My Philippine Immigration Experienced and Etc...

[flomike]

As a filipino I feel really sad the way the people in the immigration treated they're own kababayan Specially if you are OFW's (they even called them the new heroes) but they don't get the treatment they deserve

When I travell the very first time outside the Phils as a sponsor family visitor visa in Australia about 9 years ago I must admit I am not look sophisticated, porcelain skin or look tourist but I dressed okay and looks okay as far as I know or just plain (that's how some or most people in Phil immigration judge someone by their looks...face value) the way they check my passport and my visa is unbelievable they almost ruin it just to make sure its genuine (I know many using fake passport/visa etc) as a first timer of course you are nervous (not normal to many filipinos going out of the country as a tourist) I have no single idea what they do in the airport/immigration.

After those checking and all, Im waiting for my flight to Sydney I ring my family and I am crying because never in my life feel humiliated. All Im thinking while on the plane how's the immigration in Australia (I feel paranoid already) when I got there and straight to immigration the first thing I get is a nice smile and greetings which is a big relief for me. So, I am asking myself why in my own country they treated me like Im a criminal

When I travel again going here in UK Im more confident already as I have an idea how things works in the airport and immigration. When you check in you can see how some treat foreigners nicely on the desk (Im in Gulf Air so mostly its OFW's to middle east) when it comes to filipinos again they're a bit rough and inpolite (specially to those Domestic Helper) which I feel bad actually. Even paying terminal fees OFW's has its own queue so when Im paying mine this person on the booth asking me to go on OFW's queue I said I am on a right queue and I showed my UK spouse visa and right away he said "oh sorry po ma'am". Im observing them how they treated our OFW's they're tying to treat them like stupid.

I met a filipina with a teary eye (first time to go abroad as a Domestic Helper or DH) she said she has no money anymore bec she didn't know that you have to pay terminal fee its Php 550 before and now is Php 750. So I treat her a meal at the food court. Then on the plane I sat beside to this filipina going to Doha Qatar as a domestic helper its her first time to work there and first time to airplane too as she's really scared when to plane take off but the sad thing is she said she's only 16 yrs old but on her passport she's 21 When I arrived in Bahrain sitting in the waiting area for my flight to heathrow a filipina approached me and crying (she's a DH to an Arab family and maltreated) she's going back to the Phils after she runaway and help by the consul and she said to me that she will never work abroad again.

When I finally arrived in UK oh my god I've got a heavy heart What an experience.

Im don't single out the people in Phil immigration but I believe loads of people there are mean and not pro filipinos specially to OFW's. Complain is just a waste of time in Phils as everyone just live with it or charge it to experience like me. I love Phils I'm always hoping that the system will change for everyone's good.

Just brought out the topic as me and a friends been talking about our experienced at the Phils immigration and meeting our kababayans of all walks of life when you are at the airport . For sure in other countries immigrations are not good as well. So to those our kababayans whose going to travel for the first time and on your own you have to be ready with all kind of things at the airport..good or bad!!!

[trina]

Thanks for that information....

[andypaul]

great post im glad you looked after the ones who needed help.

Dont forget to keep posting these report type posts as they are so important for the filipinas as most of the posts are by brits who dont see it from the same angle.

[angel2008]

I also had bad experienced with the immigration in our own country, I travelled to China with my band and that time my passport had lots of stamps of in and out of the country so I had no problem, the 3 singers with me was their firs time, so the immigration denied them.And even I already got the stamp I talked to the immigration that the 3 singers are with me. So while I was talking with the singers there was one guy approached us and asked whats our problem,, so I said that this 3 was denied, then the guy asked me If I have money then I said how much? he said 5 thousand per head so he wants 15thousand.. because we had no choice so I agreed ,then that guy told us where we going to que. It was a special que I think thats for diplomats lane. So we qued again,And what a surprise ,the guy who talked to us was also the immigration officer that will check our passport and and while he is checking my passport he whispered where is the money? I said to him, its with the other singer. then it was like an express lane, no question at all, hahaha thats the way they treat Filipinos. And many same stories happened to all the entertainers in China.

[vbkelly]

As a filipino I feel really sad the way the people in the immigration treated they're own kababayan Specially if you are OFW's (they even called them the new heroes) but they don't get the treatment they deserve

When I travell the very first time outside the Phils as a sponsor family visitor visa in Australia about 9 years ago I must admit I am not look sophisticated, porcelain skin or look tourist but I dressed okay and looks okay as far as I know or just plain (that's how some or most people in Phil immigration judge someone by their looks...face value) the way they check my passport and my visa is unbelievable they almost ruin it just to make sure its genuine (I know many using fake passport/visa etc) as a first timer of course you are nervous (not normal to many filipinos going out of the country as a tourist) I have no single idea what they do in the airport/immigration.

After those checking and all, Im waiting for my flight to Sydney I ring my family and I am crying because never in my life feel humiliated. All Im thinking while on the plane how's the immigration in Australia (I feel paranoid already) when I got there and straight to immigration the first thing I get is a nice smile and greetings which is a big relief for me. So, I am asking myself why in my own country they treated me like Im a criminal

When I travel again going here in UK Im more confident already as I have an idea how things works in the airport and immigration. When you check in you can see how some treat foreigners nicely on the desk (Im in Gulf Air so mostly its OFW's to middle east) when it comes to filipinos again they're a bit rough and inpolite (specially to those Domestic Helper) which I feel bad actually. Even paying terminal fees OFW's has its own queue so when Im paying mine this person on the booth asking me to go on OFW's queue I said I am on a right queue and I showed my UK spouse visa and right away he said "oh sorry po ma'am". Im observing them how they treated our OFW's they're tying to treat them like stupid.

I met a filipina with a teary eye (first time to go abroad as a Domestic Helper or DH) she said she has no money anymore bec she didn't know that you have to pay terminal fee its Php 550 before and now is Php 750. So I treat her a meal at the food court. Then on the plane I sat beside to this filipina going to Doha Qatar as a domestic helper its her first time to work there and first time to airplane too as she's really scared when to plane take off but the sad thing is she said she's only 16 yrs old but on her passport she's 21 When I arrived in Bahrain sitting in the waiting area for my flight to heathrow a filipina approached me and crying (she's a DH to an Arab family and maltreated) she's going back to the Phils after she runaway and help by the consul and she said to me that she will never work abroad again.

When I finally arrived in UK oh my god I've got a heavy heart What an experience.

Im don't single out the people in Phil immigration but I believe loads of people there are mean and not pro filipinos specially to OFW's. Complain is just a waste of time in Phils as everyone just live with it or charge it to experience like me. I love Phils I'm always hoping that the system will change for everyone's good.

Just brought out the topic as me and a friends been talking about our experienced at the Phils immigration and meeting our kababayans of all walks of life when you are at the airport . For sure in other countries immigrations are not good as well. So to those our kababayans whose going to travel for the first time and on your own you have to be ready with all kind of things at the airport..good or bad!!!

hi flomik sorry to hear your bad experience with the immigration,so far i've never had that experience since i came her and every year going bck to PI for holiday and some other country but never happened that to me. yeah i noticed in immigration control some people they treat like a stupid but i feel sorry to them but what can i do, i wanted to help them but i don't want to be involve.

[flomike]

hi flomik sorry to hear your bad experience with the immigration,so far i've never had that experience since i came her and every year going bck to PI for holiday and some other country but never happened that to me. yeah i noticed in immigration control some people they treat like a stupid but i feel sorry to them but what can i do, i wanted to help them but i don't want to be involve.

thanks! every two years we go home to Phils of course with my husband I never experienced that scenario anymore (its like you have to be with foreigner to get a respect/not being bully, sad to say). Well, actually even in other countries if you're holding a Phils passport even your travelling with your Brits husband they're a bit rough to Pinoys. Like when we had a stop over in South Korea and we decided to look around for 7 hrs the immigration gave me a hard time as my husband no question at all (of course he's Brits and get 1 month to stay) me 1 day

In Hongkong he gets 6 months...me 2 weeks (free visa for Pinoys in HK anyway up to 2 weeks?)

Hopefully this year I'll get my British passport! Actually, I have no plans to have a British passport as I am contented with my ILR (i'd been eligible to apply 2 years ago) my husband decided that I need one now as immigration laws keeps on changing and I no need to get Schengen visa everytime we want to go to any part of EU.

[flomike]

great post im glad you looked after the ones who needed help.

Dont forget to keep posting these report type posts as they are so important for the filipinas as most of the posts are by brits who dont see it from the same angle.

thank you for appreciating it...salamat