Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
Philippines	what filipino food is your favorite	Lechon is awesome! this was on my last trip in february. I got to see the whole preparation from live pig to the dinner plate! +1 on the lechon, +1000 on the pics! Lechon is the best centerpiece of any feast!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-05-19 13:57:00
Philippines	what filipino food is your favorite	hello, i will just ask what filipino food did your fiance or wife prepare you and makes u miss in the philippines thanks and takecare There's so many! Pinakbet, dinuguan, daing na bangus. I miss those dishes because you cannot get as fresh as in Philippines. Adobo, kare-kare, sinigang...I can make that here with no troubles. But the other dishes required certain fresh ingredients (i.e. dugo), which are more difficult to find here in the States. What dishes do you miss? Edited by Markieboy, 19 May 2010 - 08:54 AM.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-05-19 08:50:00
Philippines	Phils Visa..??	Oh - sorry, I didn't know about this provision. I was just going off the State.gov info. Not a problem. Many people with Filipino spouses aren't aware of this program. Some just pay for extension of their tourist visas. When in fact, they need not pay anything at all. The Philippine immigration officer will not automatically give the balikbayan stamp to those eligible. They must, however, actually invoke this privilege to the IO, and provide the supporting documentation.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-05-20 13:06:00
Philippines	Phils Visa..??	Hi Everyone. My wife may be taking my son to the Phils with her next year and staying more than 3 weeks. Do we need to get our son a visa extension? Or since he is her son and she is Filipino no need? He is US citizen born here in U.S. Your wife may avail of Balikbayan privilege. This privilege is extended to his/her spouse and his/her children. She only needs to present the Philippine immigration officer with her Philippine passport (current or expired), the child's birth certificate, and of course, both passports. If you travel with her, you may avail of it also. You would need to show your marriage certificate. The Balikbayan visa is valid for 1 year. You may avail of this only once a year. You can verify this information by contacting the Philippine Consulate office in San Francisco. This office has jurisdiction over Colorado. Philippine Consulate San Francisco 447 Sutter Street, 6th Floor, Philippine Center Building, San Francisco, California 94108 (415) 433-6666 to 68 (415) 433-6675 (415) 433-6680 Fax No. (415) 421-2641 Email: SanFranciscoPC@aol.com I hope this helps!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-05-20 12:54:00
Philippines	celebrating 2nd anniversary today	Happy two-year anniversary! Yes, life is full of up and downs...but it sure is a wonderful journey, isn't it? Hope you guys have many more happy anniversaries to come!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-05-20 11:42:00
Philippines	Husband teaching Wife to Drive	One thing I observed here, make sure you know who have the right of way, that's one thing that sucks in the Philippines. Yeah...in the Philippines...the car that gets there first has the right of way!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-05-14 11:13:00
Philippines	Husband teaching Wife to Drive	As for husbands, you don't have to spend $700 for driving school without the 100% guarantee that she will pass road test. I agree! My wife learned to drive without spending $$$ to take a course. On the other hand, my systolic blood pressure increased 20-30mmHg. Congratulations on getting your license! It really is a big accomplishment. Your husband is a very brave man indeed adiiann!! I share the same sentiments. Hello there! Congrats! My husband is trying to teach me how to drive for 2 weekends now. We go to vacant parking lot or school campus during weekend. One time when im driving my husband is shouting at me to stop as i'm about to hit the post. He really concern about his car being crash. This is basically what we did. She drove around the mall parking lot a couple hours every weekend. This gave her a feel of the car, with regards to steering, braking and turning.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-05-12 15:35:00
Philippines	Married and Sooo Happy!	Congratulations to both of you! May your marriage have all the happiness and love that life has to offer. God bless!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-05-19 14:06:00
Philippines	Visa Approved!!!	Thank you guys for all your help! I was a bit worried at first cos I thought I had DS-160 but then I didn't. Fortunately, the only thing they looked for was the DS-156, DS-156K and DS-157. Plus I had a minor setback cos of one correction in a form I filled. But overall everything went fine. Was at the embassy for almost 6 hours including waiting time. But the consul had very few questions and in less than 5 minutes, my visa was approved! Thank God! Now all I need is to look for an affordable one way ticket to Seattle. Can anyone help me with that? I'm hoping to leave by June 12. Again, thank you and good luck to everyone else!!! Congratulations, ceziepie! That's great news! Expedia has some great deals on flights. Manila-Seattle one way is $988, tax and fees included. Wow, it's almost as expensive as roundtrip ticket. Edited by Markieboy, 24 May 2010 - 11:01 AM.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-05-24 11:01:00
Philippines	Balisong Gift	Hello Peeps I have a question on transporting a Balisong I purchased as a gift for my friend in the states. He is really in to guns, knives and swords..Oh my! Any way I am attaching a picture of it so you can ascertaion the size of this Balisong (sword). I need to know if there is a legal way to transport it to the USA. btw he already owns this and it was appraised that a collector may pay $2k-$3k. I have brought (check-in luggage) balisongs to the US a few years ago. At NAIA, the xray inspectors wrapped the balisongs with masking tape. When I arrived in Seattle, customs inspected my luggage. The officer only commented on how nice my souvenirs were. As long as you or your friend are not carrying it, I don't think you'll have any problem. Here is something my friend bought at an auction and learned it had a collector's value of $2k-$3k. That looks like an Igorot headhunting ax, IIRC. Very nice collectible if it is authentic. They do sell alot of replicas there. But if that is genuine, that's worth a pretty penny!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-05-24 20:04:00
Philippines	admendment of passport	Hmm...what's that report of marriage? We didn't have to pay for that. We were only asked to show her passport and our marriage certificate. Her name change and renewal was only $50.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-05-15 12:20:00
Philippines	admendment of passport	Hello, My wife and I have been married for almost 2 years now and she was waiting to get the admendment before her passport expired in Nov. of 2011. If we go ahead and do report of marriage now will her passport also be renewed or do we have to do that at a different time? Is there more than one fee to do that? the fee for admendment and also a different fee for renewal? Did your wife admend her passport through the mail or go to do it in person? Thanks for any advice. We love in NC. I'm not sure if you can renew that early before its expiration. You may want to contact the consulate's office to verify. North Carolina is under the jurisdiction of Washington D.C. office. PHILIPPINE EMBASSY, WASHINGTON, D.C. 1600 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20036 Telephone: (202) 467-9300 Fax: (202) 328-7614/ 467-9417 Email: phembassyusa@verizon.net Website: www.philippineembassy-usa.org Personal appearance is required for renewals. My wife and I renewed in person at the San Francisco office. They charged the passport renewal fee ($50), and NOT the amendment fee ($20). We were expecting to pay $70. And in six weeks, we received her new passport in the mail.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-05-15 09:00:00
Philippines	admendment of passport	When my wife had her passport amended, it was also renewed. This was done approximately 4 months prior to its expiration. I hope that helps.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-05-13 16:43:00
Philippines	App. for permanent resident approved	We received Vicky's "Welcome to the United States" letter yesterday. Thanks to VisaJourney our total spent on lawyers from K1 filing to g/c approval $0. Thanks all of you for your advice and help. Congratulations, DainandVicky! It is such a great feeling, isn't it? Knowing you guys did the process all by yourselves? Understanding the process and procedure is very fulfilling.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-05-26 08:33:00
Philippines	Our day has come!	Beautiful pictures, Scott! Congratulations to both of you!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-05-27 10:14:00
Philippines	The journey is complete	Hello to all, I am writng to let everyone one know my journey is complete. My wife made it here last night. The plane was an hour late from manila but made it to Las Vegas safely. She was one of the last ones out, so we had to wait over 30 minutes to them to get out of customers. But at last she is here.Good luck with everyone still going through the journey. Congratulations! Glad to hear your wife had a safe journey. May you two have all the happiness and joy that life has to offer. God bless you guys!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-05-23 23:45:00
Philippines	Dual Citizenship	That was my concern Bob/Anna. I wanted to make sure that..if it's lost, she can get it back. It's stupid to "lose" it in the first place. It should be as easy as signing a form during the immigration process...wait, that's crazy talk..sorry . Like you, I have no idea where we'll be that many years down the road. She may decide she really likes lower humidity and 4 seasons, who knows. I know we'll want to own land or a home there though and it's tricky enough to buy a legal, deeded piece of property there and KEEP it. I want to make sure we don't inadvertently throw a monkey wrench in an already shaky machine. Yeah, I'm not sure why one loses citizenship, either. But you are right, the Philippines would not have a Re-acquisition Act if otherwise. It's a very good idea to secure dual citizenship for the future. Like you and Bob, my wife will also apply for dual citizenship in a few years. We, too, are planning to retire in the Philippines...one day. We want the option of buying real estate without any restrictions. And one of the requirements is, Filipino citizenship. So, we want to make 100% sure there are no potential snags down the line.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-05-24 10:57:00
Philippines	Dual Citizenship	I've searched here several times in the past, and just did again. I can't seem to find much information though. Who here has done it and what's involved? Does she have to be naturalized here in the US first then re-apply for Phil citizenship? It's still down the road a ways I know, but if there was anything she could do now while she's still in Manila, to save some time or effort, that would be great BTW, I like the new layout here but I HATE how the topics come up when you search We haven't done this yet, but I think I have a general idea what is involved. First, she will become a naturalized U.S. citizen. When one becomes a U.S. citizen, they renounce any other citizenship they previously had. Thereby, losing Philippine citizenship. However, according to Philippine law, a former Filipino CAN re-acquire Philippine citizenship. Therefore, she can then apply for re-acquisition of her Philippine citizenship. She would then have dual citizenship. You can verify this information with the Philippine Consulate General - Chicago. This office has jurisdiction over Kansas. Hope that helps some!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-05-24 10:06:00
Philippines	My wife's pregnant....could we have the baby in Cebu?	Hi all, my wife is pregnant! Since she came here on a K-1 visa back in September, and her family wasn't able to attend our wedding in Texas, we were wondering if/how/where she could maybe have her baby in the Philippines so her family could be involved. I do not have insurance, and i would just pay cash for the birth, so does anyone have any information about whether this is a good idea? I would love to hear from someone who maybe already did this, but any good info is appreciated! Salamat! Congratulations! I am unfamiliar with the hospitals in Cebu. However, I know the approximate costs of NSD and cesarean section deliveries. (Had some training at a Philippine hospital) Uncomplicated NSD (normal, spontaneous delivery) range between P18,000-P25,000 (~$400-$550). If there are complications (i.e. preeclampsia, hemorrhage), it will increase costs and most likely hospital stay. Cesarean section deliveries are, naturally, more expensive. They range anywhere from P25,000-P35,000 (~$550-$750). This includes the use of operating room, anesthetics, doctors' fees, etc. The hospital stay is also longer with CS deliveries. You are NOT REQUIRED to have insurance in the Philippines. Most people, though, are unable to pay in cash; and thus need some financial aid. OTOH, in your case, $1000 is cheap for hospital expenses. Some of my family members and friends had their deliveries in the Philippines. The cost was the least of our problems. It feels great to have great medical care, without the ridiculous cost. I think it's a great idea to go to the Philippines, if the lack of insurance is your primary concern. However, keep in mind that expectant mothers cannot travel during their 3rd trimester (7 months and beyond), IIRC. Better to confirm the regulations with your airlines. Anyway, I hope this helps some.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-06-04 16:22:00
Philippines	PI wedding: how soon do you get the marriage certificate	Ours took 3 days. The mayor was a distant relative of my wife, so I'm sure that helped. With the right incentive, it is possible to get it in 2 days.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-06-12 20:40:00
Philippines	Finally	Congratulations, Kevin!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-06-12 20:42:00
Philippines	IR-2 Processing Times at USEM?	I am in the same situation too. Actually, I have been caught with the removal of the K3/K4 visas and now awaiting I-130 approval of my (2) step daughters. My wife's approval came through in February and they automatically assigned CR2 visa status for her. But, we will have been married 2 years in Aug 30 and we would like all of them to come shortly thereafter. My challenge now is to have my wife's visa changed to IR1. However, according to the IR2 it states visa for 'Child of US citizen'. I'm not sure about step child of US citizen. If anyone knows for sure, would appreciate the advice?? For immigration purposes, a “child” is defined as being unmarried and under 21, whereas a “son” or “daughter” is defined as being married and/or 21 or over. For immigration purposes, a child can be...a step-child, as long as the marriage creating the step-relationship occurred before the child turned 18. - USCIS.gov As long as the conditions are met, USCIS makes no distinction between a biological child and a stepchild.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-04-11 12:06:00
Philippines	IR-2 Processing Times at USEM?	Hi Markie, Im just starting the same process for my 7 year old stepson in Philippines also. Most post have have looked at seem to take 6 months or so to get approved. Good luck Jim Thanks for the response, Jim! I'll try and petition 7 months in advance. My wife is wanting to accompany her daughter on the trip to the States. We'd like to have a rough estimate so wife can schedule some time off from work. Again, thanks for an answer! Good luck with your son's journey, also.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-03-24 12:43:00
Philippines	IR-2 Processing Times at USEM?	I did my little guy's CR-2 at the same time as my wife's CR-1... Initial filing was in April of 2009, they both landed in Chicago on November 25 of 2009! FWIW, your step-daughter would be issued a CR-2 Visa, which will result in her receiving a 2 yr conditional greencard. She will have to go through ROC just like her Mom. Thanks for your response, Bob! Really appreciate it. My wife and I applied for AOS months before our 2-year anniversary. So, I know she'll be receiving a conditional 2-year green card. However, if I petition my stepdaughter AFTER my 2-year marriage anniversary, would my stepdaughter be classified as IR-2 and be given a 10-year green card? Sorry, I'm just trying to understand the details completely.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-03-24 09:10:00
Philippines	IR-2 Processing Times at USEM?	Hi everyone! Was wondering if anyone recently petitioned a child. Here's my current situation. I'm a USC, married to a Filipina. We currently are adjusting my wife's status to permanent resident. However, my stepdaughter is still in the Philippines. I would like to petition her. I understand I'll use I-130 to petition her, and if I'm not wrong, she'll be classified as IR-2. Does anyone have a rough estimate of the processing time, from submitting I-130 to NVC to the issuance of her immigrant visa through consular processing? Any thoughts or advice is greatly appreciated.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-03-23 20:47:00
Philippines	Para sa mga Pinay...	Wow!!! I'm ilocano so when i move to hawaii, it feels like home... Ilokano ak pay... Tama ba yung?	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-06-18 19:12:00
Philippines	Philippine Passport Expiring	I thought too that they were strict with that rule. However, I have one Pinay friend who renewed her passport via mail recently. She called the embassy that has jurisdiction over her State and told them that the embassy was too far for her to travel and they allowed her to renew via mail. We can actually make excuses (e.g. cannot travel as I have a baby, cannot take time off from work, too far from my location etc. etc.). You just need to call them beforehand so they can note that you are not showing up for passport renewal. Really? Nice! It really seems inefficient that one has to travel, in some cases, multiple states...just to renew a passport. The system in the Philippine isn't known for being efficient, in the first place. I suppose if they allow mailing in renewals, it's best to get the name of the person who gave the OK. That way, if there are any problems, you could drop a line and say, "So-and-so from your office said to do this."	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-05-24 10:14:00
Philippines	Philippine Passport Expiring	NEW JERSEY. Consulate General of the Philippines - New York has jurisdiction over New Jersey. Again, the renewals must be in person (I don't understand that rule, but whatever). Good luck with your passport renewal! Let us know if you need any other help. Edited by Markieboy, 23 May 2010 - 04:56 PM.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-05-23 16:55:00
Philippines	Philippine Passport Expiring	Where should I renew it? To answer your question, it depends on what state you live in. What state are you from?	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-05-23 16:47:00
Philippines	Philippine Passport Expiring	Hi everyone! I just got my green card last December 2009 and I found out today that my Philippine Passport will be expiring this June 07,2010. Where should I renew it? Isn't it that since I am a legal permanent resident, I should still be renewing it and not to get a US passport, right? Thanks in advance for your help. Your green card status is less than one year, right? So, you are not eligible for U.S. citizenship, nor a U.S. passport, at the moment. Yes, you should be renewing your Philippine passport. Location of renewal depends on your state. Where is your location? You are required to renew Philippine passport in person.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-05-23 16:41:00
Philippines	question about philippine visa	hello to all i met a filipina last may and i was wondering if i marrie dher in the phil would i still have to renew a visa every 59 days i heard if u was married to a filipino citizen u dont have to have visa to stay longer than 21 days..i know i could apply for perminent residency but i dont want to do that or else i would Lose my SSI pension i would want to return to the stes once a yr for visits...Godbless to all i hope i get some good advice I think the visa you're referring to is Balikbayan visa. Yes, it's true that this visa is extended to the Filipino citizen's spouse as well as his/her minor children. A balikbayan can stay up to a year in the Philippines. However, the key requirement is the Filipino is a balikbayan. Philippine law states that a balikbayan "shall mean a Filipino citizen who has been continuously out of the Philippines for a period of at least one (1) year, a Filipino overseas worker, or former Filipino citizen and his or her family, as this term is defined hereunder, who had been naturalized in a foreign country and comes or returns to the Philippines." So, if your future Filipino spouse doesn't meet any of these requirements, you are ineligible for Balikbayan privilege. I hope this helps some.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-06-23 10:40:00
Philippines	How can anything so stinky possibly taste so good?	Yeah. Red Horse. That stuff improved my father-in-law's English by %1000. Hehehe...I know what you mean! My father-in-law not only spoke fluently, but was 1000% more sociable. Ahh, strong alcohol can be a wonderful thing.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-05-28 14:57:00
Philippines	How can anything so stinky possibly taste so good?	When I went to both the Philippines and Vietnam I tried absolutely everything. I can honestly say I loved just about everything. There were a few things I didn't care for so much but there was ONE thing I can't handle...durian. It smells like a cantaloupe that's been sitting in a dumpster in Southern Arizona for 2 weeks and tastes about the same. The smell from the bite I took instantly saturated my sinuses and I could smell that ####### for a week!! Yuckkk!! Hehehe! Yeah, eating durian is an acquired taste. But, at least you tried!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-05-26 18:19:00
Philippines	How can anything so stinky possibly taste so good?	Sarap yung tuyo! Miss ko yan! Eto...	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-05-26 15:10:00
Philippines	The Journey Continues	Congratulations! What a cutie!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-07-22 14:28:00
Philippines	fly to USA	Hello all my friend here. i wanted to know if i could bring a dried fish /banana catsup in USA/ i got visa and now ready to fly... looking forward if i could bring that staff. i will appreciated all ur answer thank u .. Dried fish? Probably not. Any kind of meat and/or produce are generally confiscated. My wife tried bring bottled ube. It was promptly confiscated at US Customs. YMMV	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-08-05 14:34:00
Philippines	Does anyone know any online dating sites where you can meet Americans looking for a wife in the Philippines.	I would say this post is quite inappropriate to openly advertise oneself to act as a fixer for a relationship. This totally voids the very reason of finding a true love. You can't bring everybody in the United States just because they are a member of your family or a friend especially sending them to a dating site to meet an American. This is one from countless reasons why we usually get judged by other people or race that we find someone to use as a ticket to the United States. Agreed.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-07-22 10:28:00
Philippines	BAMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!	Congratulations!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-08-14 23:30:00
Philippines	Anybody in Seattle area?	Pierce county here. Feel free to ask any immigration questions.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-09-21 12:00:00
Philippines	Curious about Red ribbon	Hey Guys! How is everything doing? just a quick question does the NBI clearance , Birth certificate. and Final decree of annulment need a red ribbon to submit for the interview? Just wondering if that is necessary if so I would like to ask my beneficiary to start getting things done as she is not living in her own country..does anyone knows? I guess there is ? She is from Phil. but living in Macau.. Thanks waiting for reply. From my experience, the red ribbon is used by the Philippine Consulate for document authentication. I am sure it is used by more Philippine government agencies.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-09-23 11:22:00