CFO Rant

[Ady]

CFO - what a ridiculous concept - they should just increase the airport taxes, because CFO seems to be a fund raiser for the Government, getting the last few pesos out of it's departing citizens (who will send money back in remittances). Does anyone really think it is done for the benefit of the Filipino(a)?

Shei is going to stay in Cebu 2 nights - costs about £100 in hotel fees, and no idea of the plane ticket yet. Another expense at a time when we need all our money for getting a house/wed/and to the UK. I don't want to criticise anything, but this is crazy. And why are there no CFO sites in Mindanao - the second largest island, and Davao City, the largest City in Area?

Rant over.

[bornatbirth]

welcome to the philipines

i tell my wife is like organised chaos there

and you are right you need the money for other stuff,i think they do all they can to get money from you before anyone leaves.

what else do you think they will do the tax payers money,better goverment services

[Ady]

They show them a video of some German beating up his wife, then some Aussie asking his wife to have photos which are then sold to a magazine. They offer them counselling, because life in the West is so tough based on one or two stories from thousands.

Completely unnecessary. Maybe a good idea if they say how to set up bankaccounts, get training for jobs, cultural differences etc. I assume CFO is a formality?

[kimmi]

sorry to hear about it Ady but we have no choice instead to follow, follow and follow.. if we dont have CFO sticker in our passport they will not allow us to go out of the country..

[darren-b]

And why are there no CFO sites in Mindanao - the second largest island, and Davao City, the largest City in Area?

I guess historically they were placed in Cebu and Manila to be co-located with the main international airports and the embassies/consulates of other countries - as you were likely to travel there for an interview and/or your fight out of the Philippines anyway. If they were to open a third one Davao probably would next on the list now.

[KeithD]

CFO is cheap compared with what you pay the British goverment.

[aromulus]

The couple of hundred PHP that they pay for it, is hardly going to make profits to anyone.

Personally I think, albeit very annoying, it is a good idea for people to attend that seminar.

It will not put anyone off from emigrating, for whatever reason they emigrate, but at least it supplies them with an insight of what may happen to them.

And also gives them contact numbers for help, in case things really go pershaped.

Yeah, it will be a trek for a lot of people, with hotel expenses and whathaveyou, but don't you think that having to travel all the way to Manila just to drop the documentation and do the other bits, more of a nuisance??? Whereas before it was done by post...???

[KeithD]

You have to trek for visa's in the UK when she's hear. If you want it processed same day you have to go to London, Liverpool, etc......and you won't get much change out of £1000!!!

[IainBusby]

CFO - what a ridiculous concept - they should just increase the airport taxes, because CFO seems to be a fund raiser for the Government, getting the last few pesos out of it's departing citizens (who will send money back in remittances). Does anyone really think it is done for the benefit of the Filipino(a)?

Shei is going to stay in Cebu 2 nights - costs about £100 in hotel fees, and no idea of the plane ticket yet. Another expense at a time when we need all our money for getting a house/wed/and to the UK. I don't want to criticise anything, but this is crazy. And why are there no CFO sites in Mindanao - the second largest island, and Davao City, the largest City in Area?

Rant over.

I'm sure I read somewhere that the legislation to require these seminars along with other measures was pushed through at the behest of the American and other western governments to try to combat human trafficking for the purposes of prostitution.
Iain.

[acs]

hi Ady, just a suggestion...how about if sheila goes to cfo seminar and sticker/stamp in cebu a day or two before her trip to the uk and just let her board her flight going to the uk in Cebu International Airport as well. Saves you a lot more cause of that.

[IainBusby]

hi Ady, just a suggestion...how about if sheila goes to cfo seminar and sticker/stamp in cebu a day or two before her trip to the uk and just let her board her flight going to the uk in Cebu International Airport as well. Saves you a lot more cause of that.

She could also do the same in Manila if this fits in better with her travel plans. My wife went to the CFO seminar in Cebu and then stayed an extra day in Manila whilst on her way to the UK, so that she could collect her CFO passport sticker.

I can't really remember the reason for this, but I think it was because she wanted to change her passport to her married name before applying for her visa, so she had to attend the seminar to do this. But it seems, although you can attend the seminar and get the certificate to prove you have attended, they won't issue the passport sticker until you have a visa in your passport.
Iain

[darren-b]

hi Ady, just a suggestion...how about if sheila goes to cfo seminar and sticker/stamp in cebu a day or two before her trip to the uk and just let her board her flight going to the uk in Cebu International Airport as well. Saves you a lot more cause of that.

She could also do the same in Manila if this fits in better with her travel plans. My wife went to the CFO seminar in Cebu and then stayed an extra day in Manila whilst on her way to the UK, so that she could collect her CFO passport sticker.

Not much good though if she was planning to fly direct from Davao to Singapore.

[IainBusby]

Not much good though if she was planning to fly direct from Davao to Singapore.

Oh I'm sorry, I missed that bit, I didn't know that was the plan. I suppose Cebu is the obvious choice then.
Iain.

[PeterB]

Arthur Little's wife, Myrna - from Tagum, is currently having to decide whether to attend CFO in Cebu or Manila. I'm not sure when she will be coming to UK - there was some talk of her flying via Singapore, later this week.

[Arthur Little]

Yes, it really IS a bit of a bind having to travel to either Cebu or Manila when you're from Mindanao (we've already flown to the capital twice since November past!) And just when you believe you've reached the 'last hurdle' too!! Davao is reckoned to be one the world's largest cities in terms of area and, as Mindanao is the second biggest of the Philippine islands, it's a wonder there's not a CFO office there. It would certainly make life that much easier - and a lot less expensive - for the likes of Myrna and countless others.

But, having said that, to the best of my knowledge, Myrna is likely to opt for Cebu in the end. Let's hope they can book her in and get all this pallaver over with this coming week so that we can be together again as soon as possible.

[trader dave]

i know exactly what u mean my fiancee even had her cfo interview and that was when she was only trying to come to the uk as a visitor of course they took the money she sat the course before telling her you dont need to do this unless you are settling abroad its a long story i wont bore people with it but lets just say she has he own personal seat in the axa building now having had her biometrics done 3 times and thats before we are married and applying for settlement and i would imagine she will have to do the cfo again because her name will be changed in her passport again when we marry in june and she travels from cagayan de oro
i think we got the plan sorted this time