CFO (Mis)information

[KrystelKyle 16]

I would like to start on a positive note. Today, I (with my husband) was finally able to pick up my visa from 2Go and right away proceeded to the CFO along Quirino Avenue to get my sticker. I already have my ticket for our US flight tomorrow so at this point we were really ecstatic. I expected to have a smooth and quick transaction at the CFO since I already have my Guidance Counselling Certificate..but I was wrong.

It all started when I finished filling up the registration form. I brought it to a lady in one of the windows. I right away requested that they print my sticker in my maiden name since that's what's in my passport and visa. She assured me it would be better to have it in my married name or else I would have to get another certificate later if I decide to renew my passport and have it in my married name.

She then went on to verify my educational attainment...I had checked "post graduate level" on the form since I have a few masteral units but I didn't finish it. She then asked me what college degree I have so I told her. Then she asked why did I check "unemployed" on the form. I said it's because I am unemployed now. She asked where was I employed before and I mentioned the government agency I was part of (one of the few highly regarded ones). Then she went, "so you have all your clearances already, right?" I was surprised and asked why would I need it since I resigned more than a month ago. She said I absolutely have to have it and a faxed or scanned&emailed copy won't do. She said the immigration officer at the airport would need the original. This is when my panic began.

I started calling our regional office in Mindanao and tried to get them to send me my original clearance. (I went back to my hometown after resigning so the regional office is far from where I've been living since then.) I really didn't care much about it before as I thought I wouldn't need it since I'm resigned (unlike if I'm still incumbent and going on international travel which necessitates a travel authority). They were able to send me fax and scanned copies but the original was a big problem since flights are getting cancelled there today due to the typhoon. My mom suggested I go to our national office here to get the clearance but it turned out I would still need the regional clearance or at least some sort of endorsement.

Thankfully, God guided my husband to suggest to me that instead of going to our national office here, we should go to the Bureau of Immigration to get a checklist and clarify exactly what they would ask of me at the airport. To get to the end of the story, an airport immigration officer whose name I made sure to take note of (he told me his name and I saw his ID too) told me I would only need my passport, visa, and CFO sticker AND NOTHING ELSE. I had to ask him again and he was amused and assured me that it's really all I need. I even told him the whole story and he said it does not really matter now. I felt like a ton of weight was lifted off my shoulder...and my husband was beaming.

Now, in all of these, it makes me wonder WHY DID THE CFO HAVE TO CAUSE ME SO MUCH PANIC AND WORRY BY GIVING ME WRONG INFORMATION? And if they were right about the clearance, WHY WAS IT NEVER MENTIONED WHEN I WENT THROUGH THE GUIDANCE COUNSELLING SEMINAR? It's just frustrating. I wish they would have regular meetings with the Bureau of Immigration so they can update each other on the requirements and pass on those relevant information to their clients who they claim to be protecting and helping to have a smooth travel and life abroad.

I hope and pray that our departure tomorrow would go well and no unpleasant surprises would turn up. I am sharing this rather long story so others would be warned. In hindsight, it makes more sense to go straight to the BI office since it's their people who do the screening at the airport.

Thank you so much for the heads up, I am planning on going to CFO tomorrow as I already had my certificate from counselling last year since it was a required doc to get my passport renewed. I remember before with my counselling session that some people had hard time getting their certificate as we all have to go through interview session one on one with one of the guidance counselor whos conducting the CFO/PDOS thing. I got my certificates after that guidance counselling session.

Now, that I had my visa and will need that sticker from them this absolutely brought to my attention since I am employed too but to a private company and not even done with clearances. When I was reading your post it gave me a 2mins panic mode but then reading the BI part was relieving. Glad you post this and thank you so much to give us this heads up too. I am getting my CFO sticker tomorrow hope I wont deal with mean and jealous people haha,..

Enjoy your stay in the US with your hubby and forget all the stress that CFO rep gave you before leaving the country:)

[Mogambi 96]

THe whole CFO thing is by far the worst part of the visa process. Worse than the medical, worse than the US Embassy. They are an organization of the worst kind, set up solely to collect revenue, and staffed with power hungry morons.

[RnB 0]

Thank you so much for the heads up, I am planning on going to CFO tomorrow as I already had my certificate from counselling last year since it was a required doc to get my passport renewed. I remember before with my counselling session that some people had hard time getting their certificate as we all have to go through interview session one on one with one of the guidance counselor whos conducting the CFO/PDOS thing. I got my certificates after that guidance counselling session.

Now, that I had my visa and will need that sticker from them this absolutely brought to my attention since I am employed too but to a private company and not even done with clearances. When I was reading your post it gave me a 2mins panic mode but then reading the BI part was relieving. Glad you post this and thank you so much to give us this heads up too. I am getting my CFO sticker tomorrow hope I wont deal with mean and jealous people haha,..

Enjoy your stay in the US with your hubby and forget all the stress that CFO rep gave you before leaving the country:)

i'm glad you found my post helpful. i hope your transaction at the CFO went just fine. :-)

[RnB 0]

THe whole CFO thing is by far the worst part of the visa process. Worse than the medical, worse than the US Embassy. They are an organization of the worst kind, set up solely to collect revenue, and staffed with power hungry morons.

actually, for me, CFO is worse than all the other stages but my sputum culture nightmare at St. Luke's is still the worst. i do agree, however, that the government needs to review if CFO's existence is justified or if they are really carrying out their mandate effectively because as it is, they are proving to be nothing but just a hump in the visa journey of those who have genuine relationships applying for a foreign visa. for the intent of making sure no one is victimized by human trafficking and/or abusive relationships abroad, another agency should be created or if they decide on keeping the CFO, its structure and systems/process should really be revamped in a major way.

[rlogan 2,036]

THe whole CFO thing is by far the worst part of the visa process. Worse than the medical, worse than the US Embassy. They are an organization of the worst kind, set up solely to collect revenue, and staffed with power hungry morons.

The theory of the little baby filipino immigrants needing mommy government to counsel them is insulting enough, but disproven daily by the misinformation these CFO dummies spread.

No, they don't coordinate with the BIA, they do not have accurate information on VAWA, and wearetheart made the point about the brain drain - that the people leaving are smarter than the ones in these CFO jobs.

I hate to admit to the truth, but the skill you need in dealing with them is to show how impressed you are with their intellect and how grateful you are for stealing your money and treating you like a child. The thing they love most is the panic in your eyes when they tell you "no".

It isn't just Philippines, but all over the world when you have some petty, low-level bureaucrat with a sticker or permit or signature you need to do something important with no accountability: You have to be mentally prepared for this. They don't get paid much but they can get a power trip all day long terrorizing the people going off to much better lives than they can ever hope for.

[RnB 0]

They don't get paid much but they can get a power trip all day long terrorizing the people going off to much better lives than they can ever hope for.

I agree with this...a lot of people in government enjoy power tripping. I used to do experiments when I would transact with other government agencies before. I usually wouldn't let them know I'm a government employee myself but when someone treats me badly, and part of the process is for them to ask for my ID, I would then show them my office ID or the GSIS ID that all government employees have. Without fail, they would then shift to the proper way of treating clients. It is quite infuriating. I remember a particular incident when I went to the NSO to get some more copies of my birth certificate...the lady didn't greet me and almost never looked at me but just kept talking. I couldn't hear her very clearly so I asked her to repeat what she was saying and with an impatient voice and a condescending look, she said, "give me exact amount because I don't have change and give me your ID". When I showed her my office ID, she right away smiled and said, "oh, is this really your ID? so you work at _____?" I was too annoyed to answer so I just stared back at her and give her a forced close-mouthed smile. Then she gave me my birth certificates and smiled big and said in a sing-song voice, "thank you!" when it was supposed to be me thanking her, given the nature of my transaction.