Topper in Bacolod

[katie23]

^cool. I hope PH opens up to tourists next year.

I found Antique province too sleepy. Good for a visit (or retirement), but not a place to work or make $$. My friend and her siblings (all college grads) live & work in Luzon, in/ near Manila - better job prospects. One is an OFW in Japan.

Hope the world is in a better place next year. Cheers!

[Topper]

^ I'll be staying in Antique for a few months when this Covid sorts itself out a bit- Sibalom, nearest airport San Jose.
Of course it's Panay, so Boracay and several other more appealing offshore cays and atolls are part of the plan.

I'm still waiting for the chance to go to immigration at Iloilo, no travel to Panay has been allowed for several months now. It's a dark red zone.

[katie23]

Topper, I saw this. You'll need a vax cert via VaxCertph to enter Iloilo & to return to Negros Occidental. Report is in English.

Boracay (in case you're interested) requires the RT PCR test, S-pass registration & prebooked accoms. (prebooking was already required when I visited Sept 2019)

[Topper]

Thanks for that, Katie!!!!!!

[Chico]

Topper how's life in the phils good for you, or do you prefer Thailand?

[Topper]

Topper how's life in the phils good for you, or do you prefer Thailand?

The Philippines is perfect for me, generally speaking, though we do miss the family in Thailand. If I was of retirement age, which I am, the Philippines is a much better deal as long as you live in one of the smaller cities. Visas are cheap and easy, you can stay here for three years on a tourist visa without leaving the country, you can get most of what you want in Western food/amenities at a cost lower than Thailand. I generally spend about 1500 USD/month and live nicely. It might take some time to figure things out for a noobie, but once you do, its definitely not bad. My wife and I are quite comfortable here.

[Chico]

Good to hear you've settled.

I've always said, if I never had commitments in Thailand I'd live in the Phils.

[Topper]

Good to hear you've settled.

I've always said, if I never had commitments in Thailand I'd live in the Phils.

Most of the guys here married a Thai, so that made visa issues easier for them. Here you can be single, stay for three years and then fly out for a day, fly back and get another three year run with living expenses that are only 60% of Thailand.

You do have to pay about 8000 pesos to renew your visa every six monts, but where I live, it takes about 15 minutes to complete the process and no 90 day report bullshit.

[Chico]

Ye I've often looked at the £ to Peso and thought such a better deal in the Phils, and sounds like heaven regarding Visa's etc, sounds like a sound move you've made.

[katie23]

Topper, I've successfully received a vax cert from vaxcertph. You can input your passport number too. The weird thing is, I entered my mom's vax details and it said "record not found". She got her 2nd dose months ahead of me. I uploaded pics of her vax card and ID, as stated on the site. I hope they get back to me via email (email add was needed too).

If you try it and your record isn't found, just try again later. It may be: 1) your LGU hasn't uploaded your town's record or 2) the system isn't ready for your region. I've read in the news that it's initially available for NCR, Baguio & Regions 3 and 4A.

Btw, Bacolod is under "City of Bacolod".

Good luck!

@davis - if you're reading this, Lipa is under "City of Lipa" on the site.

[Topper]

Hi Katie,

I've tried the vaxcert website once a week over the last month...I'm guessing data hasn't been loaded yet. We're in no hurry to travel.

Apparently though we can travel to Ilolio with only showing our vaccination card. That's going to be a trip in December for us.

[katie23]

@topper - one of the requirements of the 13A visa is the NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) clearance, if you've been in PH >6 months. It's the equivalent of a police report/ clearance (if you're applying for the 13A from a PH embassy abroad). I've heard from one vlogger (Eaton Squad, husband is from USA) that it took ~3 months for the processing of his NBI clearance for the 13A. They live in Mindanao. I think if one lives in Manila/ NCR, the NBI processing is faster.

I suggest that you check about the NBI clearance first before you travel to Iloilo so that you won't have a wasted trip - unless you really want to go to Iloilo (and do some sightseeing). Good luck.

[Topper]

It's the equivalent of a police report/

Immi does a police check on me every time I renew my visa, I wonder why the NBI would take months?

Well, some great news! There's a baby typhoon that's supposed to pass right over us due tomorrow around this time. I've not been in a hurricane/typhoon since I lived in Florida about 30 years ago. Here's a pic of the current weather...

[Saint Willy]

Stay safe, Topper.

[aging one]

Stay safe, Topper.

Yeah do that as it seems to be intensifying quickly.

Typhoon Rai rapidly strengthens as it nears the Philippines - CNN

Typhoon Rai rapidly strengthens as it nears the Philippines

[Topper]

Thanks, we just got an alert that we are at signal 3 (whatever that means) on our phones .... first time that's ever happened to me.

Right now, its just cloudy here with a bit of drizzle here and there. It will be later this evening when the stuff starts I think.

[Headworx]

^Is this your first Xmas there? How are you going with every prick and his poodle expecting a cash hand-out at this time of year, or are things a bit less extortionate in the sticks?

[Topper]

It's my second, and I have no idea what you're talking about. I've not seen anyone out begging for money, though after tonight/tomorrow, that might change.

[Headworx]

You've done well then. We use to get envelopes with Merry Christmas from XXXXX on them that were expected to be handed back with cash inside from the compound security guards (x5), compound maintenance and ground keepers (x3), rubbish collectors (x2), mail man, electric meter reader, water meter reader, and any other layabout that could get to the front gate of our houses. Then we had to set foot outside the perimeter gates sooner or later where being greeted with Merry Christmas and an outstretched hand was simply unavoidable. In the end I'd volunteer to work over the entire Christmas and New Year to avoid the give-me-money period, but would still get hit with outstretched hands and envelopes after getting home in January with Happy Belated Christmas wishes.

Did my head in, more so after getting back from work in some sub-continent shithole where everyone had their fucking hands out too. But if you're avoiding this, good for you.

[bsnub]

but would still get hit with outstretched hands and envelopes after getting home in January with Happy Belated Christmas wishes.

I would have told them to get fucked. I bet Davis doesn't hand out cash.

[malmomike77]

^^ you should have worn dark glasses and used a stick. Improvisation is the key to survival in the 3rd world

[Headworx]

I would have told them to get fucked.

Had to be a bit careful, it can be a very dangerous place. Next problem would be they'd see me get out of my car and if I brushed them off it'd become a target to get keyed or the tyres ice-picked. There were some good sides to living in the PI but being there at Christmas wasn't one of them, well certainly not in a town that only existed because of a USAF base.

[malmomike77]

So avoid phills xmas, nepal and india holli and thailand in songkran

[Topper]

The typhoon is getting closer.....



So far though, just a little rain and light wind but I think that's going to change in the next couple of hours. The eye is supposed to pass over us around 12-1 this evening.

[Saint Willy]

The eye is supposed to pass over us around 12-1 this evening.

Take care then.

But if your roof does cave in make sure you get a video and pics for TD.