Monday, January 30, 2012

immigration

the past several trips i had in bangkok was easy breezy affair (s)… not too long queue in both check-in and immigration counters and i had enough time to walk around duty free shops and to grab some free mags inside the gates. all in all, suvarnabhumi airport was efficient and economical in terms of energy coz long walks or train rides within the airport isn't needed.

entering bangkok this time was altogether taxing. immigration queue was almost similar to enlistment for STS or any other GEs in UP. this sunday, i flew from bangkok to singapore. check-in counter queue in thai airways was manageable but the queue in the immigration counter is another story. it felt as if i was actually in NAIA's now legendary terminal 1! the queue actually snaked outside the passport control area. the end of the line was already near rows H-J of suvarnabhumi's departure hall. time-consuming as it is, people had no choice but to squeeze in a smaller area because repair was going on.

after getting past the immigration and another line for the final scan, got to gate C1. this led me to some observations and musings about immigration:

 even if the line is long, choose not to queue in the line where the officer is an aged one. this trip going out of bangkok, the officer in my line was at least 55 years old and she really was too slow. for every 2-3 passports that passed in both counters next to her, she could only process 1 single passport. so there.

 in changi or KLIA, members of the same family are usually accommodated as one. of course, the officer will still have to check one passport after another, but this actually makes the line move faster. but in this trip, the family in front of me had to do it one by one… lengthier time than usual.

 since they usually travel in busloads, lone travelers like me should also avoid lines with a lot of older (and i guess more moneyed) east asian travelers. whether they are from mainland china, hong kong or some japanese tourists, they would normally occupy 2 different lines next to each other, probably because they need to be physically close to their travel leader. not by any means being racist, but i've seen many such travelers usually forget embarkation cards altogether or there are missing information in their travel documents. due to this, they actually get questioned by the immigration officer most often than not. language barrier also becomes an issue here. in one of my of trips to vietnam, it took very long before the officer and the tourist understood each other on where the tourist would actually stay within vietnam. this was done only after another member of the team spoke with the officer. of course, that significantly prolonged the whole process.

 similarly, i noticed that whenever a 50-plus white man in suit who actually looks like an executive or a 50-plus white man or woman not dressed shabbily is in the immigration counter, the officer would take only 1 look and will stamp the passport immediately. it might probably because their travel documents almost always are complete and warrant no questions at all, but one can almost always assume that if you're in the line with these white men and women, the line will actually move faster. i don't know if it's an asian thing (more trusting of people with american or european passports) but it looks like the more white men or women in your line, the faster it would move (hehe!).

 at first, some lines might look shorter, so most people generally troop to these lines. but it doesn't follow all the time. some lines look short but is actually longer because the people are not lining up next to each other. i learned about this when i traveled to laos from nong khai in thailand. on the thai side of the border, just before the friendship bridge, a lone female traveler from australia said that the line i was in only appeared to be shorter because the people in front of the line are spread out, with some 3 people next to each shoulder to shoulder. so i transferred to her line, where people are lined up in a single file.

 last october, i was in jakarta. in soekarno-hatta, i mistakenly was in line for local passports only. i didn't see the sign that says "foreign passports on the second floor please". i saw one white man in the line so i just assumed that it was the right place. when my chance came, the officer asked, "Filipino?". affirmative, i said of course. immigration officer: "next time, go to second floor. this (is) for local(s) only." i could only say sorry but he still stamped my passport and i got through in the quickest possible time. of course, this will not work for 2 travelers or more but for lone travelers, this should be ok. in NAIA, a lone 60 plus British woman was in the queue for Philippine passports only but she was accepted by the immigration officer anyway.

 while you don't need to chitchat with the immigration officer, in no way you should appear brash as well. when i went to vietnam in october 2010, the immigration officer asked me, "no visa?" to which i naturally replied, "no. ASEAN, right?!" i got my passport stamped but was only allowed to stay in vietnam for 6 days when philippine passport holders can be allowed for a maximum of 21 days. i went back to ho chi minh city in october last year, no questions were asked this time and i got the full 21 days visa free stay.

 finally, travelers don't need to hand a whole lot of papers. handing unnecessary documents also prolong the process because the officer has to sift through all the papers before actually starting to process it. passport, immigration/ embarkation card, boarding pass and e-ticket are the only things needed. in NAIA, some female immigration officers asked for my company ID before letting me pass through but that was pretty much everything.

immigration musings pa?! next time. i'm sure more seasoned travelers have even better things to share. (",)

Friday, January 27, 2012

pong



oktubre. din. urban.
pebrero. din din. klab.
pebrero. tsart. uni.
hunyo. anon. tago.
hulyo. wala. zero.
agosto. dyey. kuliglig.
setyembre. em. tago.
setyembre. tanikala. urban.
oktubre. rap. siyam.
nobyembre. wala. kamagong.
disyembre. kay. luntian.
disyembre. alingawngaw. luntian.
enero. best. urban.




enero. pong. 41.


14. 13. dami.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

4 years!

exactly 4 years ago, i started blogging. well, i've been doodling some of my thoughts prior to this blog but those were not for public consumption. as written here, i got the idea of this blog's name from my fascination of how other cultures create names, such as in georgians' case.

what finally made me start blogging was not at all something to celebrate 'though. it was a
smack talk about something (or make that someone) that annoyed me that day in 2008. i don't easily get riled but for some reasons, i was irked by some pangit who's acting as if balingkinitan (according to mark's words). to this day, that APO song still captures it (my sentiments at that time) all!

from there, i've written about
travel, food, tennis, movies - all tops on my list, as well as some on politics and religion, some dose of trivia and of course about family. my musings on life and some bad trip moments (mostly blind items) are here as well. there were bouts of dry spells (just 1 post in over a month), either due to busy times or just coz i got distracted by another site, e.g. twitter and tumblr. there were reposts of some articles and some entries with just an amusing youtube video on it. long tagalog articles are also here.

unlike others, i'm not blogging to get paid… and i think no one will be willing to pay me for writing (or copying in some instances) these things anyway. so when i see a whole lot actually reading some of my posted musings, it's always a nice surprise, moreso if they leave comments! for the longest time, my entry about hope was the most read one, but now… mark's words of wisdom about cinderella is actually lording over the charts (if there's such a thing!). jejemon entry was also a hit, as well as one about testi and beaches in the philippines.

traditional UK gifts for a 4 year anniversary are fruits and flowers… so i'll get me some streetfood fresh fruits later. more years of
musings!

lumphini

salamat kay chin, kaibigan ni liz, at nakabili na ako ng sapatos para sa pagtakbo. 50% ang diskuwentong nakuha ko sa pagbili nito mula sa nike sa boni high street. pero halos isang buwan muna ang lumipas bago ko ito nagamit. bakit? dahil sa kung anu-anong dahilan tulad ng "marami kasi akong ginagawa" o kaya naman, "wala akong dalang pampalit eh". sa wakas, nakasama ako kina emma, joseph at mabel sa pagtakbo sa paligid ng high street bago kami magbakasyon nitong nakaraang disyembre. at siyempre… dalawang araw masakit ang mga kalamnan ko! sa loob ba naman ng mahigit sa tatlong taon, 'yung gabi lang na 'yun ulit ako nagkaroon ng matindi-tinding ehersisyo.

umisa ako ng takbo bago kami bumalik sa opisina 'tapos ng bagong taon. isa ulit n'ung bago ako pumunta sa KL, kasama sina emma at joseph. ok naman. wala na ang pagsakit ng tadyang ko pagkatapos ng takbuhan, kahit na bahagya kaming naambunan. siguro dahil di nga tama ang aking paghinga habang tumatakbo n'ung mga unang beses.

nalimot ko naman ang aking sapatos n'ung pumunta ko sa KL kaya di ako nakatakbo sa paligid ng petronas towers. kaya ngayong may dalawang linggo ako ng paglilibot sa bangkok at singapore, siniguro kong dala ko ang lahat ng aking kailangan - rubber shoes, singlet, shorts, towels.

nagdadalawang-isip pa nga akong tumakbo sa bangkok nitong lunes lang. ang sabi ng receptionist sa
sivatel, mas maigi raw tumakbo sa chatuchak park kaysa sa lumphini. mas konti raw ang tao sa chatuchak at mas ok ang tugaygayan kaysa lumphini. pero ang layo naman nito! kailangan pang mag-BTS, mga 35 baht din ang pamasahe. at 'pag pumunta ako sa chatuchak, pawisan din akong sasakay ng BTS pabalik ng ploenchit at ng sivatel. ang labo di ba? ayon din sa ilang sites sa internet, nilalagay mo raw sa panganib o pinsala ang iyong sarili 'pag tumakbo ka sa mga bangketa ng bangkok dahil sa dami ng mga tao rito at iregular o baku-bakong tisaan.

kaya naman mas pinili ko ang parke ng lumphini. dire-diretso lang ng thanon wittayu mula sa sivatel at voila, lumphini na. mga 15-20 minutong paglakad din siguro ito kaya ok na itong warm up. di ako pamilyar sa hitsura ng parke kaya naman sinunod ko lang ang aking mga paa kung saan ako nito dalhin. sa sobrang ok na sorpresa, may libreng aerobics class sa gitna mismo ng parke! di ko naiintindihan ang sinasabi ng pampaindayog na musika kaya sinundan ko lang kung ano ginagawa ng lider at ng ibang nag-e-aero. ang saya! huling beses ko nag-aero ay n'ung miyembro pa ako ng slimmers world sa pasay road… mga 5 taon na ang nakakaraan! halos 20 minuto rin akong pasayaw-sayaw kasama ang mga thai. ang pinakahaylayt na n'un ay ang pag-uunat na maigi para sa aking pagtakbo. 6:30 raw ang umpisa ng libreng aerobics sa lumphini.

tapos ng aero, takbo-takbo na kahit kumakalansing ang mga barya ko sa bulsa. dami ring tumatakbo. may mga puti, may mga turistang asyanong tulad ko, pero mas marami ang mga thai. pami-pamilya, may nag-iisa lang. may matatanda at mayroon din namang mga tinedyer na naghahanap ng salidahan ng impok na enerhiya. mayroon din namang naglalakad-lakad lang di nakasuot ng pang-jogging. sinundan ko ang paligid ng artipisyal na lawa, kulang-kulang 2.5 kilometro raw ito. pero siyempre, may mga shortcuts din akong ginawa. di ko kasi makita ang pinasukan ko mula sa wittayu! nakadalawang beses rin akong ikot, kaya ok na ako.

bandang 9:20 ng gabi, naglalakad na ako pabalik ng sivatel. gutom na, kaya humanap muna ako ng makakainan. sarado na ang streetfood corner malapit opisina ng aydisi sa wittayu, kaya tumuloy na ako hanggang sukhumvit. wala rin akong makita sa paligid ng ploenchit, kaya nag-BTS din ako papuntang siam square. 35 baht para sa maanghang na giniling na baboy at masarap na omelet, dagdagan pa ng kung anu-anong matatamis, ayos ang buto-buto!

nalabhan ko na ang aking singlet kaya tatakbo ulit ako sa lumphini 'pag walang anumang lakad kasama ang mababait na mga thais.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

job-quitting

thinking of quitting your job? this ifc list has some of the bestest job-quitting scenes from hollywood. wesley's (james mcavoy) breakdown from wanted is one of my faves!


Monday, January 23, 2012

makarova

"The days when she could win majors with very little of it are fading. Illness or not, injury or not, Serena's coming up on two years without a Slam title. Rankings and smaller titles don't concern her, but that must." that's how steve tignor puts it on account of serena williams' exit in this year's australian open. ekaterina makarova, 56th-ranked from russia, stunned the 13-time grand slam champion in the fourth round, 6-2, 6-3.

i was already looking forward to a serena williams - maria sharapova showdown in the quarterfinals and already imagined how serena would trash maria, as if the latter is just a number 80+ player. even more, i wondered how would petra kvitova play against serena, now that petra is ranked number 2 and has a slam to her name. but no. i looked beyond 4th round immediately. when i was transferring from reno to sivatel, the game played on and when i got to this hotel in witthayu, makarova already completed the scalp.

i always liked serena's determination and how she finds her game when it mattered most. although it was heartbreaking to see elena dementieva lose to serena in the semis of 2009 wimbledon when elena was up or how serena stole the title from lindsay davenport in the 2005 australian open final, it was awesome to see a player giving it all, complete with steely stares and intimidation, to win a match.

none of that story this time against makarova, as they said, sheer number of errors cost her a spot in the QF. i believe that being a part-timer (she plays the least number of tournaments than anyone in the top 100) in today's game just won't cut it anymore. sure she has immense talent and intimidating power. but age and lack of preparation would just drive her shanking easy shots. for once, she should devote much time to the sport that has given her so much of what she has now. by doing a little bit more, pretenders like caroline wozniacki will be put to their proper places.

Sunday, January 22, 2012

rapids

Rapids. It's More Fun in the Philippines.
#
ItsMoreFunInThePhilippines @TourismPinas @DOTPhilippines @MoreFunInThePHL

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

central do brasil

mabalasik, masungit at mukhang laging biyernes santo ang retiradong guro na si dora, ang bida ng central do brasil. bagamat inuupahan ng mga di marunong bumasa't sumulat si dora upang lumiham sa kani-kanilang kamag-anakan, may kung anong pighati't aglahi si dora sa kanyang mga kostumer sa central station ng rio de janeiro. madalas kaysa hindi, walang anumang intensyon si dora na ihulog ang mga liham na ipinasulat ng kanyang mga kostumer. bukod dito, mukhang kinalahig talaga ng manok ang mga letrang kanyang isinusulat sa mga pilas ng papel.

katatapos lamang magpasulat ng ina ni josue, isang 9 na taong batang lalaki, nang masagasaan ito paglabas ng mag-ina sa istasyon ng tren. di pa nakikita ni josue ang kanyang ama at mula sa malagim na pagkamatay ng kanyang ina, isang ekstraordinaryong relasyon ang nabuo kina dora at josue… bagamat di ito agad-agad. nang mamatay ang ina nito, pinatuloy nga ni dora si josue sa kanyang bahay, ngunit di upang tulungan ang bata. ang tanging tangka ni dora ay ibenta ang bata sa mga sindikatong namimili ng bata, kapalit ng malaki-laking halaga ng dolyares. nagdalawang-isip lamang si dora nang kanyang malaman ang tiyak na mangyayari kay josue kapag ibinenta niya ito sa mga sindikato. pagkakakitaan ng sindikato ang pagbebenta sa iba't ibang bahagi ng katawan ng bata sa pailalim at pandaigdigang bilihan ng mga organ ng tao. sapagkat wala ring anumang plano si dora na ibalik ang bayad sa kanya ng mga sindikato, di siya maaaring manatili sa kanyang bahay. kung kaya't kinaray niya si josue palayo sa rio de janeiro at bumiyahe sila pa-hilagang silangan ng brazil upang hanapin ang ama ni josue.

sa simula ng pelikula, maaaring akalain na ito'y simpleng istorya lamang ng isang babaing aampon sa isang bata dahil sa kalunus-lunos na buhay ng huli na pinalala pa ng pagpanaw ng ina nito. ngunit unti-unting magiging klaro na si dora ay walang puso at oportunista. sa kalaunan ng kanilang paglalakbay, ang kontrabidang ito'y naging tao at natutong magpakatao. ang di karaniwang parehang ito ay nagsimula bilang estranghero't natatalibaan sa isa't isa. ngunit ang rowdtrip nila sa paghahanap sa ama ni josue ay naging daan upang maging isang mabuting nilalang si dora sa pamamagitan ng matapang na desisyong gawin ang tama. kahit sa maikling panahon, nagkaroon din ng bagong ina si josue.

sa katapusan, natagpuan din nina dora at josue ang tirahan ng ama. dito nila nakita ang nakatatandang kapatid ni josue ngunit wala sa bahay nila ang ama. may kabog sa dibdib na nanaisin ng bawat manonood na maging maayos ang kahinatnan ni josue. bagamat malayo ito sa hapili-eber-apter na katapusan, senyal ito ng bagong direksyon sa magkahiwalay na mga buhay nina dora at josue. agos ang luha sa katapusan ng pelikula nang piliin ni dorang iwan si josue, dali-daling sumakay ng bus at tuluyang lisanin ang batang naging integral na bahagi ng kanyang buhay sa napakaikling panahon.




kahanga-hanga si fernanda montenegro (nanomina sa oscar bilang pinakamahusay na pangunahing aktres) bilang doña dora. bukod sa mahusay na istorya't direksyon ni walter salles, si montenegro ang isa sa pinakamalaking rason kung bakit dapat panoorin ang central station. halatang nauunawaan ni montenegro ang karakter ni dora dahil sakto't angkop ang bawat reaksyon nito sa lahat ng sitwasyong inilahad ng pelikula. propyedad na maituturing ang musika nina jacques morelembaum at antonio pinto sa paglalakbay nina dora at josue. ang interyor ng brazil ay mahusay ding nailarawan ng sinematograpiya ni walter carvalho. ang paggamit ng iba't ibang imahen ng relihiyon at ang magkakatunggaling modernong ebanghelismo at tradisyunal na katolisismo na ihinalo sa katutubong pananampalataya ay nagdagdag ng ibang dimensyon sa rowdtrip nina dora at josue.

maaaring maging sobrang sentimental sa iba ngunit ang central station ay isang tunay na yaman ng sinemang brazilian. unibersal at tiyak na titimo sa puso ng manonood ang salaysay ng isang sinikong babae na naging ina sa isang batang naulila sa tunay nitong ina. natutuhan ni dora ang tunay na kahulugan ng pag-ibig habang natuto rin si josue kung paano muling mabuhay. walang bahid ng pang-iinsulto o panghuhukot ng ibang tao, tagumpay ang pelikula na tinagin, pag-usutin at laruin ang damdamin at ekspektasyon ng mga manonood. umiigting sa suson-suson nitong sinematikong palaman, ang pelikulang ito ay ganap na kaluguran mula umpisa hanggang katapusan.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

jumpshot

Jumpshot. It's More Fun in the Philippines.
#ItsMoreFunInThePhilippines @TourismPinas @DOTPhilippines @MoreFunInThePHL

Friday, January 6, 2012

Philippines!



Getting upstairs. More fun in the Philippines.

Status updates. More fun in the Philippines.

Commuting. More fun in the Philippines.


It's more fun in the Philippines!

joe nobody

just had to re-post this, which is one nice account about doing what you love... even without the hard returns (money and all).



Joe Nobody’ plays tennis for love, not money

One is a multi-millionairess who doesn't even like the sport that has given her everything. The other is a "Joe Nobody" who's happy to scrape a living playing the game he loves.

Welcome to the disparate world of professional tennis, where a handful of superstars enjoy extraordinary rewards—but the vast majority work hard for relatively little, wondering what it's like to be one of the chosen few.

For Serena Williams, one of the world's richest athletes, fame, luxury travel and plush hotels are the norm. Yet she told journalists in Brisbane that not only did she not "love" tennis, she didn't even like sports.

"It's not that I've fallen out of love with it. I've actually never liked sports and I never understood how I became an athlete," Williams said.

"I don't like working out, I don't like anything physical. If it involves sitting down or shopping, I'm excellent at it."

Elsewhere in Australia, but a world away professionally, 236th-ranked Frederik Nielsen considered the Hopman Cup, where he is representing Denmark alongside women's number one Caroline Wozniacki, the peak of his career.

For the 28-year-old journeyman, without a title to his name, courtesy cars and free meals at the Perth tournament were a rare treat—and the $45,000 appearance fee is a major pay-day.

"This is the biggest stage I have ever played on, I've thoroughly enjoyed it," he said.

"They take such good care of us players and to be able to play on a stage like that, in front of a great crowd, it's big for me. It's a big pleasure, it really is."

But Nielsen also knows next week he'll be back to outside courts and satellite tournaments as he tries to keep his bank account ticking over, typically picking up $1,000 per event—barely enough to cover his costs.

"I know that next week it's back to reality and I'm 'Joe Nobody' again," he said. "So I really appreciate every second here."

Any money he makes will be put straight back into trying to improve his own game, rather than spent on the trappings of success.

The money that I make I try to invest in my own game by hiring coaches in different areas of the game," he said.

"So I don't really come out with a profit at the end of the year. It's enough to keep going."

On the other hand, Williams has won 13 Grand Slam singles titles, two Olympic gold medals and earned over $34 million in prize money, not to mention her lucrative endorsements.

"I don't love tennis today but I'm here," she confessed. "I can't live without it—there's a difference between not loving something and not being able to live without it."

It's a striking admission, but Williams is not alone. Fellow American great Andre Agassi even said he hated the sport in his controversial autobiography, "Open".

"I play tennis for a living even though I hate tennis, hate it with a dark and secret passion and always have," Agassi wrote.

Nielsen, who has won just $295,000 during his playing career, can't live without tennis either, but his reasons are vdifferent.

"If I was in it for the money and everything I would have quit five years ago," he said. "This is my life and I really love it, this is a dream come true for me.

"As long as I'm fit and I keep improving and I find it to be the best thing to do with my life, I'll keep going."

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

no visa

According to this site, no visa required for Filipinos in the following countries… so biyahe na tayo!

Asia

ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)


• Brunei Darussalam - 14 days
• Cambodia - 21 days
• Indonesia - 30 days
• Laos - 30 days
• Malaysia - 30 days (sufficient fund must be at least 500USD)
• Singapore - 30 days
• Thailand - 30 days
• Vietnam - 21 days

Non- ASEAN


• Azerbaijan - 30 days visa issued upon arrival
• Taiwan - 30 days if holding a valid visa for Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Schengen countries, United Kingdom or United States. Check at https://nas.immigration.gov.tw/nase/ to meet the requirements.
• Georgia – 90 days visa issued upon arrival, 360 days visa free to those who have temporary residence of Qatar, Oman, Bahrain and Kuwait
• Hong Kong - 14 days
• India - 30 days visa issued upon arrival
• Iran - 15 days visa issued upon arrival if holding an e-visa pre-approval code obtained via email from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at www.mfa.gov.ir
• Israel - 90 days (3 months)
• South Korea (if arriving at Jeju Island only) - 30 days
• Macau - 30 days
• Maldives - 30 days visa issued upon arrival, extension of maximum 90 days is possible by paying MVR 750
• Mongolia - 21 days
• Nepal - 15/30/90 days visa issued upon arrival for around US$25/40/100
• Sri Lanka - 30 days visa obtain upon arrival if holding Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA). You can get this prior to arrival at www.eta.gov.lk
• Timor-Leste - 30 days single entry visa issued upon arrival for around US$30, extension is possible up to 90 days

Europe


•Kosovo - 90 days

Oceania


• Cook Islands - 31 days
• Fiji - 120 days Visitor's Permit issued upon arrival and can be extended
• Marshall Islands - 30 days visa issued upon arrival and can be extended
• Micronesia - 30 days
• Niue - 30 days
• Palau - 30 days visa issued upon arrival, additional USD 50 for extension
• Samoa - 60 days Visitor's Permit issued upon arrival
• Tuvalu - 30 days visa issued upon arrival
• Vanuatu - 30 days

North America


• Bermuda - 31 days before but since May, they now require visas for Philippine passport holders
• Costa Rica - 30 days Visitor's Permit issued upon arrival
• Dominica - 21 days
• Haiti - 90 days
• Nicaragua - 90 days visa issued upon arrival
• Saint Lucia – 6 weeks Visitor's Permit issued upon arrival
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines - 30 days visa issued upon arrival
• Turks and Caicos Islands - 30 days

South America


• Bolivia - 90 days
• Brazil - 90 days
• Colombia - 90 days
• Ecuador - 90 days
• Peru - 183 days
• Suriname - 90 days

Africa


• Burundi – 1 month visa issued upon arrival
• Cape Verde Islands – visa issued upon arrival around £ 25
• Comoros – visa issued upon arrival
• Djibouti – 1 month visa issued upon arrival
• Gambia – visa issued upon arrival
• Kenya - 90 days visa issued upon arrival for US$50
• Madagascar - 90 days visa issued upon arrival for MGA140,000
• Morocco - 90 days
• Mozambique - 30 days visa issued upon arrival. Extension of 30 days is possible around USD 66
• Saint Helena - visa issued upon arrival
• Seychelles – 1 month Visitor’s Permit issued upon arrival if holding return ticket, sufficient funds (minimum USD150 per day of stay, and proof of accommodation)
• Tanzania - visa issued upon arrival for around USD50 to USD200
• Togo - 7 days visa issued upon arrival if with return ticket, 3 passport photos, and yellow fever vaccination certificate
• Uganda - visa issued upon arrival for US$50
• Zambia - 90 days visa issued upon arrival for USD 50/80/160 single/double/multiple entry

**UPDATED and CHECKED: January 3, 2012
**Information is intended for tourist visit purpose only
**Details may change anytime after the update due to new laws so double-check the immigration rules of the country you’re planning to visit
**Transit visa may be required when you're not on a direct flight
**Sources: International Air Transport Association (IATA), Qantas, Wiki, Visalink, VisaHq.ph

Some important notes:

The list of countries above won’t let you need a visa BEFORE your arrival. Doesn’t mean you won’t need one forever. I just listed the allowed days just like when you’re going to SG for example, you may visit the place until the allotted days without a visa. You can also extend your stay but you have to comply with their visa requirement – that’s the time you have to secure a visa or permit depending on your purpose (work, business, study, etc).

The other countries require a visa upon arrival. It’s usually done at the port of entry or at the immigration bureau of that country. They usually ask you about your purpose of visit/travel and check your documents like your passport (which must be at least 6 months valid from the date of expiry), valid IDs (when I say valid it means it’s not expired and is accepted by all government offices), return tickets, and money. They usually require you to hold proof of sufficient funds to cover your stay. Some strict countries checkpoint authorities require documents such as employment letter, hotel reservations, personal invitation, permit to travel and the like. They have the authority to refuse your entry if you fail to comply with them.


Feel free to leave comments below and use it to share your visa concerns and experiences with others. You can exchange related stuff in the comments section just like a forum. But please you guys, I made this effort to share this for everyone and it’s free. I have updated the details, too one by one. Please respect this page and don’t throw nasty comments to anyone. Filipinos are polite, courteous and hospitable. I want to see that in here. Help each other instead of turning each other down…THANK YOU.

katamad

may kung anong nakabibinging katahimikan. tanging takatak lamang ng tipahan ng laptap at mahinang sireno ng erkon ang madidinig, bukod sa ugong ng naglalakihang makina sa itinatayong gusali ng globe. salit-salit ang pag-ariba ng sinag ng araw at ibayong kulimlim na nagbabadya ng ulan. panay ang pag-ubo ng iba, habang ang iba nama'y abala sa pag-antabay sa napipintong pagbahing dala ng sipon.

lahat ay sumusubok magsimula ng trabaho. paano nga naman, santambak ang naiwan pagkatapos ng mahaba-habang bakasyong dala ng kapaskuhan. ngunit sadyang mabigat pa ang mga katawan… kaya halos lahat ay huli sa pagpasok kaninang umaga. may tila bato ring nakadagan sa mga likod ng mga palad, kaya naman imbis na buksan ang anumang dokumento, mas magaan ang pagbabasa na lamang ng istatus ng mga kaibigan sa facebook at twitter. mayroon din namang nagbabasa lang ng kung anu-ano sa internet upang lumakad ang oras at dumatal ang uwian. tila binagsakan nga ng katam ang bawat isa sa tuwing magbabalik sa trabaho pagkatapos ng mahabang patlang.

alihan nawa ng kasipagan sa nalalabing dalawang araw ng linggong ito!

Calatagan pot

Ina bisa kata
Guna kita payaba
Dulang saya kau kain
Dada yang ‘ni manogi
Kita sana mabasah
Bagai ke bunga.

Sinikap sabihin ni ina
Para sa iyo mahal kong anak
Kumain ka sa aking dulang
Dibdib ko ‘tong mabango
Doon ika’y mabasa
Tulad ng bulaklak.

Ina, ikaw ang aking bisa
Dumalaga nating alaga
Banga’y kanyang nasipa
Si M/manugi ang may dala
Magbabasa tayo sana
Di nga ba, ng bunga.

Gana Bisa Kata
Duna kita’y halabas
Yawa, sala, kakaga
Yamyam la ni Manugdait
Kita sana magbasa
Barang king banga.


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Calatagan pot. Calatagan pot.