Page 14 of 34 FirstFirst ... 467891011121314151617181920212224 ... LastLast
Results 326 to 350 of 832
  1. #326
    Thailand Expat
    panama hat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Last Online
    21-10-2023 @ 08:08 AM
    Location
    Way, Way South of the border now - thank God!
    Posts
    32,680
    Quote Originally Posted by Topper View Post
    Today's class toll......

    19 scheduled
    May I ask how long a class is? 19 classes in one day? I'm not a teacher but that seems a lot.

  2. #327
    Thailand Expat
    katie23's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    PI
    Posts
    6,587
    @bld - 1 OFW in 10 Filipinos sounds about right. Everyone I know has a relative working abroad, either as a foreign worker or immigrant/ immigrant turned citizen.

    @topper - don't eat too much lechon, it's not good for your heart! Lol. (Yeah, but it's good for your mouth & belly). If you can afford it & you plan to be WFH in the foreseeable future, then buy a generator. Electricity supply is more sketchy in tje provinces. I've experienced brownouts when I visited my friend in Panay island. Electricity iwas supplied by a cooperative, and it was not producing enough. They were constructing wind turbines at the time, so hopefully they have more power now.

    Btw, how goes the apartment hunting? If you can, choose a place where the neighbors have a wired PLDT connection. It means the infrastructure is there already, and you can get connected too (hopefully fiber optic).

    Btw, face masks & face shields are now required in supermarkets, banks, other buildings. I've ordered mine from Lazada but you can buy the shields from sidewalk vendors. I don't know how strict it will be in your hood, but the rules were enforced in my area. I've been to a bank & supermarket recently, and no mask, no face shield = no entry. The face shield is required only upon entering the building - I took mine off after my transaction (but still wore the mask). Re: quarantine pass, I always carry it with me, as well as ID. They're required. (shrugs)

    And on my recent trip, I took these pics. Get yourself some of these when the liquor ban ends. Drink them plain or mix with juice/ soda, they get the job done. Cheers!

    Topper in Bacolod-img_20200829_103139-jpg

    Topper in Bacolod-img_20200829_103152-jpg

    Topper in Bacolod-img_20200829_103202-jpg

    Topper in Bacolod-img_20200829_102556-jpg

    Topper in Bacolod-img_20200829_103206-jpg

    Topper in Bacolod-img_20200829_103211-jpg

    Edit: 1 USD ~ 50 pesos
    Last edited by katie23; 30-08-2020 at 07:27 AM. Reason: Added conversion factor

  3. #328
    Custom Title Changer
    Topper's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Last Online
    Today @ 06:17 PM
    Location
    Bangkok
    Posts
    12,119
    Quote Originally Posted by panama hat View Post
    May I ask how long a class is? 19 classes in one day? I'm not a teacher but that seems a lot.
    You can ask me anything, PH.

    Classes for me are 25 minutes. Last night I had classes from 10 am to midnight, but not every "slot" was booked, I was able to take a nice nap and have a lunch and dinner break. From Friday til this evening I've taught 45 classes or put in about 23 hours of work. Tomorrow I've 10 classes currently scheduled and from there it's 6-8 classes a day until the weekend after next as my company is closed for Song Kran. Basically outside of the weekend, I only work for 2-3 hours in the evenings.

    On a side note, the wifi thingy I got had a 10GB prepaid "load" on it. Those 45 classes consumed about 5.7GB or about 122GB/class.

    I only had connection issues with 3-4 classes and apparently when you purchase more download you get faster speeds.

    Katie, what I want to get is a decent UPS rather than a generator. I don't have a need to power anything other than my computer and the modem.

    We were able to get our rent lowered by the landlord, so since my wife is comfortable in this area and she's gotten to know the neighbors she's happy here. We're going to stay for a bit here, even though this house is far too much for the two of us. Our plan was to have a house big enough to host the family when they visited for the planned family reunion in October, but Mr. Covid came. I've told the owner we only want to do upkeep on the house to keep it dry on the inside, and that if the outside of the house falls apart, well, that's on her and she understands.
    "I was a good student. I comprehend very well, OK, better than I think almost anybody," - President Trump comparing his legal knowledge to a Federal judge.

  4. #329
    Thailand Expat
    panama hat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Last Online
    21-10-2023 @ 08:08 AM
    Location
    Way, Way South of the border now - thank God!
    Posts
    32,680
    Quote Originally Posted by Topper View Post
    You can ask me anything, PH.




    Quote Originally Posted by Topper View Post
    Classes for me are 25 minutes.
    Thank you. Sounds like a good amount of work, spaced out the rest of the week. Are the majority of your participants students or professionals, to have the week-end free or have the self-discipline to do some educational program on a Sat or Sun.

    Whatever it is it seems to suit you - well done

  5. #330
    Thailand Expat Saint Willy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2019
    Last Online
    30-04-2022 @ 02:44 AM
    Posts
    11,204
    Quote Originally Posted by Topper View Post
    Last night I had classes from 10 am to midnight,
    Is that a sustainable load or is it particularly busy or (or the times spaced out right now)

    At least the dollars are coming in.

  6. #331
    Thailand Expat
    katie23's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    PI
    Posts
    6,587
    @topper - good to know that you were able to come to an agreement with your landlady. Re: internet & electricity supply, I wish you all the best with that, as it can get very variable.

    Re: housing, it may be too early to ask, but have you looked into newly developed subdivisions or house resales? Since I think your plan is to stay permanently in PI, it will be good to think of these things as well - in the long run. Your wife is a citizen, so she can own real property. In the title/ deed, it will be in her name but shown as married to you. (E.g. Maria Cruz, Filipino citizen, married to Topper Smith, USA citizen). I don't know if you desire to live in a farm/ suburb/ city setup, so you'll have to decide. Prices in the provinces are also cheaper than in the city. Exanple: my mom's neighbor - he's originally from Davao, and he recently bought property (farmland in Davao) which costs P50k for 100 sqm, so it's just 500 pesos per sqm. In my hometown, recently it's 7k per sqm (more so if in Metro Manila).

    There's a young UK couple, Coshan Uncharted on YT, who recently bought a 2-storey apartment (rowhouse) in a new subdivision in Iloilo city. The reason they were able to buy that (even if both were foreigners) is that the house/land is on condominium title. It's classified as a low-rise condominium. As you probably know, there are restrictions re: foreigners owning real property in PI (and the rest of SE Asia). Foreigners cannot own land (unless via a corporation or special circumstances), but they can own condominium units. Of the total condominium dev't, foreigners can only own 40%. Unfortunately, due to covid they can't visit their property now, but from their update vid they hope to visit next year if/when the country opens up to tourists.

    More on PI property ownership here:

    Land Ownership and Property Acquisition in the Philippines

    Best wishes to you & your wife, and let's hope PI is able to get the numbers down & opens up to tourism soon. Remember if things don't go as planned, just think: it's more fun in the Philippines! Cheers!

  7. #332
    Custom Title Changer
    Topper's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Last Online
    Today @ 06:17 PM
    Location
    Bangkok
    Posts
    12,119
    ^ Thanks again so much Katie!

    I figure it's time for an update if anyone is still interested.....

    Bacolod is back under quarantine. There's no public transportation, but you can hire point to point drivers. Restaurants are closed again for dining in, curfew is from 10 - 4 and alcohol can only be sold between some point in the morning and 6 pm for in home consumption only.

    Yesterday, Bacolod recorded only 58 new cases of covid, down from triple digits so I don't think the quarantine thing is going away soon.

    We have to have a quarantine pass to go out if you're not working, my wife can go out of the house on Tues, Thurs and Saturday to go shopping but as there's no public transport, we're basically back to shopping at our shitty little Savemore.

    As I'm working past the curfew, I get to see the late night checkpoints in action. It's usually a couple of soldiers playing on their phones as we blast past in my driver's car. They pretend to check, we pretend to go along with the rules.

    Right now there is supposedly almost 1500 active cases of covid here in my little city. People are starting to question the government's numbers, needless to say.

    The working online thing is going well, no complaints on that front. I've got as much work as I can handle.

    Lastly, my chuckle has been looking at the citiy's PIO page. There are more task forces/action committees/councils than I can count. I'm guessing there is a task force whose assignment is to keep track of the task forces and what they're responsible for.

    We looked at a house in the 'hood here that has a fiber optic internet connection to rent with an option to buy, but I think they think their little house is made of gold.

    Ah well......

  8. #333
    Thailand Expat
    aging one's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Last Online
    @
    Posts
    22,633
    Quote Originally Posted by Topper View Post
    It's usually a couple of soldiers playing on their phones as we blast past in my driver's car.
    You have a car and driver now?

  9. #334
    Thailand Expat
    panama hat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Last Online
    21-10-2023 @ 08:08 AM
    Location
    Way, Way South of the border now - thank God!
    Posts
    32,680
    Quote Originally Posted by aging one View Post
    You have a car and driver now?

  10. #335
    Custom Title Changer
    Topper's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Last Online
    Today @ 06:17 PM
    Location
    Bangkok
    Posts
    12,119
    AO, I have a taxi driver that I pay a touch extra for to pick me up every night, I go to my cube by trike in the morning.

  11. #336
    Thailand Expat
    katie23's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    PI
    Posts
    6,587
    ^you're living the high life, topper! Trike service in the morning and private taxi in the evening! (but good onya for supporting the local economy - if they're your regular drivers, I'm sure they appreciate the income.)

    Keep your eyes & ears open for house/ land resale. Farmland in the boondocks is cheaper, but then it may not have a road/ right of way, electricity, water connection (to the municipal water system) and of course, internet! So maybe a subdivision lot is the way to go. (subdivision = mooban or gated community, for non-PI folks)

    I think I've read somewhere that the lockdown in Bacolod is for three weeks and will last until the end of the month. Good luck, hang in there!

    Btw, the president has declared that PI will be under a state of calamity until Sept 2021 (but may be extended or lifted, depending on circumstances). Whether this means no foreign tourist arrivals until it's lifted = no one knows.

    Link here
    Duterte places PH under state of calamity until Sept. 2021: battle vs. COVID-19 pandemic continues - Manila Bulletin
    Last edited by katie23; 20-09-2020 at 07:09 PM. Reason: Added link

  12. #337
    Custom Title Changer
    Topper's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Last Online
    Today @ 06:17 PM
    Location
    Bangkok
    Posts
    12,119
    Quote Originally Posted by katie23 View Post
    Keep your eyes & ears open for house/ land resale.
    Agreed. We're basically keeping our ears open to find a place that we can assume cheaply.

    You're right about the lockdown, it's only til the end of the month, but the mayor is pumping up the need to keep up the quarantine if necessary. My guess...the end of October.

    If nothing else, it gives me an excuse to work tons of hours. It's not like I can head out of the city to hit the beach.

  13. #338
    I'm in Jail

    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Last Online
    25-03-2024 @ 12:07 PM
    Location
    Bungling in the jungle
    Posts
    10,387
    Quote Originally Posted by panama hat View Post
    The English language capabilities are one of the main draw-cards for Filipino/a nurses. You just have to feel sorry for the country that made them and now needs them. Of course there is the financial imperative
    Agreed, I feel for the PI nurses. They can stay there and make on average 150k Pesos or about 3100 usd per year or after a few years experience come to the USA and average about 74k usd per year.

    RN Salary -Registered Nurse wages and employment information

  14. #339
    Thailand Expat
    panama hat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Last Online
    21-10-2023 @ 08:08 AM
    Location
    Way, Way South of the border now - thank God!
    Posts
    32,680
    Quote Originally Posted by fishlocker View Post
    Agreed, I feel for the PI nurses. They can stay there and make on average 150k Pesos or about 3100 usd per year or after a few years experience come to the USA and average about 74k usd per year.
    Except that you spectacularly missed the point, well done.

  15. #340
    I'm in Jail

    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Last Online
    25-03-2024 @ 12:07 PM
    Location
    Bungling in the jungle
    Posts
    10,387
    On the contrary. I got the point and poked you with it. Hook line and sinker.

    Go fish

  16. #341
    Thailand Expat
    panama hat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Last Online
    21-10-2023 @ 08:08 AM
    Location
    Way, Way South of the border now - thank God!
    Posts
    32,680
    Ummmm . . . ok.

  17. #342
    Thailand Expat
    katie23's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    PI
    Posts
    6,587
    Hi Topper, I saw this YT vid of a guy getting his 13a (resident visa) recently. For some unknown reason, I can't get the link to the vid, but his channel is The Black Filipino TV. He's from NY, USA and has been living here for 4 years or so. If I remember correctly, you came here on 1-year balikbayan visa? But you'd have to change that to 13a before it expires, or else you'll have to shift to the 2-month tourist visa extensions.

    His channel got recommended to me because I saw a Tagaytay video he posted recently. I've been to Tagaytay several times and just miss it - haven't been there because of the lockdown.

    Hope you & yours are well. Cheers!

  18. #343
    Philippine Expat
    Davis Knowlton's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    Philippines
    Posts
    18,204
    Quote Originally Posted by katie23 View Post
    Hi Topper, I saw this YT vid of a guy getting his 13a (resident visa) recently. For some unknown reason, I can't get the link to the vid, but his channel is The Black Filipino TV. He's from NY, USA and has been living here for 4 years or so. If I remember correctly, you came here on 1-year balikbayan visa? But you'd have to change that to 13a before it expires, or else you'll have to shift to the 2-month tourist visa extensions. !
    Think you're wrong, Katie. I was on a balikbayan for about eight or ten years before I finally got off my ass and got permanent residence status. To keep on a balikbayan, you have to leave the country once a year (with spouse) and then reenter and get a new one; can stay out for a month or a day...no worries.

  19. #344
    Thailand Expat
    katie23's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    PI
    Posts
    6,587
    ^Yes, I may be wrong. But, for the balikbayan visa, topper would have to leave the country before his 1 year is up, right? He arrived here in March, so he'd have to leave in March next year. As it is, we don't know if the travel restrictions would have eased by then. If there will still be 14-day quarantine, covid test prior to flight, etc. There was this announcement from Pres Du30 that PI is in a state of calamity until Sept 2021.

    The guy in the vlog said that they went to immigration 7 times (or had their appt cancelled 7 times) because of the current situation. He paid an agent to fix work on his papers - yes there was a fee, but less hassle for him. The guy lives in Pasig, so I assume that he went to the main BI ofc in/ near Intramuros.

    Whatever topper chooses for his next visa extension, it's up to him, I guess.

    Edit: btw, I've heard/seen from other expat vlogger YT channels that PI is not issuing balikbayan visas at the moment due to covid. If you're a foreugn national & have a wife/ minor kids in PI, you can enter PI but you must apply for a visa in the PI embassy of the country you reside in. (experience of Overstay Road - he has a minor kid) - lots of docs involved. If you're a married couple living abroad (example USA), if the woman is still a PI citizen, she can enter PI, subject to quarantine procedures. The foreigner husband has to apply for a visa in the PI embassy. From some comments, I've read that some foreigner husbands were denied the visa because the travel was not deemed essential (it's not for reconciliation purposes since they're living together abroad). If the wife has given up her PI citizenship (and not a dual citizen), she'll have to apply for a visa as well (e. g. if she wants to visit family).
    Last edited by katie23; 28-10-2020 at 07:23 PM.

  20. #345
    Philippine Expat
    Davis Knowlton's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    Philippines
    Posts
    18,204
    Yep. He would need to leave before his year ends, but that was pre-shitstorm. Not sure about now. I finally got permanent resident status just because I got tired of calendar watching.

  21. #346
    Thailand Expat
    katie23's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    PI
    Posts
    6,587
    @davis - I've seen from Bud Brown's channel (another US expat vlogger - he's been married to his Filipina wife for ~50 years) that he & his wife are applying/ have applied for the 13g visa.

    The 13g visa is applicable to former PI citizens & their spouse + children. Apparently, Bud & his wife have been on BB visa & just leave rhe country once a year. Their BB visa has expired & they're now on tourist visa. The BI advised them (I think) that they could apply for the 13g since his wife is a former PI citizen. I guess due to the current situation, they don't want to leave the country and if they're on tourist visa, they won't be allowed re-entry. So they've applied for the 13g. Apparently, his wife has problems with her birth certificate, so it's difficult & costly to get her dual citizenship, so they're going through the 13g route so that they can become residents. They're both retired & in their 70s, so they've made PI as their home base.

  22. #347
    Philippine Expat
    Davis Knowlton's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    Philippines
    Posts
    18,204
    ^Sounds like they have a bit of a mess. Mine was pretty easy. My wife is a dual citizen. She handled all the paperwork. I made one appearance at main immigration - in and done in under an hour. Since then, wife drops by local immigration office once a year and pays a few pesos to get my scrap of paper showing I updated; new ID card - also at local office - every five years.


    Just looked at my ID. Under visa type it says "SEC 13A". No idea how that differs from the 13g you're talking about, or if it does. Mine was issued in 2012.
    Last edited by Davis Knowlton; 28-10-2020 at 08:01 PM.

  23. #348
    Thailand Expat
    katie23's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    PI
    Posts
    6,587
    ^from my understanding, 13A is for permanent residence for foreign spouses of PI nationals (including dual cirizens), while 13G is for permanent residence for former PI nationals (natural born Filipinos who gave up their PI citizenship) + spouse & children.

    In Bud Brown's case, it's easier for him & his wife to get 13G visa & get PR status than the hassle of renewing tourist visas every 2 months. From what I've heard, BI isn't issuing 6-month tourist visas at the moment, only 2-month visas are being issued.

    In topper's case, IMO it will be easier for him to apply for 13A before his BB visa expires. Due to the current situation, we don't know when the country will open up again & when air travel will be normal.

    In some vloggers channels, I've heard that some expats who have been on tourist visas for 3 years - they've been told to get out (and no idea when they can re-enter due to travel restrictions). Seems BI is tightening the noose as well.

    Btw, it's not uncommon to have problems with the birth certificate in PI - I know of someone who has problems with hers. She hasn't fixed it, since it's costly - needs court hearing, publication of name change in major newspaper, and of course $$$.

  24. #349
    Thailand Expat
    katie23's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    PI
    Posts
    6,587
    Just saw from another vlog (Jumping Places) that it cost them ~160 usd (P8,000) per person for a covid swab test. They did the tests at Makati Medical Center a few weeks ago. It was a requirement for their flight to Portugal, where the guy's parents live. They're travel vloggers & don't have any home base, so they'll stay with his parents for a while (and make vids in Portugal). They said they chose Makati Med bcos it guaranteed results in 48 hours (even if it's more expensive than others). There are other test centers but they provide results in 3-5 days. The flight requirement is that the covid test has to be taken in the past 72 hours.

    Covid test in my town cost P3,500 (~70 usd), accdg to my chicken seller who had the test a few weeks ago. Michael V (a popular comedian here) had covid and his test cost P6,000 (~120 usd) at St Luke's hospital. Varying cost for different providers.

    So even if it's now allowed for Filipino citizens to travel abroad, I doubt that many people will be travelling out because of the costly & laborious requirements (barangay clearance, police clearance, municipal clearance, health cert = those are at local level). At the national level, one needs covid test, health & travel insurance, and sign the form/waiver saying that you're aware of the consequences of travelling during covid. Then covid test upon arrival, quarantine in gov't approved hotel until release of result, then if negative, 14-day quarantine at home.

    It's still more fun in the Phils!

  25. #350
    Custom Title Changer
    Topper's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Last Online
    Today @ 06:17 PM
    Location
    Bangkok
    Posts
    12,119
    About the visa stuff, we figure we'll wait until after the first of the year. I figure that America's covid cases will be so high that I will be able to claim covid amnesty from being returned to my homeland.

    Yesterday we moved into our new apartment. It's a nice, fully furnished place with internet access and a genset. We're paying a touch more for it, but it will eliminate my office rental and transportation costs to my office. It already feels like "home" and it's only our second night here. I'll be able to work from home in a couple of weeks when the fiber line is installed. I'll take some pictures of the new "hood" and post them up soon.

    I was bitching about how long it takes to get internet service here...in Bangkok, you make a phone call and the tech is out there the next day. Here, it's at least a month if not more. The guy I was whining to explained that it's not really the ISP's fault, but the explosive need for internet access. Here, most schools are doing online classes, so the demand went from normal to crazy overnight and the ISP's here are struggling and here people still use internet cafes.

    That's about it for now.. I'll get pics up within the next day or so.

Page 14 of 34 FirstFirst ... 467891011121314151617181920212224 ... LastLast

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •