The banks always win! :-( As for Cebu, well we're planning our Wedding in Cebu, and my family are all pretty excited to come out. We're planning 12 months in advance to give everyone enough time to save in anticipation. The cheapest way i've found is to fly to Manila and then get a cebu pacific 30 quid return flight to Cebu, but not really ideal for family. I do hope you get out there sometime soon, Cebu is a great place for a holiday.
As for clearances in the Philippines................... like most things official in the country, its never easy, but everything is possible for the right price.
