Let me start this installment with a couple updates. I was in Manila for a few days on business and I noticed a program promoted by the DOT that runs two shuttle vans on hourly routes between major hotels and tourist attractions in Manila. It’s run by a company called Busina and uses the somewhat catchy slogan, “Sakay na” (Ride now!). There’s a good write-up on it here. This is an excellent step in the right direction, and as I have been advocating, it’s a private enterprise venture that pays its own way. Good work.
Another piece of current news is that Manila’s main airport, NAIA has finally gotten around to putting a free, regular shuttle service between the four widely scattered terminals in place … see the article here. This of course is not a self-supporting venture, but considering the distance between terminals and the traffic congestion this will save alone, it should be well worth the cost. Hats off. Now, if someone could just answer the mail that would assure me that situations that happened to Bob’s mom back a year and a half ago have been corrected, I might not only take my hat off, but leave it on and salute.
I think the situation with late night passengers being left to fend for themselves is still occurring, but I can’t be sure … because just as Bob wrote back with this situation came to light, people at the DOT and elsewhere still don’t answer their email.
Mr. Secretary? If you are still reading, here’s a suggestion for something that will improve your count of foreign visitors dramatically, if you chose to take advantage of it. It’s dirt cheap and it has proven effective all over the world of business … not just in tourism:
- Insure that every person in your department whom you expect to answer public inquiries has an email address.
- Have a staff person send each of those folks and email with a request to respond by the next business day.
- Fire all those who don’t reply to their own cabinet secretary.
- If any of the non-responders can show the email didn’t work, fire the non-performers in your IT department.
Simple. cheap, and effective. It’s all about accountability. People who feed at the Public Trough owe a response to those who pay their salary.
Of course a bit tongue in cheek, because given the current state of email communication there won’t be enough employed individuals left to process the termination paperwork for the rest … but perhaps you can read past the implied humor and see the potential for your department. If a person is considering travel to the Philippines and sends your department an email query … after all, your department is supposed to be an “authoritative source”, is it not? … don’t they deserve a timely answer?
While you are at it, you might consider putting an accountability monitor to work on all the many and varied businesses whom your department “accredits” and allow to display your DOT seal. In the year of 2009, there is absolutely no excuse for any hotel or other tourist attraction/destination not to have an email address and not to respond to queries. Email accounts are free, and checking email, even without a computer (using an Internet Cafe, for example) costs only a few pesos a week. I think it’s very counter productive to your goals to “accredit” businesses who won’t even respond to customer queries. Again, this requires essentially no monetary outlay, just the application of rules of common courtesy in support of the work that your employees are already being paid to perform.
When prospective tourist gets no answer, what do you think the odds are they will continue to pursue their travel to the Philippines? I’ve personally had a role in a total of two independent tourists visiting the Philippines in the nearly three years I have lived here. Not many. There are many more friends and family I would love to encourage to visit, but quite frankly the way tourists are treated, especially in the first hours of their arrival, keeps me apprehensive. The only people I’d even consider inviting here are those I have a close enough relationship with that I would personally go to the airport to pick up myself, because there is no one on my list I dislike enough to subject to the NAIA “gulag” experience alone.
Let me detail for you just one current example. Not long ago my son paid us a visit here in the Philippines. I “pre-briefed” him on the flimsy, difficult to write on and overly complex arrival form he would have to fill up on the airplane. When he got to the part about “Address in the Philippines”, he found he had forgotten my address and misplaced the piece of paper he had written it on. When he got to the Immigration kiosk the BI officer told him, “No address, No entry” and sent him off to a windowless interrogation room, exactly as if he was suspected of a crime. Another official, came in and told him he would be held until the next flight out to the US and denied entry since he had no pre-arranged place to stay. Nice welcome on his first visit to your country, diba? If there is a law that a visitor must have already arranged for a place to stay, I’m not aware of it … and if such a law exists, I would submit it, at the very least should be made known in advance. I have personally entered more than 10 other countries in my years of travel and not one other one has required me to enter an address for my stay. I have also perused all the data I can find on the Bureau of Immigration web site and any other official sources I know of, and I see no requirement to have a pre-arranged address listed as one of the criteria for entry of visitors to the Philippines. Is this some secret law, classified for the protection of the security of the Republic?
My son was detained like a criminal for nearly an hour … while I paced the prison-like waiting area outside wondering what might be wrong . For all I know he’d still be incarcerated for the “crime” of not memorizing his father’s street address … except that a helpful fellow from the airport janitorial staff … nor your staff nor anyone else from a government agency … came in to clean the room, asked my son what the problem was, and advised him, “Oh just write down ‘Manila Hotel’, that will work, they don’t really care, it’s just that the DOT requires something on the form”.
My son did so and immediately was released, with smiles all around, as if the BI officer knew the ‘address’ was a fabrication, but his mission was complete because there were words in the box on the form rather than a blank space.
Proper way to treat a visitor in your view, sir?. Yes, I know, you don’t run the Bureau of Immigration. But I ask you, as a cabinet level official, is this the way you want visitors to the Philippines treated? Can’t you and your BI counterpart sit down and make a gentleman’s agreement on modifying this situation? It wouldn’t cost a peso and it might just gain the Philippines many more pesos in tourist income.
Thanks for reading, sir, and good luck with your efforts in attracting tourists … convince me that the Philippines actually wants tourists and I might get busy and send a few your way.
Hi Dave,
Nice report! I was flustered at that “Address in the Philippines” too. Did I put down my Manila hotel, my friend’s address in Luzon or the resort we were staying at halfway up Luzon? I opted for the Manila hotel option and no questions were asked.
I had a problem leaving the Philippines as you have to fill out another long frustrating form to be presented to BI when you leave. I didn’t know about it, waited in a long line to leave, handed in my Passport to be stamped to the BI officer, who stated “Sir, you have not filled out the form” and he handed me a blank one. So back out of the line to a small writing area, fill in the form, and then back into the long line again. Hand over Passport and form and immediately let through into the boarding area.
Why does one have to fill out a similar form when leaving?
Hi Dave – I am happy to hear about the Sakay na shuttles, that is something badly needed. We have a similar service in Davao that started about 6 months ago. There are some vehicles similar to multicabs, but bigger. They are called "Hop on, Hop off" and I believe they are free, for tourists. They take you all over Davao to spots of interest, and even pick up tourists at the airport. I don't know how many vehicles they have, but I see them all over town. Very nice.
That situation with your son being detained for not having your address handy is a shame! As I recall, I don't think you ever told me about that. If you did, I forgot about it. This kind of thing is totally unnecessary, and one of the reasons why tourists don't come here. It's like they are trying to find a way to trap you and say "ha ha. now we can play games with you and ruin your stay." What a shame!
I have to say i,ve always breezed thru arrivals here, maybe it,s just a matter of time, I often have more trouble in my own country! As for Email, only foriegners use email for work, filipinos don,t seem to and prefer face to face, which obviously is no help to a tourist. Maybe they should replace the staff with call center workers who have experience with overseas customers, just a thought :-).
I wonder what happens to all these forms. Is there a wharehouse somewhere that they store them all in?
True what you say but Bob but if you make it to easy to get here the country will be full of drunken aussie teenagers and pommy soccer hooligans, like Bali! Be thankfull for small mercies 🙂
Hi Daryl – So, basically, if you like at it like that (to keep the undesirables out) then the Philippines is doing a great job in it's tourism promotion! 😯
Hi Daryl – You know… I had personally never thought of using experienced call center staff to handle foreign tourist inquiries. That is one hell of an idea, if you ask me! DOT and also local hotels could use somebody like that. I see no downside to the idea either.
I,m kidding of course, but being from a tourism destination myself tourisms a bit of a double edged sword. But Daves right, something does need to be done so others can enjoy what we,ve already discovered, just without the "dickhead" element.
Hi All
I don;t remember filling out any forms when I arrived from Canada or any when I left……
I know I am getting older but I would have remembered that.
Is this something new???? Or does just some people have to fill out the forms????
What I do remember was the surprise 750P I had to pay as a airport user's charge. (I have the reciept in front of me right now)
It was a panicked moment for me as I gave all of my pesos to our driver when my friend and I left. Thank God I had some US $$ and changed them at the airport(at a hefty exchange rate)They didn't take VISA so I have no idea what would have happened to me if I had not the pesos to pay the fee….
You can best beleive that when I came home I gave the filipino travel agent who booked our tickets an earful about not telling me about the fee. He apologized and said but all filipinos know about the fee. I asked him ….did I look filipina to him?????
I told him that not telling me was going to cost him and it will.
There will be about 21 of us at least travelling on the dental mission to RP in March next year and we will be using someone else!!!!
The suggestion of using call center employees to answer tourist questions is an excellent idea. Last year, I had two occasions with call center employees and they did an excellent job. These employees are well-trained, college educated and very pleasant. I was so please with the service, I wrote a short blog praising the call center employees and their contribution to the economic progress in the Philippines.
Tyleen, you could have paid the 750 pesos departure fee with your US dollars at the current exchange rate directly to the departing official without going to the exchange office and paying the "hefty" commission.
I had a similar experience, a few years ago, but luckily I always had a one hundred dollar bill tucked in my secret pocket for any emergency when I travel.
Hey Tyleen you don't get on the plane until you pay the tax 🙂 ..Phil n Jess
Dave…I have more trouble leaving the Philippines then I have arriving.. never trouble in the airport everything seems to go good in that direction..I could blog for a week on my first trip to the Philippines.. Oh well, life goes on …Phil n Jess
Hi Dave, it does get nerve-wracking when detained. My mother and I went to HK. We both have canadian passports. It so happened, her passport was new and she didn't bring her old passport where the entry stamp was. We were detained, asked to sit in the corner to wait for the high official. Pinoys being nosy, every official there walked to us to ask what was wrong. I didn't know what their capacity was, I just answered all of them. So many thoughts went through my head – are they making more trouble than necessary? Do they want money? Should I offer? I remained humble and explained my mother was old and wouldn't know to bring the old passport too. They could tell we were Pinoys. Luckily, in the end, somebody just came to tell us, we may go. I didn't stay to ask what happened to make them change their minds 🙂
@ Bob … Yes I probably didn't mention that deal with my son in the past becuase I was just too angry.
@ Dayrl … there is something to be said for the Philippines keeping better track of who they let in. There are a lot of foreigner nere-do-wells hiding out here. OTOH, I know an American guy who was asked by the BI here to voluntarily exit in lieu of deportation. He went to Australia (he had outstanding warrants in the USA so couldn't risk going back there, stayed for nearly a year, apparently in violation of a number of Australian laws, and then returned to the Philippines after a new BI department head took office. So it's likley all countries have such problems.
In fairness, I have never entered any country without filling up an entry form, including the USA. In Asia, requiring the form for exit is common … China, Hong Kong, macau, japan, Thailand all do for sure … but the trickly part is, you can keep part of the entry form in your passport and hand it back at departure … if they only told people. That's the procedure in the US, for nationals who don't have automatic visa waivers … example, Filipinos … airlines collect the form upon departure, since you don't have to go through an ICE booth when departing the US.
The immigration entry and exit card has been in place for many years. I am sure you filled on eout … you wouldn't have gotten past passport control without one, unless you entered in some kind of VIP group. It's also standrd procedure for leaving in most countries, as mentioned above.
EW rgw airport tax .. you pay, for example, as much as $25 at each airport you tranisr in the US … but the airlines are used as the collectors, so it is rolled into your ticket fee and you don't realize you paid it.
The Philippuine might want to consider such a practice here … rhare thna all the booths, loose cash and angry visitors.
RE the currency issue, it's clearly posted that the Philippines accepts US Dollars as well as Pesos … but I fully agree the country does a poor job informing people. As to your travel agent, I say that merely points up what I have been saying here … the entire system is set up as if it were a private club for Filipinos .. foreigners often have to find out the hard way becuase no one bothers to tell them.
The reason these employees impressed you faborably is because the client who contracted the call center demanded they perform. These folks are the same Juan and maria you deal with on the street … there is nothing so common in the Philippines as inder utilized degrees. You need a degree to operate a cash register in many srores. Employees will be as good as the supervisor requires them to be.
Hi Dave. I think everyone is missing the main point here The BI are doing tourists a big favour by lettins them enter the country. Other wise thses tourists would never have the opportunity to visit a country which is practicly clueless on how to provide for international tourists.(joke).
Hi
Yes I did know about the US money being accepted. I have travelled many many places in the past few years and I guess Dave is right everyone else has rolled the deparature/arrival fee into their ticketing. No one told me I could have paid the fee at the counter I was just told I needed 750 pesos to leave.
WOW talk about a Blood Pressure spike!!!!
I was able to use my Visa at a couple of airport shops so why not the ticket counter??? I will not make that mistake again I can tell you.
I other thing that surprised me was the security/passport control/whatever?? points about every 50-100 ft or so on the way to the depature gate.
I understand that these people have a job to do but every 50-100 or so feet???
I smiled at them all and got smiles in return but I still don;t understand the need for them all.There was no way to leave the hallway so no chance to do anything illegal. All they did was to check and see if I had a boarding pass and to check my passport.
I realize that this is part of "westerners will never understand the culture" thing but can anyone explain it to me????
I really WOULD like to know.
Hi Tyleen,
I believe they're called "gap fillers" … like the 4-6 different people that are sometimes hired to handle a single toilet and its guests (one to show you the way for the last 5 meters, one to open the door, one to pass you the toiletpaper, one to rub your back while washing hands, one to pass you the towel and the last one to make sure all the others are doing their job right).
As there isnt enough jobs for everyone, they invent new ones.
On the original topic … I believe the forms you have to fill out were there back in 2000, when I visited the Philippines for the first time. As mentioned though, they dont seem to care much about what you write, as long as you write something.
Yea gape fillers ,You hit that one on the head Adamite…
Dave: I'm late to the party, but the US Government is requiring everyone, even US Citizens, to put their complete address on the customs form on arrival (Including the hotel street address with Zip code… absolutely asinine). Most countries that require that blank filled in are dictatorships or other "less than free" nations where the hotel reports your presence to the local police (China is one that I can think of immediately, as is the UAE and Saudi Arabia) Some countries even want you to have a confirmed reservation before a visa is even issued (Pakistan, Saudi Arabia) That being said, a simple trick, if you don't have reservations yet, is to check expedia before you leave, and note one or two major chains, just like they did with "Manila Hotel". Most major cities in the world have at least a Holiday Inn, Sheraton, or Marriott.
Not sure how many of the issues mentioned in your article and the comments are related to " culture " versus a general lack of understanding on the part of those in charge of such things .
In my experience living here Filipinos are not particulary forward in regards to providing information and one generally has to ask a specific question in order to get a response . For instance i have had locals give incorrect directions rather than say they just don't know . 🙂 But you would think that those in charge would be more sensitive to visitors as visitors benefit the country .
Just read an on-line article about major power shortages in Palawan because despite large production facility there all of the power was going to Luzon . Yet , Department of Tourism is extolling Palawan as the next great tourism location . 🙂
Hi John,
looks like I am severly late too, but your information is interesting. I was not aware that the US was doing this. Of course I haven't enetered the US in many years, and never as a non-citizen, so I guess I wouldn't know.
Hey in China thye don't only let the police know you are there, they put you on special floors in the hotel and they go around at the end of 'visiitng hours' and make sure that only the registered guest is in the room … bed chack at boy's camp so to speak.
I guess I have to give the Secretary some slack on this one, but it is clear they are not interested in a real address (there isn't room to write one on the form) but instead are tracking visits brought by tourism. Obviously, each nation cna make its own rules, but this one is counter-productive to tourism … up to the national leadership if they really think it is worth the information they get.
Hi Ellen,
They probably couldn't decide which form to have you fuill up LoL. But seriously, many people have run into that problem in travel … always, without exception, bring your old passport(s) along. Some countries are particularly "nosy" about knowingwhat countries you have visited in the past … it's a nuisance but it's one of those darn things…
Not to put too fine a point on it, but there are three security checks at Naia … one where you enter the erminal and they exray bags …which the US would do too if they cared about safety in the terminal, one after immigration clears you to leave and one partway down the ;ong corridor to the actual gate area. They really aren't every 50 or 100 feet, but there are two more than you see at US airports.
I can't speak with authority about Manila but we had a very similar set up at Narita, where I did soem consulting/security testing work as part of my position with US Forces Japan. It is likely the third checkpoint, the one in the corridor which takes everyone by surprise is there to accommodate non-standard arrival or departure methods which the airlines might use wihtour coordinating with air port security …that's the reason we had a similar setaup in Japan.
In general, much of airport security is less than effective world-wide, yet passengers seem to demand more, rather than less, so I am glad I'm not an aiport manager .. or the Secretary of Tourism for that matter.
Whatever the facts might be, the feelings you have are very real, and it's clear the Philippines wasn't able to leave a good feeling … which is what this series has been all about.
So true Alan. I sometimes refer to living here as the 'after the fact' place. "Oh, you should have turned right back there", or "I thought you wanted to take the shortcut we were talking about this morning, you just passed it". I often receive directions in the form of "if you see the Texaco station you have gone too far". Ummm, what might I see _before_ I come to my turn, pray tell?
There is a lot more to culture shock that the idea of embryo duck eggs … and many people totally lose it when they can't make things go 'the way it is back home'.
During Holy Week the local media was issuing reports several times a day indicating Palawan was full up and people should change their plans rather than trying to crowd in … so why are we even talking about improving tourism, anyway?
Regarding the power problems themselves, the answer really isn't as simple as 'it was going to Luzon'. The Philippines exploded an hand grenade of their own making in the power industry here a few years back, copying the disaster in California which propelled Arnold into office. They privatized a lot of poorly maintained government infrastructure to private investor owned by poorly capitalized companies and now that these companies are going broke trying to repair and expand while the infrastructure was broken to begin with. It is proving a daunting task.
The government has had major tenders two or three time snow for a new power plant on Cebu … no one bid. Electricity is a major shortfall here and it will get worse, much worse I fear, before it gets better. Hint, when choosing an hotel? Always ask about their generator capacity ;-).
I'm sure the thoughtful types in the DOT are well aware of the issues, but in fairness, especially given my sibject regarding 'low budget', I'm not so sure the DOT can do much.