Stevephoto

Sorry if this topic has been discussed. I could not find anything. Aloha everyone! This post is for information purposes for those of you who have or will have business to attend to with any government or school department in the Philippines. Many of you have important documents like birth certificates that were issued by the Philippine National Statistics Office (NSO) before that office merged with the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) in December of 2013. This has created situations where some offices or schools have required the newer PSA documents even though the PSA has stated publicly that the documents are identical except for the logo and a different type of security paper. The PSA did say, however, that it was beyond their control if a particular office required the newer documents. This may change very soon. We have been closely monitoring the progress of Senate Bill Number 2450, known as the PERMANENT VALIDITY OF THE CERTIFICATES OF LIVE BIRTH, DEATH, AND MARRIAGE ACT (sorry, shouting caps not intended...this is from the Senate website). The bill, if signed or passed into law, would make these certificates permanent regardless of when they were obtained if it was still possible to read them. It would also prohibit government offices from requiring the newer PSA documents if you could still read the older documents. The bill passed the third reading of the Senate by unanimous vote and was sent to the Office of the President on June 27, 2022. Former President Duterte had not signed the bill before his departure and the senate website (https://legacy.senate.gov.ph/lis/bill_res.aspx?congress=18&q=SBN-2450) still shows that the bill was forwarded to Malacanang and seems to be as yet unsigned. I will post here as soon as I see any updates—or please post an update if any of you see something first.

I can no longer edit my post so I am adding a new one: you will also need a Tax Identification Number (TIN) if you no longer have or did not a TIN. Your Attorney in Fact (SPA) can get you a one-time use TIN to pay the transfer tax on the title. Research Republic Act 8179 (especially section 10) for information on former Filipinos owning property. As noted, reclaiming your Filipino Citizenship is easy, does not impact your US Citizenship and removes a number of issues related to land/home purchase.

Aloha @Marley2010! We seriously JUST did this! What @Chancy said is absolutely correct, but it is not as easy (not that difficult though) as that. You will need a Special Power of Attorney to allow someone in the Philippines to sign all the documents if you are not physically in the Philippines. The SPA needs to be notarized. The Notary then needs to be certified (circuit court in Hawaii) and apostilled (Office of the Lieutenant Governor in Hawaii). You may also need an affidavit of residence and Batas Pambansa 185 which will end up as an encumbrance on the Title stating that you are a USC/Former Filipino intending to reside permanently on that land. We may look into getting the title revised once we get to the Philippines next year. Note also that you cannot not own two lots in the same area as a Filipino ex-pat. All that goes away if you reclaim your Filipino Citizenship (RA 9225 is the law that you want to review). Again, we (Joan) JUST finished this process (as in yesterday). It is a very easy process and depending on where you are, the oath taking will be on the same day (Joan's was two days after submitting her documents). The document phase was very fast, but read the requirements very carefully and follow them exactly. You might see (depending on the Consulate) that they "require" the newer PSA Birth Certificate rather than the older NSO BC. This should not matter because the PSA has stated that the documents are identical except for the logo and security paper used. However, it is up to the specific government office whether they require the newer documents. Our consulate listed the PSA document, but Joan's older NSO document was fine. The Philippine Senate just unanimously passed Senate Bill Number 2450 which mandates the permanence of older NSO documents and forbids government or school offices from requiring the newer documents. This bill has not been signed or passed into law yet, but I am following it closely and will post the update once it is acted upon. The process of buying land in the Philippines is long and tedious will a lot of back and forth between offices over several months. We finally decided to hire a Real Estate Professional and it was one of the best decisions we ever made. He was incredible. You can send me a PM if you want his name. You can also either ask here or PM me with any questions on buying land/building houses (we also got very lucky and hired an excellent architect/builder)/Dual Citizenship/SBN 2450/etc. Good luck!

You raise a good point (as usual). My reality makes your suggestion a little tougher. I know that we can get porters (on both sides) but I have cerebral palsy, so that makes what I can carry (even to a porter) very limited...whether I use a walker or electric wheelchair, bringing extra bags is not an easy option for us...and we are bringing our cat which just adds a whole extra dimension of fun to the trip--I will probably have the cat on my lap in the wheelchair and Joan will push whatever she can on the walker/porter cart. So, the reality is that we need to send as much as possible ahead of time. Hopefully something marked as "40-year stereo speakers" won't get too much attention. BUT, that is an option to add to the list, and right now i am just looking for options so I thank you for your thoughts. The good thing is we have more thoughts, ideas, and suggestions than we had five days ago, so again, maraming salamat everyone!

Good call on checking with LBC for oversized boxes. They will be able to ship my speakers for about $90.00 each. Shoots, for that I can send my whole stereo/sound system for about $250.00. It would cost more to replace one of my components over there (not that is an elaborate or very expensive set-up)! As mentioned, we are adding a 110 line in the living room, so it "should" all work. @flicks1998 we are also double checking on security features. Thanks everyone!

Same here. I was a photographer in another lifetime and editing on a laptop is like playing pin the tail on the donkey! Unfortunately I have had MACS for about 20 years--not that I am in love with Apple, but some of my programs are MAC based...but that could change. Good tip on checking with LBC on over-sized items. Will do. Have you ever used Atlas in Waipahu?

Thanks everyone. Yeah I know it is probably too soon for estimates. We are going to send most of the stuff in Balikbayan boxes but some things won't go in them. We hare having a few 110 outlets installed throughout the houses--including where the stereo would go so power "should" not be a problem. I hear the concerns about security. We won't have much of great monetary value---just those great sounding speakers! I am also looking at the question of bringing the desktop or getting a laptop when we get to the Philippines. All of the decisions to be made got pushed up a year so I am feeling a little more pressure to get things organized, but the reality is that there is still plenty of time. Salamat everyone!

Aloha again everyone! Thanks again for the replies to my earlier post about a reverse visa for me. We are still 18 months away, but we are beginning to plan the big move for the end of 2013/start of 2014. We are not bringing much with us, but more than a few balikbayan boxes, so I am looking for freight companies to get some idea of shipping costs (it might sound silly, but I have a pair of 40 year old studio monitors/stereo speakers that have been with me for 40 years from NY to LA to Honolulu and I want to keep them--they were a gift from my parents back in the day and are a big part of my adult life--besides, they still sound awesome!). We will also have a few personal items like some statuettes from my mom's house. We are not planning on bringing any furniture or TVs, but I might add my stereo with the speakers--and perhaps my computer because we are now looking at 2023/24 and not 2024/25. Point is, we will have too much to bring with us (especially because we are bringing our cat!) Sorry, long winded intro, here's the question: Does anyone know of a company that offers ocean cargo services from Honolulu to Manila where I can actually get some prices? I have searched online for weeks to no avail ("instant" online quotes, emails, phone calls, you name it!) Any ideas? I get shut down as soon as they learn it is a personal cargo and not a business--even though I am clear about that from the start! As always, Maraming salamat!

Aloha Captain! I haven't been on in a while but hopped on today. Every page I click on creates a zero byte text download to my Mac. My Sophos has not detected any threats, but thought you'd like to know. Mahalo for ten great years!