Can my girlfriend travel outside the Philippines for us to meet somewhere and spend time together?

[Cody&Razely 134]

29 minutes ago, flicks1998 said:

I wrote in another thread that Australia doesn’t plan on allowing Australians to travel out of their country until everyone is vaccinated, which means probably 2022. Something is going to have to give soon though. It’s beyond ridiculous now.  If flights are actually flying and people have the correct visa and are willing to fly there is no point to hold them back. It’s not if planes are even full even when people are allowed to travel. Flights into and out of the EU and Schengen countries to/from the US are only about 10% full.  It’s easier to social distance on international flights then it is on domestic ones. 
 

I’ve purchased a PAL flight leaving from JFK to MNL on November 26 coming back temporarily at the end of February. That flight at the moment barely has anyone on it.
 

 

I Hope it will give soon, yeah ridiculous is the word for this. If I might ask though, how did you get entry to PH? If you don't mind sharing.

[RO_AH 1,659]

2 hours ago, Cody&Razely said:

I’ve purchased a PAL flight leaving from JFK to MNL on November 26 coming back temporarily at the end of February. That flight at the moment barely has anyone on it.

I am afraid to even book a flight until this stuff settles down.

[flicks1998 1,044]

4 hours ago, Cody&Razely said:

I Hope it will give soon, yeah ridiculous is the word for this. If I might ask though, how did you get entry to PH? If you don't mind sharing.

One of the exceptions is for foreigners with children there.  I have just got all my documents together to apply for the visa and will send this week.  I already bought the ticket and can cancel for a minimum fee, but according to the rules I qualify for a visa.  Once I get the visa or get rejected, Ill post all of the documents and process I followed.  However, you need employment letters, certified copies, notarized copies, etc etc etc.  Its a nightmare actually.  I just came back to the US in January this year as I had been living in Manila since 2010.  Part of the K1 was to be residing in the US, so I thought Id better get residency back in the US before the interview, but then March came and we all know what happened then.  

 

If you can get back to the Philippines, its a disaster at this point.  There is zero tourist infrastructure set up now.  When you arrive you do the COVID test and should within 24 hours get your negative results back.  However that paper is good for 72 hours.  Meaning you need to book into a place for the entire time back as most condos and alot of hotels require a negative COVID test within 72 hours, a medical certificate, and a travel pass if you leave Manila to a province.  Many hotels are actually closed if they are not listed on the government site as a quarantine hotel.  And most of those quarantine hotels do not take long-term bookings, plus they are geared to OFW's and if your a foreigner, you need to write them directly and make sure you can stay there since not many foreigners are coming back so there is no structure for them.  My lease finished this past July and I am relying on friends there to help arrange something for me as there are just too many restrictions and rules and nothing is consistent, as usual.  

 

 Even if you book one place in Manila and then change, you'll have to do another COVID test, another medical certificate, etc.  And the COVID tests are not cheap, they will range between 3800-8000p depending where you go.  Thats for the PCR test, if you do the rapid test its around 1500-2500 pesos, but those have a high false positive rate.  If you get a positive result, you then need to pay for the PCR test.  

 

The provinces are all different with some needing 14-21 day quarantines.   

 

[flicks1998 1,044]

2 hours ago, RO_AH said:

I am afraid to even book a flight until this stuff settles down.

I was going to wait it out but its just come to a point where I have not seen my son in 10 months and when he asks why I haven't come back and is generally disappointed, I can't wait any more.  You just know when you have to act and now is the time.  

[Will&Christine 52]

15 hours ago, Allovertheworld said:

Davao City just brought back curfew and liquor ban until the end of the year Dec 31, 2020

 

I don't see Philippines easing restrictions on letting people out of the country until maybe June to August of 2021

 

http://davaotoday.com/main/politics/davao-city-brings-back-curfew-liquor-ban/

Davao City government or Philippines government should read this latest World Health Organization news. They advised against the lockdowns to fight the virus due to economic damage. The "cure" is worse than the solution. I see there's no common sense left in Philippines and Australia.

 

https://nypost.com/2020/10/11/who-warns-against-covid-19-lockdowns-due-to-economic-damage/

[flicks1998 1,044]

40 minutes ago, Will&Christine said:

Davao City government or Philippines government should read this latest World Health Organization news. They advised against the lockdowns to fight the virus due to economic damage. The "cure" is worse than the solution. I see there's no common sense left in Philippines and Australia.

 

https://nypost.com/2020/10/11/who-warns-against-covid-19-lockdowns-due-to-economic-damage/

I will find a document from calbayog in Samar. Their lockdown is so severe it’s exactly like in the 1930s when the ghettos were established and the SS came in. The only thing missing is where is the concentration camp in the Philippines.  I’ll find the document and post. No one is allowed outside for 2 weeks. NO ONE!! Not even for the grocery store and they have had no deaths in weeks or months. It’s downright scary. 

[flicks1998 1,044]

Read that. Completely unbelievable but it’s true. It’s happening now. This is for two weeks at least.  If you have Covid, you go to jail. All your contacts go to jail whether they have it or not. A barangay person does the food delivery. It’s a 24 hour lockdown for two weeks. No deaths in the city due to covid for several months. 
 

I was talking to friends across Asia this past weekend. The whole focus has been on finding a vaccine and very little has been made on the economic impact. I think that’s the next thing once people start getting vaccinated. Economically it’s horrible. Mass unemployment everywhere. Singapore, Philippines, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and on and on. And most of these places except India have control of this virus. 

Edited October 13, 2020 by flicks1998

[Cody&Razely 134]

2 hours ago, flicks1998 said:

One of the exceptions is for foreigners with children there.  I have just got all my documents together to apply for the visa and will send this week.  I already bought the ticket and can cancel for a minimum fee, but according to the rules I qualify for a visa.  Once I get the visa or get rejected, Ill post all of the documents and process I followed.  However, you need employment letters, certified copies, notarized copies, etc etc etc.  Its a nightmare actually.  I just came back to the US in January this year as I had been living in Manila since 2010.  Part of the K1 was to be residing in the US, so I thought Id better get residency back in the US before the interview, but then March came and we all know what happened then.  

 

If you can get back to the Philippines, its a disaster at this point.  There is zero tourist infrastructure set up now.  When you arrive you do the COVID test and should within 24 hours get your negative results back.  However that paper is good for 72 hours.  Meaning you need to book into a place for the entire time back as most condos and alot of hotels require a negative COVID test within 72 hours, a medical certificate, and a travel pass if you leave Manila to a province.  Many hotels are actually closed if they are not listed on the government site as a quarantine hotel.  And most of those quarantine hotels do not take long-term bookings, plus they are geared to OFW's and if your a foreigner, you need to write them directly and make sure you can stay there since not many foreigners are coming back so there is no structure for them.  My lease finished this past July and I am relying on friends there to help arrange something for me as there are just too many restrictions and rules and nothing is consistent, as usual.  

 

 Even if you book one place in Manila and then change, you'll have to do another COVID test, another medical certificate, etc.  And the COVID tests are not cheap, they will range between 3800-8000p depending where you go.  Thats for the PCR test, if you do the rapid test its around 1500-2500 pesos, but those have a high false positive rate.  If you get a positive result, you then need to pay for the PCR test.  

 

The provinces are all different with some needing 14-21 day quarantines.   

 

Well man Congrats to you, honestly I am jealous lol. I'm glad you'll be getting to go back though. Yeah it's a night mare over there, but worth it in my opinion if I could go. 

[Cody&Razely 134]

15 minutes ago, flicks1998 said:

I will find a document from calbayog in Samar. Their lockdown is so severe it’s exactly like in the 1930s when the ghettos were established and the SS came in. The only thing missing is where is the concentration camp in the Philippines.  I’ll find the document and post. No one is allowed outside for 2 weeks. NO ONE!! Not even for the grocery store and they have had no deaths in weeks or months. It’s downright scary. 

Yeah it was that bad in certain places in PH also a few months back and lasted for months. In my fiancés brgy and all others around it, there was only one person allowed to leave the brgy to bring back food and supplies once every 2 weeks and not a single person was allowed to leave their houses literally not one soul. Each house had to designate one person who could leave the house once a day at separated set times and only allowed to walk down the path to the sari sari store in the brgy and bring back food, water, oil, etc... what ever they needed. This went on for about 3 months. Then it changed to people between 26 - 55 allowed to step outside their houses but nothing more, not allowed to go beyond that. And one person designated from each house to be able to go to the nearest town 1 time each 2 weeks to get all that the house needed and transportation was only allowed for one person to ride their own motorcycle if they owned one. Since my fiancés family doesn't own a motorcycle and my fiancé was the one designated to leave once each 2 weeks to go to town as they refused to allow guys to get the pass she had to walk to the nearest town and back with all their supplies. All this while they had 0 yes that is 0 reported or even suspected cases in the entire province 

[flicks1998 1,044]

5 minutes ago, Cody&Razely said:

Well man Congrats to you, honestly I am jealous lol. I'm glad you'll be getting to go back though. Yeah it's a night mare over there, but worth it in my opinion if I could go. 

Just keep the pressure on the embassy and the PI government. Keep emailing them. I don’t see why a person can’t show the official US government papers for the application of the visa to the PI government to establish the seriousness of a relationship, whether spouse or fiancé. The only difference is a certificate. My feeling is the PI government will relent on this but they are probably trying to find a way to implement it or establish what documents will be needed. When they opened up to foreigners with spouses, they got bombarded at the MNL airport with a bunch of Chinese and Koreans with fake marriage certificates. Then they had to make new guidelines. 

[Cody&Razely 134]

2 minutes ago, flicks1998 said:

Just keep the pressure on the embassy and the PI government. Keep emailing them. I don’t see why a person can’t show the official US government papers for the application of the visa to the PI government to establish the seriousness of a relationship, whether spouse or fiancé. The only difference is a certificate. My feeling is the PI government will relent on this but they are probably trying to find a way to implement it or establish what documents will be needed. When they opened up to foreigners with spouses, they got bombarded at the MNL airport with a bunch of Chinese and Koreans with fake marriage certificates. Then they had to make new guidelines. 

Yeah for sure, Just sent my Mon. Plethora of emails today lol, I've updated my email contacts to include the PH BI as well as the PH Ambassador to the United Nations lol, we'll see how well that goes over lol

[flicks1998 1,044]

6 minutes ago, Cody&Razely said:

Yeah it was that bad in certain places in PH also a few months back and lasted for months. In my fiancés brgy and all others around it, there was only one person allowed to leave the brgy to bring back food and supplies once every 2 weeks and not a single person was allowed to leave their houses literally not one soul. Each house had to designate one person who could leave the house once a day at separated set times and only allowed to walk down the path to the sari sari store in the brgy and bring back food, water, oil, etc... what ever they needed. This went on for about 3 months. Then it changed to people between 26 - 55 allowed to step outside their houses but nothing more, not allowed to go beyond that. And one person designated from each house to be able to go to the nearest town 1 time each 2 weeks to get all that the house needed and transportation was only allowed for one person to ride their own motorcycle if they owned one. Since my fiancés family doesn't own a motorcycle and my fiancé was the one designated to leave once each 2 weeks to go to town as they refused to allow guys to get the pass she had to walk to the nearest town and back with all their supplies. All this while they had 0 yes that is 0 reported or even suspected cases in the entire province 

There is no logic to the madness there as with everything else.  Lockdown the whole province with zero covid deaths but have the drug addict murdered on the street who only needs help. Or the bus drivers who go off the cliffs driving up to Baguio because they are too tired. Or not teaching the people to look both ways when crossing the street and not just one way or not at all. Most just blindly walk out on the street anyway. 

[RO_AH 1,659]

On 10/12/2020 at 3:00 PM, flicks1998 said:

I was going to wait it out but its just come to a point where I have not seen my son in 10 months and when he asks why I haven't come back and is generally disappointed, I can't wait any more.  You just know when you have to act and now is the time.  

I understand totally. I have 2 sons 1 & 2 and miss them dearly. I was there in March so it has not been as long for me as it has you.

[top_secret 2,377]

This seem like big news if it's true.  Outbound travel allowed starting October 21. https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1348683/outbound-non-essential-travel-allowed-starting-oct-21

[flicks1998 1,044]

45 minutes ago, top_secret said:

This seem like big news if it's true.  Outbound travel allowed starting October 21. https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1348683/outbound-non-essential-travel-allowed-starting-oct-21

It’s true but there are some conditions but nothing that can’t be met. I think the biggest will be proof of health insurance in the destination country but that can be easy to get.  A COVID test before leaving as well. It a step in the right direction though.