Expats / Residence / 6 month+ Stay - Philippines Immigration changes to ECC process

[dixonk]

Haven't been here for more than 6 months. Will advise if I have any issues on the 20th. Next stop is Kuwait so if I get delayed it will actually be a good thing

 

[kwhkg]

andy I don't think this applies to ACR-I card holders, unless a notice is published in every major paper I think this is just rehash of existing rules. ACR-I holders can always just pay the "extra" at the airport, we left on vacation april 26 with usual pay at the airport routine

 

[Hank49]

It sounds like they just change the rules whenever they feel like, so I will take that into consideration.

That's pretty much what I experienced in 11 years of living there. I went in and out for business and pleasure and was married to a Filipina. Sometimes I would get a Balikbayan, sometimes 21 days. One guy, right in front of all the passengers, tells me, "I gave you Balikbayan" and I said, "thanks" and he says, "you give me gift".
After I got my permanent residence all was well. But we moved to Malaysia for about 2 years and when I came back with my wife and kids, 21 day tourist again.
You never know.

 

[dixonk]

In some situations you have to revert to the Philippines oldest law that overrides any new laws that come into play...the 500 peso bill!

 

[DevonDiver]

andy I don't think this applies to ACR-I card holders, unless a notice is published in every major paper I think this is just rehash of existing rules. ACR-I holders can always just pay the "extra" at the airport, we left on vacation april 26 with usual pay at the airport routine

English comprehension... did you read what I typed?

What I am saying is that, as of Monday 6th May, that was NOT the case. Rules changed this Monday.

(i.e. you traveled *before* the change, didn't you? sigh...)

I had even rung the immigration sub-office the Friday before to confirm that I could get ECC from them as I was gonna be in the area anyway and it saves hassle/money at the airport. They said "Sure, no problem". On Tuesday, went to immigration sub-office and they were saying "Really sorry sir, but we received this memo Monday AM and you now have to go to Main BI in Manila only".

I took a chance direct to the Airport, as there was no way to get back from Subic/Clark to Manila in time for my flight that day. They said the same thing... no ECC there, no ACR-I accepted. I HAVE to go to Main BI in Manila. NO PAPER ECC, NO FLIGHT.

There was a bunch of dejected expats/foreigners leaving the airport disappointed on that day...

I was denied access to my flight for that very reason - had to come back to Manila and get a paper ECC from Intramuros yesterday. The paper ECC is now only valid for 3 days (you have to get it immediately before your flight).

Immigration agent at the airport said happily to me "many foreigners are missing flights because of this". " "

I've always gotten a 'temp/emergency' ECC at the airport before... this was hardly my first flight out of the Philippines. I am fully aware of how it "used" to be. It isn't that way now. Percipio Percepi Perceptum?

Notices published in newspapers? ha ha. They didn't even update their website since 2008...

My first response to this was just like yours... "Hey, that's crazy! There's no way they should change such a major policy with no warning at all...that'll ruin hundreds of people's flights and effectively 'detain' foreign visitors from travelling out of the country (as is their right). "


The BI memo that directs immigration services that all ECC is only processed via Intramuros BI...and only valid three (3) days:



Now... I interpret that "ACO shall endorse all ECC to BI-MO" and "BI-MO shall process all ECC within three (3) days before departure date" to mean that sub-offices etc can still take your application, send it to BI-MO for processing and ensure ECC is available before your flight. THAT IS NOT HOW IT IS CURRENTLY BEING INTERPRETED BY IMMIGRATION (that may change, as common sense takes hold), but for now, it means missed flights unless you go to Intramuros and get the ECC in advance...

In some situations you have to revert to the Philippines oldest law that overrides any new laws that come into play...the 500 peso bill!

I wish that were the case this week, but it wasn't. They're having a 'crack down' I guess. All immigration staff were courteous, polite but ultimately unhelpful to get people on their flights - despite having sympathy that people weren't to know that they could no longer get ECC from sub-offices and/or the airport on departure.

I'd have happily paid 10x that amount to have caught my flight. In the end, the experience cost me over 18,000php in lost flights, accommodation bookings...not counting other expenses like wasted car trip/fuel etc.

 

[dixonk]

Ouch 18k! Airline wouldn't work with you on cost of new ticket?

 

[DevonDiver]

Ouch 18k! Airline wouldn't work with you on cost of new ticket?

Local budget airline. You've been here right?

 

[kevinl4270]

Haven't been here for more than 6 months. Will advise if I have any issues on the 20th. Next stop is Kuwait so if I get delayed it will actually be a good thing

I will high five you half way there. I am finally leaving Kuwait, hopefully for good.

 

[kwhkg]

andy nothing wrong with my english reading comprehension skills, or tagalog for that matter. All I was pointing out is that such a radical policy change needs much more procedural notices as required by law. It seems rather odd that none of this appears in any press at all. Meantime have asked a media friend to look into this, as well as asked anzcham to check with BID. The reply from BID this morning to anzcham is that there is no policy changes except that 1st time applicants for ECC must go to intramurous, BID HQ claims not to be aware of any such memo however your nightmare

Now with copy of the memo I will forward to them for verification with BID HQ

Lastly so sorry to hear your nightmare

 

[DevonDiver]

kwhkg... I do think that this could be an 'interpretation' issue. When I read that memo, it says to me that ECC applications are processed by ACOs and sent to BID HQ. They must be processed and returned to the applicant three days before flying (so as not to inconvenience).

However, that's not the way they've been interpreted by some/all ACOs - and that's causing chaos and grief for some foreigners. As you can imagine... if all the resident expats are being denied airport/sub-office ECCs, they are all missing their flights...

After being denied ECC processing at the BI sub-office, I went to the airport to try. As you say... I found in incomprehensible that they could change that system without due warning and publicity. Airport BI staff were adamant that they could not issue ECC on departure.

I got my ECC sorted at BID HQ now. I also called the Makati office - they wouldn't process either. You can imagine my shock when, on my day of travel, I couldn't get an ECC at the immigration sub-office or the airport. Where else could I try? Manila was too far to travel and still catch my flight - as you may know, the volume of applicants at BID HQ also means a slow turn-around for processing ("come back tomorrow morning to collect"). An excellent immigration agent there recognized the urgency of my application and actually fast-tracked it - I got it literally at closing time (5.30pm) on the same day. That guy was a star.

btw... thanks for looking into it. If it saves more people getting their travel plans ruined and/or losing significant money... then it's a valuable outcome.