Marry online and go for spouse visa or stick with K1 visa process?

[Will&Christine 51]

What a mess. It seems like common sense and logic have left the country and its not allowed to reenter. Lol. The president said the economy cannot handle another lockdown and they lock it down anyway. Maybe after lockdown country will be desperate for tourist money. I hope 9a visa applicants have success on getting one. I don't mind staying in 10/14 quarantine as long I get into Philippines. I plan to stay there for long periods of time anyway.

[Murph4865 597]

27 minutes ago, Joe Kano said:

I think very few apply for it due to the 10/14 day quarantine upon arrival in Philippines, that is a deal killer.

 

I can enter the Philippines under the current conditions, but with quarantine and curfews and so many things closed down it just doesn't interest me.

 

If they didn't have a quarantine I think they would have alot more applicants.  

 

I am hoping we get a couple guys on this forum who apply and get approved and see if the can or will endure the quarantine.

If they would just quit freaking out and open tourism they could make a killing on economy again, they need to smarten up the bug will be around for ages to come

[Murph4865 597]

9 minutes ago, Will&Christine said:

What a mess. It seems like common sense and logic have left the country and its not allowed to reenter. Lol. The president said the economy cannot handle another lockdown and they lock it down anyway. Maybe after lockdown country will be desperate for tourist money. I hope 9a visa applicants have success on getting one. I don't mind staying in 10/14 quarantine as long I get into Philippines. I plan to stay there for long periods of time anyway.

This bug will be around for ages to come, they and the rest of the world needs to open up tourism so they can thrive again

[Joe Kano 327]

11 minutes ago, Murph4865 said:

This bug will be around for ages to come, they and the rest of the world needs to open up tourism so they can thrive again

They have countries like the USA giving them money had over foot during this.  So I don't see much incentive for them to open up for tourism anytime soon.

 

With the 3rd world hospital and poor medical they have in the Philippine especially outside Manila there is no way they could handle a large outbreak.

 

Until the get vaccines administered to alot more people I don't see them opening any time soon for tourism.  I think July of 2022 may be a reality date when they open back up, but I can see it not opening for 2 more years, just really don't know.

[flicks1998 1,044]

I dont think the Philippines is too concerned with tourism.  Compared to most other countries in the region, it only makes up a small part of the countries GDP.  The last figure I saw was for 2018 and it was under 3% of GDP.  Tourism in the Philippines has always lagged behind other countries in Southeast Asia both in currency generated as well as number of visitors.  Although, the potential to increase tourism in the Philippines is extremely high if the government would ever approach it in the best way.  Tourism infrastructure needs drastic improvement and overall better value is needed.  Compare what you get for a $30 hotel in Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, etc to what that gets you in the Philippines and there is a huge difference.  This applies to the other goods and services in the tourism sector as well. 

 

OFWs make up over 10% of GDP with remittances and typically this is the direction they try to go when one sector loses some money.  Its better to export humans, then try to fix the economy internally.  Also, most of the OFW tend to be more educated or at least more ambitious and from a political point of view, better to have them out of the country where they cant be a voice.

 

The way the Philippines has managed the pandemic is the same way they have managed everything else.  Chaos and confusion.  

 

China has again come out and said they doubt they will open their country up until middle of 2022 and quite possibly 2023.  They are taking a zero-tolerance approach for whatever reason.  Its possible the Philippines could follow this same path.

 

I think the more concerning thing is in the other thread around this site showing that the US govt is just canceling K1 visa application and essentially telling them to start over or go for the CR1.  Im not sure where that thread is at now, but if my application was still stuck at NVC, there is no doubt I would switch over to the CR1 and meet in a 3rd country and get married.

[flicks1998 1,044]

33 minutes ago, Joe Kano said:

They have countries like the USA giving them money had over foot during this.  So I don't see much incentive for them to open up for tourism anytime soon.

 

With the 3rd world hospital and poor medical they have in the Philippine especially outside Manila there is no way they could handle a large outbreak.

 

Until the get vaccines administered to alot more people I don't see them opening any time soon for tourism.  I think July of 2022 may be a reality date when they open back up, but I can see it not opening for 2 more years, just really don't know.

There are some photos circulating online that many of the hospitals in Cebu have overflowed with Covid patients and they are actually on sidewalks outside of the hospitals with oxygen tanks hooked up to them.  I dont know the source of the photo and whether its been altered, but I have heard some of the provincial hospitals are starting to struggle with Covid patients. 

[Joe Kano 327]

26 minutes ago, flicks1998 said:

There are some photos circulating online that many of the hospitals in Cebu have overflowed with Covid patients and they are actually on sidewalks outside of the hospitals with oxygen tanks hooked up to them.  I dont know the source of the photo and whether its been altered, but I have heard some of the provincial hospitals are starting to struggle with Covid patients. 

That would be a bad deal if it's true

[NeonParticles 120]

32 minutes ago, flicks1998 said:

There are some photos circulating online that many of the hospitals in Cebu have overflowed with Covid patients and they are actually on sidewalks outside of the hospitals with oxygen tanks hooked up to them.  I dont know the source of the photo and whether its been altered, but I have heard some of the provincial hospitals are starting to struggle with Covid patients. 

Yes, this is true.  They are laying patients out on the sidewalk because they have no room inside the hospital.  There are oxygen canisters hooked up to cars all along the entrance.  This is at Chong Hua hospital where I have a friend who currently works there.  It's a very depressing sight.  

 

 

[Joe Kano 327]

39 minutes ago, flicks1998 said:

There are some photos circulating online that many of the hospitals in Cebu have overflowed with Covid patients and they are actually on sidewalks outside of the hospitals with oxygen tanks hooked up to them.  I dont know the source of the photo and whether its been altered, but I have heard some of the provincial hospitals are starting to struggle with Covid patients. 

COVID patients wait to get admitted on sidewalk as Cebu City hospital fills up | ANC - YouTube

[Corgent 87]

On 7/31/2021 at 9:31 PM, top_secret said:

There does exist the as yet untested, but it seem it would work, possiblity that as of Aug 1 a Utah online marriage could get a 9a visa, which would allow the foreign spouse into the Philippines. Thus solving allot of problems.  No one can say they tried it yet prior Aug 1but it's about to be heavily tested here over the next few days.

There were some successful attempts before 9a visas were disallowed.

 

One of the more famous attempts was that of the Armstrong family, he was one of the first: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOFg51W3n-A

 

Here it is discussed by Jennifer Terri: https://youtu.be/V-W3XA_J6eY?t=487

 

And by the Eaton Squad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMCl_KOt_Sg&lc=UgxXqm3da72GXRpLxTR4AaABAg.9FTzK9y6EMj9KvZxBWjvdL

 

 

 

Edited August 2, 2021 by Corgent

[Carpe Vinum 2,310]

1 hour ago, flicks1998 said:

I dont think the Philippines is too concerned with tourism.  Compared to most other countries in the region, it only makes up a small part of the countries GDP.  The last figure I saw was for 2018 and it was under 3% of GDP.  Tourism in the Philippines has always lagged behind other countries in Southeast Asia both in currency generated as well as number of visitors.  Although, the potential to increase tourism in the Philippines is extremely high if the government would ever approach it in the best way.  Tourism infrastructure needs drastic improvement and overall better value is needed.  Compare what you get for a $30 hotel in Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, etc to what that gets you in the Philippines and there is a huge difference.  This applies to the other goods and services in the tourism sector as well. 

 

OFWs make up over 10% of GDP with remittances and typically this is the direction they try to go when one sector loses some money.  Its better to export humans, then try to fix the economy internally.  Also, most of the OFW tend to be more educated or at least more ambitious and from a political point of view, better to have them out of the country where they cant be a voice.

 

The way the Philippines has managed the pandemic is the same way they have managed everything else.  Chaos and confusion.  

 

China has again come out and said they doubt they will open their country up until middle of 2022 and quite possibly 2023.  They are taking a zero-tolerance approach for whatever reason.  Its possible the Philippines could follow this same path.

 

I think the more concerning thing is in the other thread around this site showing that the US govt is just canceling K1 visa application and essentially telling them to start over or go for the CR1.  Im not sure where that thread is at now, but if my application was still stuck at NVC, there is no doubt I would switch over to the CR1 and meet in a 3rd country and get married.

Expats and "professional" tourists have always overestimated their impact and importance to the Philippines.

[Joe Kano 327]

4 minutes ago, boris64 said:

Expats and "professional" tourists have always overestimated their impact and importance to the Philippines.

What is an "Professional" Tourist?

 

[Will&Christine 51]

7 minutes ago, Joe Kano said:

What is an "Professional" Tourist?

 

I'm guessing vblogger or people who travel full time.

1 hour ago, Joe Kano said:

COVID patients wait to get admitted on sidewalk as Cebu City hospital fills up | ANC - YouTube

There's something off about this. I think good portion of peoples conditions are not that serious but forced to stay at the hospital because they are covid positive. And the oxygen tanks are there on the streets to sensationalize the news and spread fear. To scare people into complying with endless lockdowns. It reminds me at beginning of pandemic China have videos of people dropping dead on the streets but it turned out to be fake. I don't trust anything that is newly reported. 

[top_secret 2,062]

3 hours ago, Joe Kano said:

Singapore is it included on the ban list?

The Philippines has not banned Singapore, but Singapore has banned the Philippines.😏

[Joe Kano 327]

18 minutes ago, top_secret said:

The Philippines has not banned Singapore, but Singapore has banned the Philippines.😏

Catch 22 isn't it