As in the past Thursday I made my yearly migration to the Bureau of Immigration Office here in Olongapo City. Now I know you are waiting for the hammer to fall, what calamity befell me? Well the truth is nothing; the place was empty just my friend Don and our wives were there and the employees who work there.
I came through the door placed my I-Card on the counter along with PHP 310.00 and 3 to 4 minutes later I was done. No so much for my friend Don who had forgot his I-Card.
In September 2010 I replaced my US Passport with a new one as it had expired. Threw it into the safe and put it out of my mind. Prior to going to pay my head tax it dawned on me that my ACR I-Card* was expiring in March of this year. I then realized all my Visa stamps were in my old passport and my new one was as slick as a baby’s bottom.
Oh doom and gloom on me, I know this will be a major hassle trying to re-new my I-card. My mind was racing picturing the hoops and hurtles I’d have to go through as I trudge in the muck and mire that is The Bureaucratic Hell on Earth when dealing with any government office in any country on Earth.
Kill me now, I just don’t want to do it, I’d rather take a beating from a very large man. Then it came to me while walking Coco along the ridge line at the top of the hill, and viewing the valleys’ and the mountains in the back ground. Which were both beautiful and peaceful to my eyes. Coco was more interested in the goat that was tethered along the path.
Then I had that Eureka moment, the one where you see things so clearly, there a word for it but be damned if I could spell it. But it caused me to think, just take it as it happened, don’t worry about it. As with all things in life, it will work its self out. I didn’t bother to tell Coco about what had just happened as there was another goat just ahead.
So while I was at the Immigration office I fessed up to my mistake with my passports and lack of Visa stamps. The gentleman smiled and said it was quite a common occurrence and would present no big problem. Well there was the fact that I had to go to Manila to fix it.
Before I sunk into a morass of self-pity I remembered the moment of the mountain and smiled and said; “I have been wanting to see the Mall of Asia” We’ll just make a trip out of it, do my business and then enjoy the day, or the following day if need be. I know my daughters and granddaughter would enjoy the trip. Plus it will inspire me to write about the trip for LiP in the near future.
So to Coco and the mountain I’ll say; ”Thank you!” My attitude was changed and I no longer dread applying for the new I-Card or the trip to MEGA MANILA the center of the known world.
Just did my first annual report. Easy to do. ACR-I cards can be renewed in Davao City, at least they do the paper work and then send it to Manila. Two months later you get your card. Have a fun trip to the MALL Paul. Are you taking the family with you??? 😀
Gary;
Paying your Head Tax is a most wonderful thing; it’s like an anniversary of being in the Philippines.
Yes I’ll take everyone to Manila, as my Granddaughter has the power to keep my blood pressure low. We’ll make a nice day of it.
last i called SBMA immigration will accept the renewal for ACR/ICR but you have to pay at OLongapo city Immigration office, depending on the series number of your expiring card you might not need to make a personal apperance at Manila. Ela travel agency did my ACR renewal for a fee of 5,000 which includes the fee of 2,500 for the card. this year you will have to fill out another information card and give immigration one 2×2 picture for their office records , i think Olongapo office has an offer to have pics taken that is if you forget the picture. call them at 2242766 and ask for SBMA office also.
Cornelio;
Thanks for that info, I’m all set now.
Hi Gary – I did mine the other day too! But, for my check-in I always like to go to the BI office in GenSan for that. Give me a shout when you are in Davao, I’d enjoy meeting up for coffee or something.
Paul,
Nice to see things go well sometimes. I have a question for you. I am not living in the Philippines yet but I am wondering about this. You said you renewed your passport. I have renewed mine several times in the U.S. and they returned the expired one to me, was your old one returned or do they not do it from there?
Just something for me to remember for the future.
Thanks
Steve
Steve;
Yes your old passsport is returned back to you, If not I would really be in the woods over those visa stamps.
Hi Paul – I cannot for the life of me work out some people call the annual Jan/Feb visit to the BOI, Head Tax?
All one is doing is reporting that you are still alive and living at the same address and paying PHP310.00 for the privilege.
Like you the procedure was painless and wearing suitable attire and a big smile helps to no end.
Regards.
Jim.
Jim;
Count the foreigners heads and tax them. It’s an expression that is widely used my we Kano’s in this area. If someone doesn’t know what we’re talking about here on Luzon, we’ll take the time to explain it to them
Hi Jim – One reason for the name might be because the Bureau of Immigration calls it by that name. BI calls it a head tax. The BI website is down at the moment, but if you go to Google and do a search for “head tax philippine immigration” the first result is the BI website where it clearly calls the P310 a “head tax.”
Bob: I think a big part of the annual report is simply so that they know how many foreigners are still here. My gut tells me that is where the government gets their statistics. The fee really is a head tax… They are counting heads.
Exactly, John!
Bob;
Thank you for clearing that up! We’ve always called it the Head Tax, but really never knew, that was because, that was its name! (LOL)
Always happy to help, Paul! 😆
Hi Paul
Hi Again Jim!
Paul: With all of the griping you read about needing to go to BI in Intramuros, it always struck me as strange as to why it bothers so many people…. You hit the nail on the head. There’s an awful lot of neat stuff you can do down there. Mall of Asia (complete with a Hooters there) is all of about 15 minutes away, even in traffic. There are tons of museums, the aquarium, Luneta (Rizal) Park, Quiapo, Chinatown… All very close. It does not need to be painful or a chore.
I forgot to add Harbourside restaurant… Sitting on a pier, drinking San Miguel and eating fried shrimp… Life can sometimes be good!
John;
I was one of those gripers until I thought about it and decided to go the positive route, and make a fun day of it. So I’ll agree that there is much to do in Mega Manila, my girls and I saw much of it back in the early 90’s during many fun trips there.
In dealing with Bureau of Immigration Office here in Olongapo City one needs to take great care afterwards to first find a place with food to help absorb the drinks consumed in a place like CD’s celebrating the easy success of the transactions.
Big P[
Like we did last Thursday ?
Paul, Maybe we can have lunch or something when you come down for your trip. I would say give me a call, but you don’t have my number. Send a an email and I will give it to you. This is the email that I use for junk email that way if someone wants to use it to spam me they can, email listed below. Hope to here from you.
[email protected]
Bill;
That sounds like fun, but the size of my entourage would preclude that from ever happening, and between my wife, daughters and my granddaughter do you think I’d have any say in where or when we would eat. As a traveler I have learned to go with the flow as my rudder was taken away from me years ago. BUT! If you ever get out to Subic, I have some say so in what goes on, limited as it may be, but some.
[email protected] Let me know!
And the Mall of Asia? … Or is that another story?
Hudson;
I’ll tell that stoty after the event
As I understand this, the head tax is for permanent residence persons right? If your renewing your visa every 2 months here, no need, I would assume, as they know your here also by doing this correct??
Lenny;
It only applys to those holding the ACR I-Card (Permanent. So you are very correct!
Lenny;
It only applys to those holding the ACR I-Card (Permanent). So you are very correct!
Paul,
Hope you enjoy your trip to Mall of Asia as i will when i visit in October. I know your grandaughter will just love it and you will have to visit every store. But if you get tired you can always take a break and drink a few cold ones at Hooters and enjoy the scenery with your sunglasses on lol. Have fun and be safe.
Papa Duck,
We are also going over their in October Maybe all of us can get together in Subic for SMB’S.
I’ll third that!
Paul,
I don’t beleive payig a head tax is going to be that big of a deal in Olongapo. 310P is really not that bad. My friend over their showed me on Skype his new ID Card he had to pay around 3000P for it. He doesn’t have a 13a he’s single and must leave every year and come back. Do you know anything about that ID?
By the way how hard would it be to get my 13a over there vise here?
Bruce;
If there is a Philippine Consulate close to you then do it there. But things have gotten so much better since the addition of computers 10 years ago. My first ACR was on a big yellow card that looked like the old military pay records we used back in the 60’s and 70’s. (I wondered where they went?) Kidding aside, it so much better now.
Can I ask if my 7yr.old son holding a US passport never been out of PI…..i am the mother a filipina..does he need to pay head tax too? Or can you tell me what is that head tax?
We were there in BI Manila last week with my aunt to renew my uncle’s ACR-ICARD and the place was packed! Be prepared to go thru long lines and a few trips to the xerox machines.
Jiji;
I have planned for that as I figured it would normaly be that way, but I will have a smile on my face and know it will end soon. Then I’ll go and have a great day with my granddaughter! I’m getting to love those Xerox machines and standing in line. (lol)
Have a safe trip sir! 🙂
Jiji;
I’ll hire a driver, no way I’d drive in Manila.(lol)
Jiji;
I promise to hire a driver! (lol)
Manila is not that bad to drive in. MoA is very easy, just keep on going down EDSA til you run out of road. The BI, not so sure how to get there.
I was talking to Ron over at SnB, said some retired Americans caused a scene trying to claim senior discounts with their cards. He is already operating on a thin margin. Guess they werent supposed to have them but they insisted and yelled at the waitress and finally left. Hope it wasnt your group.
Hi Don;
And if where you want to go is nowhere near EDSA what is the plan after that?
As for that group at Sit-N’-Bull, ask any waitress if Kuya Paul ever raised his voice to them, hell I even know a lot of their older sisters from when they worked at Tom Drtdens, So why would you even ask that question?
BTW; Your AARP Membership is not valid here! (lol)
For me getting ACR card in BOI was an expensive nightmare.
Too long to describe. Everything was fine except that it is long and bureaucratic.
It required two trips from Palawan to Manila for the temporary card, plus another 2 trips for the permanent card. That is a total of 4 trips for a card.
My total cost was around P100000. One hundred thousand!
You can only imagine what I think about this!
Bob;
My first time in 1994 they lost my US Passport while I was there, it was found a week later and they kindly allowed me to drive back to Manila to pick it up. (Bless them) It took 2.5 years before it was all approved and I received my big yellowish Card called the ACR. This is why I dreaded ever going back to that quagmire of bureaucratic ineptitude. But after the shift to the ACR I-Card I found it to be better and faster.
At your cost of P-100 Grand was a fixer involved?
Paul in the interest of perspective (mine) would you do a trip report on this Hooters Place. A few pictures might even be helpful. Hooters in the Philippines? I have a difficult time visualizing the concept. Oh well have fun on your journey. I like John actually enjoy the times I am in Manila. Ron
Ron;
I’ve mulled over the concept of a Hooters here in the Philippines and wondered about that as as well. Here’s what I’ve come up with, there will be a difference in overall size, but I know that the personalty and attitude will be the winning factor.
I just Googled Hooters Manila Bay and my questions were answered!
Hi Ron – Maybe you would like to fund a LiP Writer’s fact finding mission to study Hooters more? 😆
Bob;
Me, Me, Me Me………
Paul, where in Olongapo City is the immigration office? If you don’t mind me asking?. My family and I are moving to PI the first of April of this year, so we need to find out where to closest one is. Planning to live in Zambales, Sta. Cruz. Not far from your area. Thanks for your time.
Tina;
I answered by E-mail
The head tax is much greater if you’re not married and do the two-month thing. I don’t think there should be a tax for being single. In fact I don’t even think there should be a tax for being foreign!