ECC new requirements

[Dave Hounddriver]

1 hour ago, RBM said:

Has anyone actually received there ECC at Cebu Mactan Airport?  If so love to read there experience.

I do not know anyone "personally" but someone who did it wrote about their experience on another forum.  We don't link to competing forums so I took screen shots of this person's post.  I'm sure it is searchable but trust me, I did not alter his words:

 And then in a subsequent post 

Now that is not "proof" to me.  But it is sufficient anecdotal evidence that I would surely trust and then verify the information.  How?  Well the BI lists the number for the fax/phone at Mactan Airport as "Telefax:340-1473" (Click here for BI page link) OR I could just message them on their Facebook page.  All Philippine authorities LOVE Facebook.  I am astounded at what I can accomplish using Facebook Messenger, but that's another topic.

[AlwaysRt]

27 minutes ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

I do not know anyone "personally" but someone who did it wrote about their experience on another forum.  We don't link to competing forums so I took screen shots of this person's post.  I'm sure it is searchable but trust me, I did not alter his words:

 And then in a subsequent post 

Now that is not "proof" to me.  But it is sufficient anecdotal evidence that I would surely trust and then verify the information.  How?  Well the BI lists the number for the fax/phone at Mactan Airport as "Telefax:340-1473" (Click here for BI page link) OR I could just message them on their Facebook page.  All Philippine authorities LOVE Facebook.  I am astounded at what I can accomplish using Facebook Messenger, but that's another topic.

Certainly someone has flown out of Mactan this year, fresh experiences are always better than old ones.. Especially for BI requirements.

[virginprune]

My Australian friend went to KL for a week this year and had no problems from Manilla. However, this was before the departure from the norm at immigration. I will stick with what I have read and had verbally confirmed from that nice lady in General Santos Field Office.

[robert k]

15 hours ago, AlwaysRt said:

Certainly someone has flown out of Mactan this year, fresh experiences are always better than old ones.. Especially for BI requirements.

I agree, surely someone has. But we really need to hear from someone who has stayed more than 6 months but less than one year, which is probably a lot smaller group, then they would need to be a member of the forum? Then they would need to be a posting member of the forum, as many don't post? Then they would need to be a posting member of the forum who is keeping up with the forum even though they are no longer in the country or recently returned.

I could see a posting member of the forum who has departed from Mactan recently who has stayed more than 6 months but less than 1 year and keeping up with the forum while out of the country could be a very small to nonexistent subset. I always (so far) fly out of Manila so I wouldn't fit the criteria in any case. Shrug.

[AlwaysRt]

7 hours ago, robert k said:

I agree, surely someone has. But we really need to hear from someone who has stayed more than 6 months but less than one year, which is probably a lot smaller group, then they would need to be a member of the forum? Then they would need to be a posting member of the forum, as many don't post? Then they would need to be a posting member of the forum who is keeping up with the forum even though they are no longer in the country or recently returned.

I could see a posting member of the forum who has departed from Mactan recently who has stayed more than 6 months but less than 1 year and keeping up with the forum while out of the country could be a very small to nonexistent subset. I always (so far) fly out of Manila so I wouldn't fit the criteria in any case. Shrug.

Yes, but my impression is Cebu is Very well represented in this forum, many who talk about international flights out of Cebu, including a lengthy thread about the PAL Cebu-LA direct flights. I understand 9A Visa holders between 6-12 months trying for an ECC at Mactan is a small group, still as I said, certainly someone here is in that category this year. The purpose of 'saying' it is to get an infrequent poster to chime in as several of us has asked with only crickets replying so far.

[Dave Hounddriver]

16 minutes ago, AlwaysRt said:

certainly someone here is in that category this year.

Maybe not.  When I lived in Cebu I found the BI easy to deal with and many times I flew out of Mactan with an ECC.  But for piece of mind and convenience it was so much easier to pop 'round BI and get an ECC a few days in advance because you never know if you're gonna get it until they check.  I mean they do a computer search on you so if you are at the airport and they put your name into the computer and it comes up that someone else with the same name is "wanted" then you are screwed and gonna miss your flight while they check you out.  And yes, I did meet a fellow who has that problem so its not a theoretical situation.  It happens!  (But not to me so far.)

[AlwaysRt]

5 minutes ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

Maybe not.  When I lived in Cebu I found the BI easy to deal with and many times I flew out of Mactan with an ECC.  But for piece of mind and convenience it was so much easier to pop 'round BI and get an ECC a few days in advance because you never know if you're gonna get it until they check.  I mean they do a computer search on you so if you are at the airport and they put your name into the computer and it comes up that someone else with the same name is "wanted" then you are screwed and gonna miss your flight while they check you out.  And yes, I did meet a fellow who has that problem so its not a theoretical situation.  It happens!  (But not to me so far.)

I understand that also. Definitely will never get an answer if we don't ask though.

Pretty sure I won't have the mistaken identity problem. My family name was made up by an immigration officer at Ellis Island in 1902. From unpronounceable (in English) Hungarian to American but often confused as being Japanese - go figure.

[jpbago]

4 minutes ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

 But for piece of mind and convenience it was so much easier to pop 'round BI and get an ECC a few days in advance because you never know if you're gonna get it until they check.

That is how I feel too. Even tho the T2 Immigration cashier told me that I could get an ECC right there at her window, I always like to be prepared and have everything in my hand. It might not be a big deal if you are just going to Hong Kong but for me, it is Manila to Toronto with only 3 hours layover from PAL domestic to PAL international. If I lived in Mactan, no problem, pop over to J Mall and get an ECC but for me to go to J Mall, it cost around 20,000p counting taxi to Bacolod airport return, 2 air tickets return, maybe an overnight hotel, and taxi return Mactan to J Mall. So, for less stress, I now stay 5 months instead of 6 or 8.

[i am bob]

I'm surprised nobody mentioned the difference between an ECC-A and an ECC-B...  Lol!  ECC-A is for us tourists and is presently p700...  ECC-B is for the rest of you...  (And costs more, I believe...). Those of us here as tourists?  Don't try to get your ECC at the airport...  Not gonna happen...

[Dave Hounddriver]

11 minutes ago, i am bob said:

Don't try to get your ECC at the airport...  Not gonna happen...

Fake news alert.

@AlwaysRt Tell him how you did it bro

EDIT: Nah,  On second thought, iambob is right.  All tourists must go to BI in Cebu for their ECC and be prepared to wait 5 days.  Ignore the experience of people who have done it at the airport.  Ignore the BI when the tell us the circumstances whereupon tourists can get their ECC at the airport.  Just believe the people who say it cannot be done   And don't bother phoning the BI office at the airport you are flying out of as they will also give you wrong information. 

Edited September 5, 2017 by Dave Hounddriver