A few months ago I wrote about renewing my United States Passport which was due to expire on Christmas Eve December 24th 2010. (The State Department is still laughing about that one) When I received my new one I noticed that all my Philippines Immigration stamps were now on the expired passport, and my new one, was as slick, as the Massachusetts Turnpike in January.
So as I mentioned last week that I was going to pay my Head Tax as it was on my agenda for that Wednesday. Plus being the cockeyed optimist that is Paul, I assumed that if I just show my up-to-date Philippine ACR Card (AKA the I-Card) and both my expired passport holding all the stamps and my new slick one, that all would go smooth. I’m still laughing about what a stupid butthead I must be for assuming that all would go smoothly. I should’ve known, it would rear up and bite me square on the butt. (Wanna’ buy a picture of the bite marks?) Expect the worst, what a negative Nick I am. (Sorry about that Nick!)
There I was cheerfully heading into the office on a Friday morning, vice last Wednesday as I had planned. Because Wednesday is my friend time and I should never plan anything that day.
I left the house around 08:00, drove through the back gate of Subic Freeport, I parked my car by the Dunkin’ Donuts and walked out the front gate and hopped a Jeepney to the Immigration office on Rizal Avenue. Since I’d noticed that every city, town, village and hamlet in the Philippines has a Street named Rizal, I trusted that the driver knew that I wanted the one in Olongapo City.
The reason I took a Jeepney vice my car is simple reasoning on my part, or poor planning on the city’s part. They allowed Savers Mart to build a 3 storied department store in the downtown area, and never questioned the fact that there was nowhere to park a car. Now Savers mart does provide 5 parking spaces, but they are not for customer use, the store manager gets one, they use 2 to display merchandise, and the remaining 2 are for delivery trucks. The rest of the block has banks, and other stores and all parking is on the street. And the street is full 24 hours a day. The only solution for me is to purchase a parked car.
One of our fellow readers of LiP, asked what a Head Tax was, it’s a (P) 300.10 fee (or fine?), you pay every year, to validate your resident alien card, or I-Card. Failure to do so is frowned upon.
Here’s a little history in 1994 when I first applied for my 13 something visa (or ACR), it came on an 8×11 yellow/orangish looking card with my picture on it. It reminded me of my old military pay record we used back in the 1960’s. I don’t think it was meant to be carried in your wallet. Then in the 2,000’s when they got computers, we made the switch to the I-card. When it came out, we were like lemming, as we all had to get to Manila to process the new card. And that was because they had the only computer and that was in Manila. But they have a few more now and the local office can now issue new I-cards to you.
Its truth time now, the reason I rambled on about Jeepnies, Parking, and the rest, is because the Philippines threw a wrench into my story, I walked in to the office fearing the worst, and I’d convinced myself I was going to have a problem with the stamps in my Passport. The truth is it went so smooth my mouth was open in shock, and stayed that way until a fly landed in my mouth. They asked me for my I-card, last year’s receipt, and 300.10 pesos. Never looking or caring about my passports. I was out the door in 15 minutes, only because I was the forth one in line.
So what do you do when you’re done for the day and it’s only 09:00 in the morning? You take your wife and her twin to breakfast at my friend, Tom Dryden’s restaurant on Subic Freeport. Then go home and enjoy the day! (And a reward beer that afternoon)
To the Philippine’s Immigration Office I would like to say; “Thank You”, for the quick and courteous serviced I received from your employee’s, for they are the example all others government offices should emulate. I promise I will solve the stamp problem with my passport by next year. (Well maybe, but I will try really!)
So my lesson for the day was; If I step into something on the street, I should be happy when I find out; it was just chocolate ice cream. Now, there’s a pleasant image for you!
Well I was rejected! Went to pay my head tax last week in Davao. I had every paper that is possible to ask for. I even had my ACR-I card. The man took one look at all my stuff and said I didn’t need to pay the tax. All I have is a tourist visa. So I went home. Need to extend my tourist visa again next month. Then apply for the 13a visa. That should be a load of fun. Then next year I can apply for a 13a visa again. Nothing like doing things twice. Only in the Philippines.
73,
Gary
Gary;
So your complaining about they would not take your money? I hope he was polite about it!(lol) Have faith my friend, your time will come soon enought to join us January lemmings march to the sea.
My buddy just got his tourist I-Card, so he could stay 10 more days before he caught his next ship.
The first 13A application is for a provisional visa. Then after a year you apply for the permanent visa and they make sure that you have been a good boy for the past year. I was amazed that 13 months after arriving in the Philippines I had Permanent Residence – took me 7 years in Hong Kong! When you go for the Head Count, ignore what it says on the BI website. In Davao they want photo copies of the front and back of your ACR card, the data page of your passport and the page with the latest entry stamp. Take last year’s receipt – but they are not interested. Fill the form in, pay the money and out in less than an hour.
I am glad you had a good day and not a bad experiance. Any time the goverment is involved I also expect the worst.Knowing my luck I would hit my head on the jeepney,and the ice cream,well you know.Snow and ice and in the teens here have a nice warm day Paul.
Eric;
Somehow my answer showed up below, Computers sure are a wonderful thing?
Paul, you got lucky. Imagine you getting the guy who understood how it works when you get a new passport. The odds of him not being off that day must be a million or more to one. Do you intend leaving the country at any time before you sort the visas though…coz the guy at customes might be one of the other guys, and he will say nothing to you at all…because, after all, you have no visa in your passport…and therefore you could not possible be here and standing in front of him, and he won’t want to embarrass himself by talking to an empty space.
Tee Hee!
Goedon;
Since I have forgotton where the Airodrome, is I’ll not worry to much about visas. I like you point about the customs guy and the empty space. Kudo’s to you, quite funny.
Gordon;
Today has not started well for me. My comments are showing up in the wrong spaces, I mis-spelled your name and spilled coffee on my leg. (or close to my leg, but still on me) I’m going to take a short nap and come back later.
A twin Huh. I know this is a PG site but have you ever given it any thought. C’mon be honest LOL. Sorry to any I might have offended.
Eric;
It turned out very well (Thank You). It was first Jeepney ride in quite awhile, but I remembered to duck and hold my hand to my chest while boarding as I see all the girls do. But in my memory of snow, those are not pine-cones on top of the snow, so watch your step.
Dwayne;
It never crossed my mind.
Hi Paul: You went to the right office! Last monday i went to pay my dues at the Butuan Immigration office, presented my PR card that I had just received in December of 2010. I had applied for the card on January 14,2010 in Cayagan De Oro, and had waited for almost a year because of bureacratic foul-ups. The officer asked to see my passport which had a PR visa attached from the Philippine consulate in San Francisco, good for one year issued July24,2009 with an expiration of July24, 2010. The officer then informed me that I would have to pay a penalty for failure to report the temporary passport visa. The very kind officer then asked me to provide a 2×2 photo, and to have my thumb prints taken so they would have a record of my activity for their office. The total damage for this interesting transaction would be P2610. Another beautiful day in Butuan, time marches on.
Roberto;
My first ACR took 2 years, they lost my US Passport and all the paperwork in Manila, while I was in the building. My first I card they sent to, well they didn’t even know. but I did receive it a month before it expired. (The first I-card was only good for one year.) But I do feel your pain, and regret you having to go through crap like that. Now that they have computers, maybe they should connect them.
I will renew my I-card next week when I return to Manila – the office in Intramuros is much more efficient than it used to be. A few years back I used to dread having to go there but the last couple of times I have done my annual report as they call it, I have been astonished that it has taken only minutes.I think the secret is to get there at opening time,there are few people there at that time and the staff have not yet been abused and insulted by some of the moronic foreigners that appear there.
Bryan;
I had to show a letter of “NOT SAME NAME” because a man from the UK had a name close to mine and was on a watch list. My name is Paul Thompson his name was P. Thomson (no “p”), he was from the United Kingdom, I’m from the United States. Do you see how they could get confused? The letter made them happy, whereas my valid US Passport didn’t.
I don’t get your point about moronic foreigners. Sometimes anger is justified, but I smiled the whole way through it.
I’m so confused every time I go to immigration i’ve decided me and the better half will just take a trip abroad once a year and I’ll get the one year visa when we come back in.
Tony;
Confused? Years a go I was given a numbered list of every thing I had to do and all the paperwork that was required to apply for my ACR. When I got to Manila I was told my list was wrong and I needed two more items. The list was one week old. Enjoy those trip’s, you might have the best plan.
That made me chuckle. They should at least let the ink dry before they change procedures.
Tony;
If you don’t chuckle, you’ll cry. The guy looked me in the eye like it was my fault their list was wrong.
Paul T.
Can’t wait till my time comes to do that. Thats when i know i will be really enjoying life in the Philippines. I will enjoy doing it at least the first few times and than it will probably get old. Good read. Take care my friend
Randy;
It never gets old, for once you trick your mind into thinking that you’ve got it all figured out, they’ll change it and you’re back to square one again. But then if that were not so, I’d be re-hashing the same story again and again.
More, Paul, more. More stories about what a day in Olongapo/Subic is like for you. I’m very familiar of that part of Dinalupihan/Zambales where you live, and I miss it so. Reading stories like this from a very cold place thousands of miles away somehow brings me closer to its warm shores, at least, in mind and spirit.
Ricardo;
Thank you for your kind words, I remember those cold places so far away from here. I don’t know when the last time you were here, but from my first time in the 60’s a lot has changes, and all for the good. Ricardo; an airplane can bring your mind and spirit, and your body to your wonderful warm shores. Come on home and visit! (But leave the cold there.)
Senior;
WOW, You and the Boys make it sound like paying your head tax and such as a game of Russian Roulette with Immagration. Hate to be the last man with the pistol if all are left standing. 🙁
Paul by the smile on you face in you picture looks like hit the lotto and really enjoyed you breakfast.
Bruce
How’s it going brother? Maybe its time to head to the Philippines now the way there killing cops in Florida. I’m glad i work in the jail. Be safe
Randy;
Don’t worry I have trusty Mr Glock by my side always.
Mike;
Like you I’m learning that every office is different. Taking you and your wife to Tom’s is on the agender in October!
Senior;
If you know a good place to stay in Subic that may have airport pick up let me know.
E-mail me my friend.
I’ll Check on that and let you know. E-mail me and let me know price range, how long you’ll be staying, and how many guests.
Senior;
By the way Senior My wife and I must resister with Homeland Security tomorrow. Looked at our Drivers Licenses are going to expire her if Feb and mine in Oct. So off we go tomorrow to get them. But this is the wild part in order to get them you must show Your (1) Birth certificate w/ raise seal, or US Passport,(2) SSN card or w-2 or paycheck stub w/ ssn,(3)Gov issue Marriage certificate w/seal or court order name change papers,(4)And last but not least two documents with your residentsial address electric bill,bank statement, car registration, ect.
You talk about a bunch of BULLPUCKY next thing their going to have you do is pull down your jeans to prove your sex catagory.
Your dealing in stamps what a rookie in America were in the Big Leagues. We deal in certificates and raised seals. ( Except of course if you last name is Obama) 🙂
Kinda reminds me of the saying “Show me your papers oldman we have ways on making you talk.” Can’t wait to be grouped at the airport. Oh Yea bring on the 800lbs Gorilla and she better have big knucles I want the full effect. OH Yea better them the doctors visit. 🙁
Mike;
I just stopped complaining about the Philippines.
The United States of America used to be “Let Freedom Ring!”
Now it’s, “For whom the bell tolls!”
My heart swells with my love for Congress.
Senior;
MY God we have a scholar amongst us who knows Edgar Allen Poe.
Wow how refreshing. :0
I thought it was Hemmingway??
It was Hemingway, Paul. A bit of trivia associated with Edgar Allan Poe: The 60+ year tradition where, in the middle of the night each year on the anniversary of Edgar Allan Poe’s birth, a mysterious visitor leaves 3 roses and a half-empty bottle of cognac at the writer’s grave in Baltimore, may have ended. The visitor was a no-show last year and this year.
SEE I’m not a scholar LOL What do you expect from a BT poetry?Stepped on my **** with that one. Oh Hell where’s the cognac.
Ricardo;
Hemmingway was not the one who visited Poe’s grave, for if he had the bottle would’ve been empty. Earnie liked his drink!
Bruce;
The only reason I knew that, was I used to spend way too much time in Key West at Sloppy Joe’s Bar. I show you my 40 year old Zippo lighter I bought there. One of the few thing’s I remembered from then.
I think Homeland Security grabbed him for unAmerican activities.
Hi Paul – Where on earth did the term head tax come from? All you are doing is letting them know on an annual basis that you are still alive and staying at the same address.
The ACR-I card (Aliens Certificate of Registration Identity Card) which is your personal Identity Card must be carried with you at all times and produced when requested by – an Immigration Officer, Police or Peace officer. I will let you read the penalty(s) for non compliance yourself which appears at the bottom of the ACR-I card, reverse side with your finger print on it. The trick here is since its small print either make sure your eye sight is good or get a magnifying glass as it does say read carefully.
In the past if you renewed your passport and still had valid visa stamps they would attach the old to the new passport to enable the stamps to be continued to be used but you had to inform them at the time of renewal.
Kind regards.
Jim.
Hi Jim;
Head tax is a term for each Head they collect the fee from, it’s from the old cowboy term 100 head of cattle. The high population of Kano’s to include Brit’s and Aussies, and people from Europe other than the UK that are living here and in Angeles City I was told, was the highest population of foreigners in the Philippines. As for having the card on my person, I’ll never do it, I carry my RP Drivers License, and have yet to be asked to produce my I-card. But I know they want me too, but there are things I want them to do and they don’t. So I guess it’s another push? Your right my calling it the Head Tax might not be a widely known term, but it seems that everyone knew what I was talking about. Thanks for that Info, as I’ve never read that small print myself, but now I know what rule I’m ignoring. (LOL)
Paul, did you not get your old US passport back when you renewed? I did the last time I renewed mine. It’s a ‘good thing’, as Martha would say, to always keep old passports. You never know when you have t prove a date, country visited, etc. Of course, I don’t carry mine around, but I always keep them and my wife has all her old Philippine passports as well.
Dave;
Yes it came back with the new one, I have a draw full of old passports with all the pages full of old stamps. Ten years as a Merchant Seaman, we have to be stamped in/out of every country we stop at even if only for a day. They fill up fast, even the one’s we had with extra pages. (No extra charge for the thick ones.)
Hi Paul,
P310.10 isn’t so bad I guess. What’s the fee at the airport to leave? So I guess it’s a good deal.
I hear the ACR card takes a while to get if you have never had one.
Hudson;
The first one is a pain, but after that it’s not so bad. They last for five years. As for fee’s to leave. Ten years ago it was P 500.00, someone else would have to tell you what it is now. Hey Folks, help a guy out!
Hey paul ,you have to pay this every year ? surely they dont expect an aussie to pay this ,heavens we are the golden ones from the land of the whitest beaches ,only joking how do you know when to pay this and whats the fine for not paying how did you learn about all these things ?
chris
The head tax is to be paid within the first 60 days of the new year. It is writen on the back on the card at the bottom in very very small print.
Hi Bill;
Thanks for helping Chris with that info. That’s how we all learn about Life In The Philippines, from each other.
Chris;
Every thing you learn here is by osmosis, or they’ll explain it to you after you mess up. But Bill is spot on with his answer below.
But for years I’ve know about the special treatment afforded to those from “OZ”, I’m shocked that the world doesn’t wave all fees when they know that you’re from down under and, are honoring them with a visit.. Hell, even the US should pay the airfare just to get Keith & Nicole to come visit us. But that’s as it should be! (I had fun with comment, Thanks Mate)
Given all the aid that the Aus government is giving to the Philippines, especially in the deep south, yes aussies should be exempt the Annual Count. It is interesting to note that Aus aid is actually making people’s lives easier – and not those with their noses in the trough.
Hi Paul, since you mention Sloppy Joes, I spent a few nights there also during the Mariel Cuba Boatlift (1980). What a mess! Shared some beers with the conch and the next year they tried to secede from the US mainland and tried to block the Key Highway.
Mars;
The Conch is a strange breed of human. But I do tend to think they are right about most things. That many Parrot Heads can’t be wrong. How hard would it be to block A1A?
Yes, Parrot heads and Conch was dispersed by a Squadron of Florida State troopers in no time, but all the time it was a carnival atmosphere. Somewhere I have a T-shirt that says “I survived the Conch Republic Secession”. Its a nice place to spent a few days at a time and participate in the sunset celebration as long as you can tolerate the same sex atmosphere.
Most memorable @ Sloppy Joes? Complimentary beers from two Marijuana smugglers sitting at the bar. We had just turned them over to DEA and Customs for smuggling a shrimp boat full of MJ–about 25 tons–a couple of days prior. The waitress told us to make sure we get the message that they don’t harbor any hard feelings towards us. They’re out on bail already.
Mars;
I was living on the 22 nd floor in a Condo on Playa Luquillo, Puerto Rico during the 80’s. A fishing boat with a full load of Square Grouper (Marijuana to the uninformed) washed up on the beach below my balcony at about 02:30 in the morning. The Coast Guard was blocking any escape seaward, and the DEA and Puerto Rico’s finest had the shore-side covered.
But the story is, by 0300 vendors had already set up on the beach selling beer and food, spectators lined the area music was blasting and by the time I got dressed and got there, it was a full blown party. Thank my stars I was retired and gainfully unemployed, for going to work the next day would have been impossible.
BTW: Our fishermen were on bail by 16:00 that afternoon. “Don’t Stop The Carnival”
Yup, those square grouper weigh about 40 lbs a piece and always the same size. The US intel got suspicious why hundreds of Sears trash compactor are being ship to Columbia. Those were the days of the Columbian drug rule. Our cutter interdicted a total of two million pounds when I left in ’82. Before I left though, The smugglers switch to Coke, small shipment-more money and can be loaded on Go Fast boat that could go 50-60 knots. Only our Helo could catch up with them with the help of the Navy P-3. Those good old days.
Mars;
And I thought they were only concerned about their over crowded landfills. I closed my club one night (morning) about 0530, I went out to lock the rear beach gate and noticed a school of square grouper bobbing close to the beach. When I went in to try to empty the customers out, they moved like their pants were on fire when I told them what I saw. It only worked a few times after the real one, but it never stopped being fun.
Senior;
My friend Gary lives in Cebu and is home here in J-ville for a while. He stated in Cebu last time for only 6 months and them had to return for so medical reasons. He has an I card.
He was wondering if you guys on LIP could help him figure out why did he have to pay about 2600P plus airport fee to leave the Philippines this time. I asked him if he got a clearance to leave he said no he didn’t need on. That’s all I could figure out any ideas?
Mike;
The ways of the East are fraught with mysteries the Western mind will never comprehend. But I have faith that some fellow LIP reader will have the answer.
Regarding the fee. See comments in John Miele’s article “My 13(a) visa experience”
http://liveinthephilippines.com/2010/08/my-13a-visa-experience/
Everything went smoothly… Only difference was a stop at the immigration office (at the right in Terminal 1, same hall as passport control, and there is a small sign with an arrow pointing the way hanging from the ceiling that says “ACR Icard holders”), give them passport, ACR, and boarding pass, and pay the P 2,160 exit tax (Note that this is in addition to the P 750 terminal fee that everyone pays). They then escorted me to the diplomat’s lane at passport control (no extra waiting) for stamping. Very easy, and actually quicker since I had no queue for stamping.
Gary;
Thank you for helping Bruce out!!!
Gary thanks for the information. I did have a clue on what it was because I’m not there yet.
Thanks I’ll pass it on to him.
It was a snap for me too. I had to wait a bit longer because unfortunately they were already processing about 200 seaman’s passports, and then there were three others ahead of me. I guess I could have come back, but I waited. Once they got to me it was only a couple minutes. I might add that others came after me and there was no queue, but we all had seats that were provided in the airconditioned room, and they seemed to take us in the correct order we came in. At least I know I was served directly after the folks who were there before me.
Gary;
One of my ship’s purser’s, used to try to sluff of that passport job to one of use none officer types all the time, until they sent me to passport control, I got them all stamped and returned and put in my overtime request at his much higher pay rate (I was doing his work). I was never asked to go again, and they had to pay me the extra money.
We’re lucky here in Olongapo, they have a small office on the free port to take care of visiting Merchant ships.
I love it. I hope others followed your example and put in for the higher overtime pay too.
Gensan only has a small office. It’s in the hotel complex. No counter, no queues, just tables, chairs, desks, bench (padded), aircon and a tv. There are a couple bars on the other side of the parking lot. If the wait seems too long, I guess you could have a couple then come back. Maybe not the best idea 😀
Gary;
It sounds like a slice of heaven right there in GenSan. Dealing with any goverment office anywhere on earth, means that a cocktail is required.
If the other guys didn’t put in for the overtime, shame on them.