghosts and sleeping in the dark. We have to leave a light on..... and she's scared to go in some rooms alone....and always wants closet doors closed. I thought about getting a night light, but haven't done it yet. I think that's a good idea, for the late-night trips to the cr! Thanks a lot for all your suggestions! Many are things I'd thought about too, but it's nice to know what to expect and what other people are thinking! Do you have a good suggestion for a relatively cheap way to call the Philippines? Edited by Karen_and_Jay, 20 May 2010 - 12:20 AM.	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2010-05-20 00:19:00
Philippines	any new xoom coupon	Has anyone here ever talked to a Xoom customer service agent ? everytime I do it seems like I get some rude person from either Pakistan or India. Yeah, the representative told me that coupon codes are only meant for new customers. When I told them that I never got a coupon code when I first signed up, they told me something like "too bad". I just found out they now have a $50 minimum for each transaction, and I never really checked their exchange rates versus other companies, so I didn't realize until now that the rates aren't so good. Guess I should have been checking that all along, but I probably sent my last money to the Philippines through them anyway. Edited by Karen_and_Jay, 10 May 2010 - 09:53 PM.	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2010-05-10 21:52:00
Philippines	Filipinos in New Jersey?	I'll ask again -- are there any Filipinos in New Jersey? I know Edison, Bergenfield, and Jersey City all have big Filipino communities.	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2010-06-30 18:26:00
Philippines	Filipinos in New Jersey?	Hmmm... anyone in the Philadelphia, Allentown or New York City area?	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2010-05-19 23:33:00
Philippines	Filipinos in New Jersey?	Hi everyone, I was just wondering if there are any Filipinos on VisaJourney who live in New Jersey or will be arriving soon? My fiancee will be coming to live with me in New Brunswick in mid-June. I was just looking for advice on good Filipino grocery stores, restaurants, or churches in the area. Any thoughts or advice about making the transition to the United States easier are welcome too! Salamat poh! Edited by Karen_and_Jay, 17 May 2010 - 10:46 PM.	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2010-05-17 22:46:00
Philippines	Amending Philippine Passport After Marrying U.S. Citizen?	Hello - I went through the process of changing my name AND updating my passport but here in the West Coast so I am not sure how busy the Phil Embassy is in NY so timing might be a little different. Answers below Thanks for all your helpful answers! In general, I find that the PCGNY is a little inefficient, they are almost impossible to contact by phone, and they don't reply to emails. Same here. I e-mailed with no answer in 1.5 weeks. When I called them, I navigated the automated system to different menus, and no one ever answered. When I found the passport menu, it rang 15x with no answer, I got a message saying "That mailbox is full. Goodbye.", & they hung up on me! I don't know why it cost $13, maybe because I wanted express mail (not priority mail) and it was 1-day guaranteed delivery with signature. I didn't want to take any chances with my passport. And they return a lot of papers back to you, the Report of Marriage, your marriage certificate, etc.. so it wasn't just a passport I think it took 3 weeks in total for it to come back. Thanks for your help!	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2011-09-15 22:59:00