Cebu's new airport and travelling with a Filipina

[Jollygoodfellow]

It was my first time at the new airport for international departures.

Firstly nice building and when I was there hardly anyone around and no waiting. As we had printed our own boarding passes and had no check in luggage we proceeded directly to immigration but of course were told to pay airport tax so off we go to find where which is not clearly marked but next to immigration.

But they could not process our tax because they can only do it with the airline cardboard boarding pass so waste of time printing your own.

So now to airasia to get boarding passes and Joy then had to pay departure tax at the desk just nearby. I think it was 1800 peso. The airport tax was P850 each.

So now to immigration again.

As we had researched what will happen for a Filipina traveling with a foreigner for the first time we knew she would be sent for an interview which is what happened. First she had to fill out a form with my details and where we are going bla bla then interview. She had everything covered such as copy of employment certificate and copies of everything she could think of but immigration did not look at any of it.

They basically asked her the same questions on the form she filled out but asked how do they know we are in a relationship so Joy pulled out the phone which has a lot of photos of us together so rubber stamped. Back to where you get your passport stamped with form and allowed to go.

Then of course as we are having something to eat which was burger king , incidentally prices are about 3 times higher than outside. Anyway announcement of our flight delayed for 1.5 hours so longer to wait.

Airasia flight fine but not much space, no TV so OK for short trips.

[robert k]

Sounds pretty standard from what I have been hearing for years. As for the food prices, it's about what I would expect with a captive audience.

[LUFCinMakati]

2 hours ago, Jollygoodfellow said:

It was my first time at the new airport for international departures.

Firstly nice building and when I was there hardly anyone around and no waiting. As we had printed our own boarding passes and had no check in luggage we proceeded directly to immigration but of course were told to pay airport tax so off we go to find where which is not clearly marked but next to immigration.

But they could not process our tax because they can only do it with the airline cardboard boarding pass so waste of time printing your own.

So now to airasia to get boarding passes and Joy then had to pay departure tax at the desk just nearby. I think it was 1800 peso. The airport tax was P850 each.

So now to immigration again.

As we had researched what will happen for a Filipina traveling with a foreigner for the first time we knew she would be sent for an interview which is what happened. First she had to fill out a form with my details and where we are going bla bla then interview. She had everything covered such as copy of employment certificate and copies of everything she could think of but immigration did not look at any of it.

They basically asked her the same questions on the form she filled out but asked how do they know we are in a relationship so Joy pulled out the phone which has a lot of photos of us together so rubber stamped. Back to where you get your passport stamped with form and allowed to go.

Then of course as we are having something to eat which was burger king , incidentally prices are about 3 times higher than outside. Anyway announcement of our flight delayed for 1.5 hours so longer to wait.

Airasia flight fine but not much space, no TV so OK for short trips.

I really don't have a problem with immigration asking questions when you are travelling with a Filipina, people trafficking is a serious issue. The first time I traveled overseas with my wife, just after we were married and he passport was in her maiden name, we had the same experience. My wife being smart and super organized, had the marriage certificate and the middle aged lady behind the desk was so apologetic for asking what our relationship was. I said to her she should not apologize for doing her job properly and at this point this Indian man tried to run through immigration without being checked. The poor woman had to run and shout at security, she was clearly in shock, as were we to some degree.

Philippines I think is the only country were they do question you as I have never heard or seen it elsewhere? 

[graham59]

When my (30+) Mrs and I went over to Hong Kong last year, the idiots still interviewed her, despite her having a passport in her married name, AND her marriage certificate. 

The Phils is a damned prison camp, where in certain circumstances its citizen inmates can get a 'pass-out'.  

[Arizona Kid]

25 minutes ago, graham59 said:

When my (30+) Mrs and I went over to Hong Kong last year, the idiots still interviewed her, despite her having a passport in her married name, AND her marriage certificate. 

The Phils is a damned prison camp, where in certain circumstances its citizen inmates can get a 'pass-out'.  

2002 I had a BB stamp on my passport. Departing before the one year was up. Got pulled over to the side and had to show a copy of the marriage license. It seems to depend on the particular agent that is on duty.

[Jollygoodfellow]

2 hours ago, graham59 said:

When my (30+) Mrs and I went over to Hong Kong last year, the idiots still interviewed her, despite her having a passport in her married name, AND her marriage certificate. 

The Phils is a damned prison camp, where in certain circumstances its citizen inmates can get a 'pass-out'.  

From my understanding every first time international travel will require an interview. 

[GeoffH]

The interview was more difficult than that for SWMBO and I last year.  We'd allowed plenty of time for the transfer from domestic to international but there was the interview (which we'd allowed an hour for).

They were very... Strict in their attitude and questions with SWMBO, the interview was in Tagalog (Bisaya is her first language) and I wasn't allowed to be with her and it was more than an hour before it even started.

Finally she was allowed to leave the interview area but then we had to get my exit stamp cancelled which took another two hours before we could look at rebooking because boarding for our flight had already closed by the time we could leave.  

Rebooking at the last minute would have cost us our spending budget for Singapore and SWMBO was already really stressed so we decided to fly back to CDO.

It wasn't until later when I tried to claim on my travel insurance and failed because it was an immigration issue that I realised we'd just wasted more than 100000 peso.

Not really in a hurry to go through that again...

 

[Jollygoodfellow]

4 hours ago, LUFCinMakati said:

at this point this Indian man tried to run through immigration without being checked. The poor woman had to run and shout at security, she was clearly in shock, as were we to some degree.

Were you really in shock or was the Indian guy the one you paid to create a diversion. 

[graham59]

25 minutes ago, Jollygoodfellow said:

From my understanding every first time international travel will require an interview. 

She had old and new passports with her. The old one with Singapore stamps, from when she was an OFW.

I'm beyond trying to understand the 'thinking' behind these 'obstructions' though. 

You just go along with it all and shake your head.  They really have much bigger fish to fry in this country, than hassling  a grown woman on a RETURN trip to Hong Kong with one of us evil kanos.