When in the olden days, if was getting paid off a ship to go on two months vacation, I always I checked all my ID’s needed to get back into the United States, when vacation is over. I check the dates on my Z-Card (Merchant Marine Document), My Sea Book that lists the type and class of every ship I’ve sailed on. My passport in those days I only needed a visa to enter North Korea, or Cuba and a few countries that were not on the list of “Fun Places to Visit” So why go anyway.
All my paperworks was in order, but I did note that my Florida Drivers license was within a couple of months of expiring. My Licencia de Comducir from Puerto Rico had expired the year before. So I called Florida to see what could be done to renew the Florida one. It’s quite simple Paul, just fly to Florida from Dubai in the UAE and take the eye exam. That could not happen because of time and money constraints. After vacation my next stop was San Francisco to pick up a new ship. Now what no seaman wants is have any piece of official paper that could connect you to California (Unless you just wanted to pay their income tax) and you only reside there two months a year.
I’ll worry about it later… In the Philippines my friends advise me get a license there. So I ziggy to the LTO, pay a few Peso’s show the soon to expire Florida License then ditty na back to OG’s bar for lunch and a cold beverage. The license is sent to Mega Manila for the attachment of the photo to the hard copy a couple of weeks it takes to get it back. But the official receipt (*) is fine until that happens. I flew back to SFO carrying the official receipt sweating bullets wondering how I’ll be able to rent a car at the airport and drive to the contract hotel. To hell with it, over to Avis, ask for a car from the pretty Filipina employee there and without giving it a second glance hands me the keys to a car. The receipt has power in San Francisco. Four years later I received my hardcopy and it soon expired, but this time I renewed it at the LTO in Manila and was on my way in five hours. Since July of last year I’m still using another receipt to drive and waiting for my hard copy! OH My, Déjà POO (That odd feeling the same shit is happening once more.) Last July it happened again, I’m still waiting for my hard copy from Manila, but as you can guess, I do have the proper receipt.
A month ago I told you about waiting 4 years for my I-Card that sat in a drawer at the Immigration Office in Olongapo, and now they going to Manila for my new one this month. If the Gods are aligned while you read this on Monday I should have my new I-card, or at the very least a new receipt. Yes because of medical reasons and for a slight pile of Pesos this service can be arranged. (Yes a receipt is included!)
BooBoy our friend from the LTO tag section has received my stickers for my renewed tag, After 1.5 months using a receipt (Not shabby at all, and which I feel is quite quick.) But believe me I’m not complaining because this would never work in a western country, the police would be stopping you two to three times a day making you dance and jump through hoops where in a sensible place the receipt would cover you until the situation improves. BooBoy even sent a minion to affix the new sticker to my windshield (Or windscreen if trying to keep flies out of your car.)
When I receive a receipt here in the Philippines, I realize I now have a thing that has value and worth. Not some scrap of paper someone hands you that just takes up space in your pocket for no reason. There is a large cabinet in one room of our house and within it, if I need to know what brand of rice cooker we owned in 1996 I promise you Mrs. Thompson will have the receipt and guarantee for everything we’ve ever owned. I can’t explain the why of it, but I can open that cabinet and prove it! I hope you never have to encounter the “Replacing the Lost Receipt” section of the Philippines, while living here. My advice would be to go back to the beginning and lie about ever being there and just start fresh and smile if late fees are involved.
(*) The Philippine Driver’s License Receipt or DLR represents payment for a Driver’s License. It serves as a Temporary License of the applicant for ninety (90) days from the date of issuance sometimes up to 4.5 years while the Card-Type license is being processed or lost during printing at the LTO Central Office provided the applicant passed both the Written Examination and Actual Driving Test. The DLR must be signed by the driver and must be presented in claiming the Card-Type Driver’s License from the District Office where the applicant applied..
Paul is absolutely right about keeping all important “OR”s.
Quite a few years ago I went to get an “OTC” (over-the-counter) cash advance in Manila. My actual Philippines drivers licence picture card was insufficient – they wanted to see the OR for it, which I couldn’t have possibly gone home to get and back again that afternoon before that bank closed. Now I keep a copy folded with my cards.
Another time after purchasing about 200k of major appliances at SM appliance, I had to call for warranty work on one of the smaller ones. The repair dude wanted my OR. I had no copier/printer at the time, but he promised faithfully he’d go get a “xerox” and return my original within the hour. That was about 8 years ago. So much for warranty on all the other appliances that were on the same receipt. The good SM folks in Cavite did seem to try but no duplicate was ever forthcoming.
Last year attending at BI for “annual reporting” they asked me for my reporting OR from 5 years ago. That was the only one NOT in my folder. Maybe I had it somewhere in an ancient pile at home and maybe not and more expensive to go all the way back from Davao to hunt for it. I just paid the amount plus fine again just to keep things legal and be able to PROVE legal. A copy of that is in my BI folder now along with all the rest for next time.
Paul is absolutely right about keeping all important “OR”s !
ED;
Why do they bother with computers here if their files are never backed up or the file cabinet remains. empty? I used to laugh at my wife’s fixation for storing recruits, until I learned that that old dog eared yellow receipt still has value. And when we sally forth to do battle with any bureaucracy, she will slap receipts on the table with the best of them. As hard as they try, she will best them every time even if she has to bring a box full of them. One time she bought a box of smoke and mirrors, with only a few real items with her, and the clerk ran out of steam before she ran out of “BS”. She beat them at their own game. “Always have the “OR” with you! even at home! (LOL)
Now for some humor, I got a traffic ticket (Parking) in Olongapo city years ago. All violations were kept in the largest ledger I’d ever seen (4 foot by 5 foot I’m not joking) This was my first offence, and before I could pay that fact had to verified. How do you prove a negative? I went to the file room where there were piles of those books and I could see the tear in the eye of the clerk that had to search them. I told her it was my first time in Olongapo so I didn’t know where she should start but I was born in 1947. She made me a phony “OR” I bought her lunch and the wheels of justice were greased. I still love it here!
Paul, you are one lucky dude to have a wife with such acumen, very rare. I only wish my wife would at some point understand 10% of what you write yours does and act accordingly, with mine especially pretending to be a “business woman” where everything is an expense and capital constantly evaporates. Don’t know if I’ll live long enough trying to keep things together for the kids and her. Point being – not all Filipinas understand even the slightest bit of what Paul has mentioned; claims that they do may not prove true come real life together. Those hopeful might beware.
ED;
My wife is as perfect as I am, or just as flawed as I am, both descriptions would apply, but she does excel at some things (Like even I do) She took charge of building or house as I had to go back to sea a couple of times a year and she bought cement by the flatbed load instead of 10 bags a day, and saved big money per bag. We have 4 bathrooms and she bought all the fixtures at once and demanded a discount. As I said she is not perfect, but she is perfect for me. (LOL) The one thing she knows a thousand times more than me is how the Philippines works. I’m still just a student at that! (Again LOL)
Interesting article Paul. I laughed when I read you needed a passport before only if entering NK or Cuba! Now you need a passport and 8 pints of blood to go anywhere. I wonder if you had to show your ARC to get your driving licence? I have a UK licence but was told I needed an ACR card also; as I am BB I do not have one. Due to the marvellous writings of Sir Bob of Mindanao I am aware I can get one … but I just hate bureaucracy! (So why I am in Phil you ask). About receipts and warrant: You get warranty??? I have wanted to buy my wife a used car, spending about 400,000 and she was told there is no warranty OR one month for the engine only but she pays for the engine and they will fit it !!! Also, I bought a shoulder bag and the zip broke within 5 days… but I was told in the shop “it was okay when it left here” … anyway, after telling them my opinion of that, they did exchange it. As I wish to give great writers recognition (Sir Bob’s already having been awarded), may I call you Lord Paul of DinBat? Btw, love how you looked when in Puerto Rica (from your licence there) but we all change as we age.
Steve;
If an ACR is required to drive then I’ll explain to my Doctora that I already have one backlogged in the system (License and ACR) so my Balance must be fine now. But really it wasn’t required a few decades ago, and I was a bit over served the day I got my first Philippine license. So I was exempt?
My warrantee on my 2014 Mitsubishi was 3 years or 300,000 Kilometers. I have 19,000 KM on the car and the three years have just passed, so no more warrantee on my car.
Paul, you sure have accomplished a lot. Congratulations.
The hoops in the States: I agree with them. Without those hoops we can see how chaotic life would be there. They get by without so many hoops in the Philippines because the majority of the people are so kind.
HGB;
The hoops here in the Philippines cause extra employment for the Pinoy’s and that is a good thing as it puts rice on someone’s table.
The reason that I’ve never bused my table at any fast food joint anywhere in the world is if the corporation can teach customers to do that one more person will be unemployed next week.
$15.00 per hours has caused the rise of machines in Fast Food Joints to take your order and fire more people.
This was just sent to me, but I have no proof yet if official.