SLEC after NOA2

[geowrian 22,341]

4 hours ago, Chris Duffy said:

SLEC is just another rip off, you have to pay US prices for Philippines Doctors...........

While the price varies at each medical center around the world, SLEC's prices aren't that bad. You would be lucky to find a US office with a CS willing to cover all items they do for the same price with no insurance.

Then again, my blood tests last week were $2200 (pre-insurance). That's the real scam.

Edited November 16, 2017 by geowrian

[Murph4865 597]

On 11/15/2017 at 6:32 PM, John & Rose said:

I noticed!  I love it there and I love the people.  It is certainly a poor country and a different culture but I love it there every trip I make.  My 5th trip this year is in 24 days!

When are you flying over and where to?

[John & Rose 7,241]

7 hours ago, Murph4865 said:

When are you flying over and where to?

I am arriving in Manila on December 9. I will be staying at Hotel H2O in the Manila Ocean Park. I’m going with a friend so we will do more of the tourist thing this trip. American Cemetery, Intramuros, maybe Bataan. He is a former Marine so we may do a WWII exploration. We will also do another big family pool party and I will be with Rose and the kids the whole time. 

[Chris Duffy 1,257]

On ‎11‎/‎15‎/‎2017 at 5:03 PM, Hank_ said:

Travel tax is paid by all even if they are not emigrating ..  

 

CFO was created to combat human trafficking  and you spend more on a burger and fried for what the cost is.

What CFO was created for and what it became is two different things.

 

It was used to banks to sign up citizens going to USA to get Credit Cards in the past, it has also been used to try to get citizens to send money back to Philippines for SSI.

 

When we did CFO it was at St. Marys and ran by nuns

[Chris Duffy 1,257]

On ‎11‎/‎15‎/‎2017 at 5:03 PM, Hank_ said:

Travel tax is paid by all even if they are not emigrating ..  

 

CFO was created to combat human trafficking  and you spend more on a burger and fried for what the cost is.

That must be in the last few years, Cuz I remember leaving Philippines and Philippines Citizen having to pay and US Citizen not having to pay it.  They also excluded GC holders.

[Chris Duffy 1,257]

On ‎11‎/‎15‎/‎2017 at 5:09 PM, John & Rose said:

SLEC is actually a MAYO Clinic facility.  They are state of the art.  $350 US for all they are doing there is a bargain.  I paid more than that just for a couple shots here.

SLEC is cracker box facility.  Last time I was there I stayed stayed in hotel almost next to it. and across the street there was club with a bunch of prostitutes working there.

On ‎11‎/‎15‎/‎2017 at 4:59 PM, Hank_ said:

My doctor at St. Luke's graduated from Harvard ...  where did you doctor attend medical school?

I have never been in SLEC, You have been in there getting medical attention?

[John & Rose 7,241]

2 hours ago, Chris Duffy said:

SLEC is cracker box facility.  Last time I was there I stayed stayed in hotel almost next to it. and across the street there was club with a bunch of prostitutes working there.

I have never been in SLEC, You have been in there getting medical attention?

There are clubs with prostitutes in the clubs across from the US Embassy too.  I don't get the connection.  We get it.  For some reason you are very anti-Philippines.  You have the right for your opinions.  That is fine.  You have obviously had a bad experience.  Overall my experience with the people and the country (with the exception of cab drivers in Manila) has been great.  Is it a perfect country? NO.  Can it be a dangerous place? YES.  Are there bad people there? YES.  Are there good people there? YES.  Like every country in the world they have political and economical challenges.  It is a poor country in a volatile part of the world.  My life has been blessed to have experienced the country and its amazing citizens first hand.  Yes, CFO may be a rip off but it is only 400 pesos.  For $7.88 they get to sit through a presentation on life in America.  For $35.00 they can pay their travel tax.  Is it right?  Probably not.  Is it a true burden?  Probably not.  

 

I live in Chicago where they had a $0.01 per ounce tax on sugared beverages.  A $0.99 bottle of Coke would cost $1.88 with the taxes.  Now that is a rip off!

Edited November 17, 2017 by John & Rose

[Hank_ 9,174]

2 hours ago, Chris Duffy said:

That must be in the last few years, Cuz I remember leaving Philippines and Philippines Citizen having to pay and US Citizen not having to pay it.  They also excluded GC holders.

It is the depends factor for paying travel tax.  Depends on how long you are in the Philippines.  Few months.. no travel tax.  I believe 1 year is the magic number before paying.  But it is not for exiting emigrates only, my wife paid travel tax many times when traveling to HK, Thailand,  Malaysia.   And yes even expats can be required to pay .. IF ..

 

To get "just the facts Ma'am"  do some reading on the Tieza website

Edited November 17, 2017 by Hank_

[Chris Duffy 1,257]

20 hours ago, Hank_ said:

It is the depends factor for paying travel tax.  Depends on how long you are in the Philippines.  Few months.. no travel tax.  I believe 1 year is the magic number before paying.  But it is not for exiting emigrates only, my wife paid travel tax many times when traveling to HK, Thailand,  Malaysia.   And yes even expats can be required to pay .. IF ..

 

To get "just the facts Ma'am"  do some reading on the Tieza website

I have flown out with a GC holder in the past and we paid nothing for her or me.  I have flown out of Philippines with two Filipino Citizens over different time periods with no US Greencard and they paid and I didn't pay.   It's been about 2 years since I have been back.  But my first trip was in 2007 and I have probably made close to 20 trips to Philippines.

 

What ever is rule today maybe changed tomorrow is the way I look at things...........

Edited November 18, 2017 by Chris Duffy

[Chris Duffy 1,257]

20 hours ago, John & Rose said:

There are clubs with prostitutes in the clubs across from the US Embassy too.  I don't get the connection.  We get it.  For some reason you are very anti-Philippines.  You have the right for your opinions.  That is fine.  You have obviously had a bad experience.  Overall my experience with the people and the country (with the exception of cab drivers in Manila) has been great.  Is it a perfect country? NO.  Can it be a dangerous place? YES.  Are there bad people there? YES.  Are there good people there? YES.  Like every country in the world they have political and economical challenges.  It is a poor country in a volatile part of the world.  My life has been blessed to have experienced the country and its amazing citizens first hand.  Yes, CFO may be a rip off but it is only 400 pesos.  For $7.88 they get to sit through a presentation on life in America.  For $35.00 they can pay their travel tax.  Is it right?  Probably not.  Is it a true burden?  Probably not.  

 

I live in Chicago where they had a $0.01 per ounce tax on sugared beverages.  A $0.99 bottle of Coke would cost $1.88 with the taxes.  Now that is a rip off!

I am not anti Philippines. I love the place.  I just don't see it with rose colored glasses like those who have only been there a few times.  Of course it has good and bad like all countries including the USA.

 

I actually sponsored a K1 visa back in early 90's and I was told how they try to suggest the citizens send an x amount of money back to Philippines to put into the Social Security System.  And back in 2007 time frame I went thru CFO when it was at either St. Mary ran by nuns or PDOS.  And at the time they were trying to get citizens going abroad to sign up for Credit cards from BDO bank.   What CFO is today vs what is was then is two different animals.  For me it is still a rip off, if you truly wanted to teach you people then it would be a free seminar and required before leaving.

 

 

[Hank_ 9,174]

2nd place for CFO back then was PRISM, it was around the corner and down the street from the CFO building in Manila.

 

PDOS is the CFO seminar for emigrates that are not spouses of USC.

[John & Rose 7,241]

2 hours ago, Chris Duffy said:

I am not anti Philippines. I love the place.  I just don't see it with rose colored glasses like those who have only been there a few times.  Of course it has good and bad like all countries including the USA.

 

I actually sponsored a K1 visa back in early 90's and I was told how they try to suggest the citizens send an x amount of money back to Philippines to put into the Social Security System.  And back in 2007 time frame I went thru CFO when it was at either St. Mary ran by nuns or PDOS.  And at the time they were trying to get citizens going abroad to sign up for Credit cards from BDO bank.   What CFO is today vs what is was then is two different animals.  For me it is still a rip off, if you truly wanted to teach you people then it would be a free seminar and required before leaving.

 

 

I agree with all that. I didn’t understand the 400 peso cost since it is a requirement to leave. There wasn’t much taught that Rose didn’t know and all she got was the domestic violence brochure. Maybe there is a serious issue with the Americans abusing the Filipino. I have heard a few stories here but I also see thousands of apparently happy Filipinos in the Chicago area. 

 

I also agree that that there are serious problems there with crime and drugs. It is a society that actually believes that once you turn 35 you are no longer an acceptable part of the work force. Rose is 44 and she sometimes feels that her life is already over. I am trying to explain the culture here and that 44 is still considered quite young. She thought she would not be able to get a job and help us start our life together. Even if she did work there it would be for maybe $6 a day. 

 

I love the Philippines but it is not a perfect place. 

[Chris Duffy 1,257]

19 hours ago, Hank_ said:

2nd place for CFO back then was PRISM, it was around the corner and down the street from the CFO building in Manila.

 

PDOS is the CFO seminar for emigrates that are not spouses of USC.

Correct PRISM.   

 

At the time PRISM was giving some people a hard time, and St. Marys was much more easy to deal with.  

[Chris Duffy 1,257]

17 hours ago, John & Rose said:

I agree with all that. I didn’t understand the 400 peso cost since it is a requirement to leave. There wasn’t much taught that Rose didn’t know and all she got was the domestic violence brochure. Maybe there is a serious issue with the Americans abusing the Filipino. I have heard a few stories here but I also see thousands of apparently happy Filipinos in the Chicago area. 

 

There is much more serious issue of Filipinos moving to the USA for a greencard and leave once they get her and or get a conditional greencard and used the petitioner as their ticket into the USA.

 

Go read the section here called :  Effect of Major Family Changes on Immigrtion Benefits there are a lot of horror stories there, and if it deals with Philippines it seems 90% of them are about getting scammed or feeling they got scammed, not about abuse.

 

They have a VAWA which I have studied a little bit.  If your fiancé or spouse say you were mean to them either verbally or emotionally or physically then they can get a visa thru that instead of doing the AOS.  I once read a guy told his fiancé he would send her back home and this was considered abuse.  The crazy part is USCIS will never disclose the facts to the person accused.

 

 

[Chris Duffy 1,257]

17 hours ago, John & Rose said:

II also agree that that there are serious problems there with crime and drugs. It is a society that actually believes that once you turn 35 you are no longer an acceptable part of the work force. Rose is 44 and she sometimes feels that her life is already over. I am trying to explain the culture here and that 44 is still considered quite young. She thought she would not be able to get a job and help us start our life together. Even if she did work there it would be for maybe $6 a day. 

 

It more of the Filipino Mentality.  It what they are taught and it is all they know. 

 

My Father in Law was forced to retire at age 60, he worked as an Electrical Engineer at a Power Plant facility, he been off work now for almost 2 years, he gets a pension. But is bored from what my wife tells me.  

 

My buddy I friended 10 years ago, he just retired from PNP at 60. He was over Davao Airport and had 600 guys report to him.  His last year of work he only had to work 1 week per month and was required to give that pay back.   He was given 3 million peso pension broken up in 3 payments.