Change in CFO Policy?

[Brassballs 48]

My wife had been trying to schedule her seminar at the CFO website for several weeks and got a server error each time before completing the process. She sent an email to support and finally got a response indicating that scheduling was not required and seats are now again first come first serve (Manila).

Anyone have recent (last week or so) experience that can confirm that this is true? Told my wife to wait a couple of weeks since there is no urgency and maybe their reservation system will get fixed.

Flip side of the question, has anyone been turned away because of no seats available at that time slot?

[Hank_ 9,174]

My wife had been trying to schedule her seminar at the CFO website for several weeks and got a server error each time before completing the process. She sent an email to support and finally got a response indicating that scheduling was not required and seats are now again first come first serve (Manila).

Anyone have recent (last week or so) experience that can confirm that this is true? Told my wife to wait a couple of weeks since there is no urgency and maybe their reservation system will get fixed.

Flip side of the question, has anyone been turned away because of no seats available at that time slot?

Support has their heads up their azz. Online scheduling is required for spouses/fiancees. I was just on the CFO scheduling website (using Chrome)

On the scheduling webpage it states the system works best with Firefox 27.5+ or Chrome 33.1+ (notice no mention of Internet Explorer) so if your wife is having issues scheduling maybe she is using IE, have her download and install one of the other browsers.

Edited October 18, 2014 by Hank_

[TomChe 1]

CFO seminar is first come first serve I guess. Because im doing my seminar in cebu no need to schedule online. And I guess its they same also in Manila. Tell your wife to go in the CFO office they just only need her passport if she dont have the package visa yet.

Good luck and God blessed

[Zedayn 486]

It is first come first serve in Cebu only. You need to schedule an appointment online for CFO Manila. I was also just there on their website and had no problem accessing the online scheduling.

[Brassballs 48]

Support has their heads up their azz. Online scheduling is required for spouses/fiancees. I was just on the CFO scheduling website (using Chrome)

On the scheduling webpage it states the system works best with Firefox 27.5+ or Chrome 33.1+ (notice no mention of Internet Explorer) so if your wife is having issues scheduling maybe she is using IE, have her download and install one of the other browsers.

Must be a major right hand / left hand problem in that office! Here's the response my wife received from her inquiry re scheduling:

Kindly be advised that the attendance of immigrant visa holders to the

Pre-departure Orientation Seminar (PDOS) with the Commission on Filipinos is

being done on a first-come, first-served basis, without any need of

reservation from Monday to Friday. Immigrants who are from 20-59 years old

will have to go through the PDOS, while those 13-19 years of age are

required to attend the Peer Counseling Program.

Please be guided with the following link for the schedule, registration

requirements and procedure.

http://www.cfo.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1347:for-

filipinos-leaving-the-country-with-an-immigrant-visa&catid=139

However, please click this link for your reference if you are being

petitioned by your foreign national partner or spouse as you are required to

attend the Guidance and Counseling Program of the CFO.

http://www.cfo.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content

<http://www.cfo.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2334:fre

quently-asked-questions-on-cfo-guidance-and-counseling-program&catid=110:fre

quently-asked-questions&Itemid=858>

&view=article&id=2334:frequently-asked-questions-on-cfo-guidance-and-counsel

ing-program&catid=110:frequently-asked-questions&Itemid=858

For minors with immigrant visa, like your 3-year old child, registration

will only be required of them.

I hope this message reaches you. Please let me hear from you to this address

should you have further clarifications.

Thank you!

Very truly yours,

Michael A. Apattad

Senior Emigrant Services Officer

Commission on Filipinos Overseas

Bolding is mine. I have not gone to provided links but I'm sure they point back to various cfo pages.

I'm sure the wife is using IE, probably 10 or 11. I'll point her to Firefox and see if she has better luck using that.

Thanks again Hank.

[Hank_ 9,174]

Must be a major right hand / left hand problem in that office! Here's the response my wife received from her inquiry re scheduling:

Kindly be advised that the attendance of immigrant visa holders to the

Pre-departure Orientation Seminar (PDOS) with the Commission on Filipinos is

being done on a first-come, first-served basis, without any need of

reservation from Monday to Friday. Immigrants who are from 20-59 years old

will have to go through the PDOS, while those 13-19 years of age are

required to attend the Peer Counseling Program.

Please be guided with the following link for the schedule, registration

requirements and procedure.

http://www.cfo.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1347:for-

filipinos-leaving-the-country-with-an-immigrant-visa&catid=139

However, please click this link for your reference if you are being

petitioned by your foreign national partner or spouse as you are required to

attend the Guidance and Counseling Program of the CFO.

http://www.cfo.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content

<http://www.cfo.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2334:fre

quently-asked-questions-on-cfo-guidance-and-counseling-program&catid=110:fre

quently-asked-questions&Itemid=858>

&view=article&id=2334:frequently-asked-questions-on-cfo-guidance-and-counsel

ing-program&catid=110:frequently-asked-questions&Itemid=858

For minors with immigrant visa, like your 3-year old child, registration

will only be required of them.

I hope this message reaches you. Please let me hear from you to this address

should you have further clarifications.

Thank you!

Very truly yours,

Michael A. Apattad

Senior Emigrant Services Officer

Commission on Filipinos Overseas

Bolding is mine. I have not gone to provided links but I'm sure they point back to various cfo pages.

I'm sure the wife is using IE, probably 10 or 11. I'll point her to Firefox and see if she has better luck using that.

Thanks again Hank.

There is the conflict, they are talking PDOS and you are talking GCP, totally different events. PDOS is NOT for spouses/fiancees. Spouses/fiancees need to attend GCP.

Go to my guide, click the CFO link, 2nd link goes to the GCP page.

Edited October 18, 2014 by Hank_

[Brassballs 48]

There is the conflict, they are talking PDOS and you are talking GCP, totally different events. PDOS is NOT for spouses/fiancees. Spouses/fiancees need to attend GCP.

It was easier if I tried and succeded scheduling from this side and e-mailing her scanned confirmation letter. Issue we now have is there was no provision (that I saw) to schedule afternoon session versus the default morning session. So off went another e-mail for assistance. We'll see how long the reply takes.

Also tried to read about difference between PDOS and GCP at the CFO site, but couldn't find a specific definition of either. Not that it makes any difference to us (I hope).

Thanks for the explanation.

[Hank_ 9,174]

It was easier if I tried and succeded scheduling from this side and e-mailing her scanned confirmation letter. Issue we now have is there was no provision (that I saw) to schedule afternoon session versus the default morning session. So off went another e-mail for assistance. We'll see how long the reply takes.

Also tried to read about difference between PDOS and GCP at the CFO site, but couldn't find a specific definition of either. Not that it makes any difference to us (I hope).

Thanks for the explanation.

Difference between the two. GCP is for spouses and fiancees. PDOS is simply for Filipino emigrants .... that are NOT a spouse or fiancee.

If they are only showing morning openings when scheduling, then that is all there is available.

[Brassballs 48]

Difference between the two. GCP is for spouses and fiancees. PDOS is simply for Filipino emigrants .... that are NOT a spouse or fiancee.

If they are only showing morning openings when scheduling, then that is all there is available.

Hmmm. Never even considered that as a reason since the date is over 3 weeks out (Nov 10). Guess she will have an early wakeup and bus ride into Manila.

Toughens the soul and builds character!

Or see if she wants to change the date, Ha Ha.

Thanks for the clarification on the differences.

Edited October 20, 2014 by Brassballs

[Zedayn 486]

For CFO you don't have an option to select morning or afternoon slots. When you schedule your CFO, you will get the first available slot that day. If the morning is not yet full, you will get a morning slot. If the morning slot is filled up, you will get an afternoon slot.

Since you scheduled so far in advance, you were guaranteed a morning slot. Had you scheduled within a few days, you may have gotten an afternoon slot.