Yes Mark although my point was that we thought the express lane fee went into his pocket, especially as no receipt was issued.
It should have been included in the receipt for the transaction, Mike. But wait a sec, this was at the Mandaue office, right(?), which has an inglorious history of being one of the most corrupt in the country. It has since been cleaned-up and several of its senior staff replaced.
Just be careful of the policemen lurking about. Some of them will pounce at you if you're a foreigner and they see you driving a car. Know your driving rules (Do we even have one?). They'll force you to stop and will threaten you with fines, some time in the local station, and attendance at the LTO seminars until you pay for their lunch or tea. Lunch or tea money for them starts from 500 PHP. The the whiter, or more foreign you look and act, the bigger the charge. You'll be their sugar daddies. Hahahhahahahha.... They'll use their art degrees, and invent new violations on the spot. And they can be quite creative! Hahhahaha... If ever you're driving in Makati, have your mobile phones in hand and in video/camera mode. If ever some policeman stops you, take a video of the whole affair secretly. Let them explain their case, then explain yours. If you notice them being shifty and trying to embezzle money off you, tell them they're on Just for Laughs Hidden Camera, and that you'll make them popular in FB.
Yes, it was Mandaue, Mark. I won't go there again as I get the husband of a Balikbayan stamp on entry these days. Good to hear they had a spring clean.
Very sensible, Mike. Many foreigners reside here full-time on Balikbayan Privileges and they and their wives make brief visits abroad at the end of their year's permitted stay. Whilst they keep "under the radar", they're not issued with an ACR-I card which means restricted banking and the legal requirement of always having to carry their Passports to prove identity.
my fiancee will meet me at manilla airport---then its off to Baguio for the duration of my stay. i am the least adventurous bloke you will ever come across. my idea of excitement on a holday is trying a different flavour ice cream. but i suppose someone will now warn me against eating that over there. i'm sure the water will be perfectly unsafe to drink-----so do i stick to lager ?
They seem to sell the usual array of "Walls" ices. I never saw whippy out there but my wifes sister posted a curious looking double ended extended "cone" with ice cream at both ends, that has been exported to the Philippines from Korea, apparently.,
What type of visa do you have Steve which enabled you to work in NCR legally? Did the company you work for organize it or did you apply for it yourself?
I lived for 3 years in Cubao, I walked around day time night time and even early morning, I NEVER had a problem, I usually hung out around SM Cubao, and Gateway near the Araneta Colesseum, never a problem for me. I felt as safe there as anywhere else I have been. The over passes that knightstrike mentions are frequented by street vendors and those who are homeless from the provinces, some over passes are sheltered, so these people use them to sleep there and keep an eye on their goods, most of them are harmless, but they do attract some criminals, so as Knightstrike says, avoid them if you can.
Spouse Visa Boots..permanent residency which also allowed me to work, I did not need to apply for a work visa, I simply applied for a job, was hired legally, then the company got my TIN number and SSS, I got my driving licence.
Oh yeah, I forgot about the ones near Araneta and SM Cubao. Those are fine. Lots of cops, and it's popular place because of Araneta Coliseum, Ali Mall, etc. Just not near Aurora and Anonas. I used to frequent that place when I was in my teens. I've been almost robbed twice. Both in the overpass, late night. The second one, I almost got stabbed. So a bit of personal bias. But just want to warn people.
