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Plazas in Cebu

Plazas in Cebu

Plaza Hotels in Cebu

Century Plaza Hotel, Cebu
Juana Osmena Street, Cebu City, Cebu 6000, Philippines

Holiday Plaza Hotel, Cebu
F Ramos Street, F. Ramos St, Cebu City, Cebu 6000, Philippines

Marco Polo Plaza, Cebu
Cebu Veterans Drive, Nivel Hills, Cebu City, Cebu 6000, Philippines

Mandarin Plaza Hotel, Cebu
Archbishop Reyes Avenue, corner Escario Street, Cebu City, Cebu 6000, Philippines

Prominent Town Plazas in Cebu

Aloguinsan town plaza. 59 kilometres southwest of Cebu City
Argao town plaza. 68 kilometres southwest of Cebu City
Boljoon town plaza. 105 kilometres southwest of Cebu City
Dalaguete town plaza. 87 kilometres southwest of Cebu City
Ginatilan town plaza. 133 kilometres southwest of Cebu City
Liloan town plaza. 17 kilometres northeast of Cebu City
Minglanilla town plaza. 19 kilometres southwest of Cebu City
Naga town plaza. 24 kilometres southwest of Cebu City
Oslob town plaza. 119 kilometres southwest of Cebu City
Samboan town plaza. 144 kilometres southwest of Cebu City
Sibonga town plaza. 65 kilometres southwest of Cebu City
Talisay City plaza. 15 kilometres southwest of Cebu City

Foreigner Marrying in the Philippines

Getting married in the Philippines

The Philippine Government requires all foreigners to provide a “Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage” from his/her embassy before filing for a marriage license.

This is normally called:

Certificate of No Impediment (CNI) or Certificate of Legal Capacity, and is obtained at interview from the Foreigners Embassy.

Sources:

Australia: http://www.philippines.embassy.gov.au/mnla/marriage.html

US: http://manila.usembassy.gov/marriage.html

UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/marriage-in-the-philippines

Belgium: http://www.diplomatie.be/Manila/default.asp?ACT=5&content=11&id=28&mnu=28

Average Wages in Philippines 2014

Average Wages and Salary in the Philippines

Bureau of Labor and Employment Statistics

The figure of P9,508 per month, shown below for all occupations, gives an average Annual Individual Income of P114,096 per year in the report used.

Average Basic Pay of Wage and Salary Workers by Major Occupation Groups

July 2014

 Philippine Pesos per Day and per Month
DAILY MONTHLY
365.69  9,508 ALL OCCUPATIONS
867.69 22,560 Officials of Government and Special-Interest Organizations, Corporate Executives, Managers, etc
796.90 20,719 Professionals
511.21 13,291 Technicians and Associate Professionals
456.49 11,869 Clerks
295.39  7,680 Service Workers and Shop and Market Sales Workers
315.09  8,192 Farmers, Forestry Workers and Fishermen
329.79  8,575 Trades and Related Workers
357.76  9,302 Plant and Machine Operators & Assemblers
204.87  5,327 Laborers and Unskilled Workers
865.71  22,508 Special Occupations

Source: TABLE 22 – Average Daily Basic Pay of Wage and Salary Workers by Major Occupation Group

And from Table 21 –

Average Daily Basic Pay of Wage and Salary Workers by Major Industry Group

July 2014

 Philippine Pesos per Day and per Month
DAILY MONTHLY
181.29 4,714 Agriculture, Hunting and Forestry
194.57 5,059 Fishing and Aquaculture
334.70 8,702 Mining and Quarying
350.09 9,102 Manufacturing
632.02 16,433 Electricity, Gas, Steam and Air Conditioning Supply
447.24 11,628 Water Supply; Sewerage, Waste Management and Remediation Activities
330.14 8,584 Construction
300.89 7,823 Wholesale and Retail Trade; Repair of Motor Vehicles and Motorcycles
393.49 10,231 Transportation and Storage
310.77 8,080 Accommodation and Food Service Activities
645.33 16,779 Information and Communication
582.02 15,133 Financial and Insurance Activities
433.49 11,271 Real Estate Activities
645.55 16,784 Professional, Scientific and Technical Activities
529.14 13,758 Administrative and Support Service Activities
588.44 15,299 Public Administration and Defense; Compulsory Social Security
737.91 19,186 Education
588.31 15,296 Human Health and Social Work Activities
403.96 10,503 Arts, Entertainment and Recreation

Sourced from: www.bles.dole.gov.ph

Live Like a King in The Philippines

Is it possible to live like a King in the Philippines?

What does “Live Like a King” mean” ?.  I ask that question after reading an Englishman saying the phrase “To Live Like a King” does not mean “To Live Like a King”.  Now that is the worst English confusion example I have ever heard.

It appears that “To Live Like a King” means to live in the comfort that you want, with all the luxuries that you want.

Examples from various forums and web sites:

  • For 1200 US a month you can live like a king.
  • With your $2,400 monthly income you will live like a king
  • You can live like a king on $5,000 per month in the Philippines
  • How to Live Like a King in the Philippines on $500 a Month

So, where do we begin, to work out what it would cost to live a really comfortable, safe life in the Philippines, almost like a King?

Accommodation:

I first looked for a 3 bedroom condominium  for rent in Fort Bonifacio, Manila.  A nice safe area, and came up with this:

  • FOR RENT One Mckinley Place Condo, The Fort Fully-furnished 190 sq. m. 3 Bedrooms 3 T & B 2 Parking slots available. Monthly Rental : php 170,000 per month

So: 170,000 pesos at 44 pesos to the US dollar = $3,863 per month (at April 2015)

From that list of 4 examples, 3 of them appear totally wrong, leaving just “You can live like a king on $5,000 per month in the Philippines” as a possible, but with 77% of that figure taken with a 3 bedroom decent apartment in a safe area.  Not in a Kings mansion!

Food:

T Bone Steaks, US or Australian quality and size, are about 5 times the price of local meat.  Going by my budget grocery costs of about 16,000 pesos per week for food for 2, I would prefer to spend nearer 50,000 per month to feel “comfortable” by my standards.  So that’s near enough $1,150 per month

Maids, Servants and Drivers:

Not too bad a price at about 5,000 peso per month each. (US$120)

What have we reached so far?

$3,863 Accommodation
$1,150 Food
$ 240 Maids etc (2 people)

$5,243 per month

Cars, Travel, Holidays, Eating Out, etc have not yet been added. Nor have Education costs or Medical Bills etc.

Conclusion:

I would have to say that I feel I would need more like US$10,000 (A$13,000) per month (440,000 pesos) to live like a king in the Philippines.
That way I would have some spare to go out to restaurants, nightclubs and other entertainment events.
IE: I could live in the comfort that I would like with most of the luxuries that I would be comfortable with.

In reality that is 5 times what I get by on here, on my budget, and that is NOT in an expensive safe area of Manila like BGC or The Fort.

Dictionary Meanings:

reference.com – Enjoy a lavish style of living, as in He spared no expense, preferring to live like a king
www.oxforddictionaries.com – Live in great comfort and luxury.
thefreedictionary.com – He lived like a king, drinking champagne and driving a Porsche.
macmillandictionary.com – to live in a very comfortable way, with much more money than you need

Fruit Picking Jobs for Filipinos in Australia

Fruit Picking Jobs in Australia need a Working Visa.

A website called topjobsportal is currently advertising fruit picking jobs for Filipinos in Australia.

Some people have asked if it is a scam, many Filipinos in the Philippines are wanting to apply for this work.

BUT… it is not that straightforward,  You NEED an Australian Working Visa first.

If you already have a working Visa, then yes, that type of work is available.

This type of fruit picking work is commonly available, and applied for by for by visitors to Australia on a Working Holiday visa.

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) has previously cautioned overseas Filipino workers (OFW) and Filipino tourists against a new online scam offering bogus fruit-picking jobs in Australia.

Although this relates to a different company, and was in May 2014, the similarities may be close.

Australian Immigration – Working Holiday Visas

Filipinos are NOT normally eligible for the Australian Working Holiday Visa

Working Holiday visa (subclass 417)

The Working Holiday visa (subclass 417) is a temporary visa for young people who want to holiday and work in Australia for up to a year.

This Visa allows you to:

stay in Australia for up to 12 months
work in Australia for up to six months with each employer

Eligibility Includes:

are at least 18 but not yet 31 years of age
have a passport from an eligible country. (This does NOT include the Philippines)

Eligible countries (at 21 June 2022) are:

Belgium
Canada
Republic of Cyprus
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China (including British National Overseas passport holders)
Republic of Ireland
Italy
Japan
Republic of Korea
Malta
Netherlands
Norway
Sweden
Taiwan (other than an official or diplomatic passport)
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

The Work and Holiday (Temporary) visa (subclass 462)

The Work and Holiday (Temporary) visa (subclass 462) is for young people who want to holiday and work in Australia for up to a year.

Eligibility (at 21 June 2022) includes:

are at least 18 but not yet 31 years of age.
have a passport from:

Argentina
Austria
Chile
China, People’s Republic of
Czech Republic
Ecuador
Greece
Hungary
Indonesia
Israel
Luxembourg
Malaysia
Peru
Poland
Portugal
San Marino
Singapore
Slovak Republic
Slovenia
Spain
Switzerland
Thailand
Turkey
Uruguay
United States of America
Vietnam

Australian Fruit Picking Jobs for Pinoys

Taco Bell, Quezon City, Philippines

Taco Bell, Gateway Mall, Quezon City

Ground Floor Gateway Mall
Araneta Center,
Aurora Boulevard,
Cubao
Quezon City
Metro Manila

3rd Level Gateway Mall
Araneta Center,
Aurora Boulevard,
Cubao
Quezon City
Metro Manila

Taco Bell, Trinoma Mall, Quezon City

2nd level Trinoma Mall
EDSA cor North Edsa
North Avenue Corner,
Bagong Pag Asa,
Mindanao Avenue,
Quezon City
Metro Manila, 1100

Contact:

Taco Bell Gateway: 911-6400
Taco Bell Food Express: 911-3130
Taco Bell Trinoma: 901-3634

Taco Bell has more than 6,500 restaurants in the United States, with another 280+ in other worldwide countries.

Special Resident Retirement Visa (SRRV)

As at 2015, over 27,000 foreign retirees from 107 countries have already chosen to live in the Philippines through the Special Resident Retiree’s Visa (SRRV) of the Philippine Retirement Authority.

A Visa for Retirement in the Philippines

The Special Resident Retiree’s Visa (SRRV) is issued by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) of the Republic of the Philippines under the Retirement Program of the Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA) to foreigners and overseas Filipinos. It entitles the holder to multiple-entry privileges with the right to stay permanently/indefinitely in the Philippines.

As at 2015, over 27,000 foreign retirees from 107 countries have already chosen to live in the Philippines through the Special Resident Retiree’s Visa (SRRV) of the Philippine Retirement Authority.

Special Resident Retiree’s Visa (SRRV) Schedule of Fees

The SRRV allows all its foreign retiree-members to retire and live in the Philippines for as long as they want.

An SRRV holder may come in and out of the country as often as he desires, and enjoy privileges such as

exemption from securing the ACR I-Card (Alien Certificate of Registration Immigration Card) from the Bureau of Immigration;
exemption from paying local income tax on your pension and annuities;
exemption from paying the travel tax at the Philippine Airports;
exemption from getting a Study Permit or Student’s Visa for their dependent-children who intends to pursue education in the Philippines.
exemption from Customs Duties and Taxes with regard to the importation of household goods and personal effects up to US$7,000

PRA retiree-members may also use health cards issued abroad in Philippine hospitals/clinics accredited by selected health card companies.

A Principal Retiree must be at least 35 years old to enjoy the above benefits that only SRRV holders are privileged to avail of.

Through the Philippine Retirement Authority, foreign retirees who want to make the Philippines their international retirement destination can now choose from 4 SRRV options:

    1. SRRV SMILE – for active / healthy principal retirees 35 year old and above who would just like to maintain their Visa deposit of US$20,000 in any of the PRA designated banks;
    2. SRRV CLASSIC – for active / healthy principal retirees who would opt to use their Visa deposit of US$10,000 or US$20,000 (50 years old & above) or US$50,000 (35 to 49 years old) to purchase condominium units or use for long term lease of house and lot. The SRRV CLASSIC allows the retiree to convert the deposit into into a Ready For Occupancy condominium or long-term lease of House and Lot. However, the Investment, if converted this way, must be at least US$50,000.
    3. SRRV COURTESY – for former Filipinos (35 years old & above), and foreign nationals (50 years old & above) who have served in the Philippines as diplomats, ambassadors, officers/staff of international organizations. The visa deposit is US$1,500.
    4. SRRV HUMAN TOUCH – for ailing principal retirees, (35 years old and above), who are shown to have medical/clinical needs and services. Under this option, the retiree only needs to have a Visa deposit of US$10,000, a monthly pension of at least US$1,500 and a Health Insurance Policy.

To avail of the reduced visa deposit for those with a pension, they must show proof of monthly pension remitted to the Philippines of US$800 for a single applicant or US$1,000 for married couples)

The Fees for these options are:
Application Fee: US$1,400
Annual Fee: US$360 per year.

Banks listed as at April 2015 that are authorised to hold SRRV deposit funds:

Allied Bank
Banco De Oro
Bank Of China
Bank Of Commerce
Development Bank Of The Philippines
Korea Exchange Bank – Manila Branch
Philippine Business Bank, Inc.
Philippine Savings Bank
Tong Yang Savings Bank Inc.,
Union Bank Of The Philippines

For more details about the SRRV, please click here.

Poverty in the Philippines

How bad is Poverty in the Philippines?

Many people say that the numbers of people in Poverty in the Philippines is not much different to other countries, and in some easy that is correct, when using the normal definitions of Poverty.

However, it isn’t as simple as that, and we need to clarify what we mean by Poverty.

There are two distinct Poverty marker levels. Normal Poverty and Extreme Poverty.

Every country has a certain percentage of the population in ‘Normal Poverty’ as this is defined as the number who have an income of less than a certain percentage of the median Income.

Not every country has people in Extreme Poverty, as this is calculated based on a subsistence level, and some countries have a benefits scheme to keep its population above subsistence.

Subsistence level, Extreme poverty, or absolute poverty, was originally defined as “a condition characterized by severe deprivation of basic human needs, including food, safe drinking water, sanitation facilities, health, shelter, education and information.

2014 Philippine Poverty Statistics

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) released its latest report on Mar 6, 2015, on the country’s official poverty statistics for the first semester of 2014.

The new figures show that 25.8% of the population are classed as being in Poverty. This is up from 24.6% in the first Semester of 2013.
This is based on per Capita Poverty Threshold of 10,534 PhP

The figures for the Subsistence Incidence show that 10.5% of the Philippine population are below the Subsistence level.
Subsistence incidence among Filipinos is often referred to as the proportion of Filipinos in extreme or subsistence poverty.

Poverty incidence
At 90% level of confidence, the true estimate of the poverty incidence among Filipinos lies between 24.1 and 27.4%
At 90% level of confidence, the true estimate of the poverty incidence among families lies between 18.6 and 21.3%

Subsistence incidence
At 90% level of confidence, the true estimate of the subsistence incidence among Filipinos lies between 9.4 and 11.6%
At 90% level of confidence, the true estimate of the subsistence incidence among families lies between 6.7 and 8.4%

These figures are from: www.nscb.gov.ph/poverty

Previous Official figures from the Philippines National Statistics Office have stated the following:

Annual Poverty Threshold:

2012: The Philippines Poverty Threshold was 18,935 pesos

In Metro Manila (NCR) the Poverty Threshold was 20,344 pesos
In Cebu (Region 7), the Poverty Threshold was 18,767 pesos

Figures from: www.nscb.gov.ph

I am assuming that these are figures per household, as they are nearly double the 2014 Individuals

Philippine Poverty Threshold 2006, 2009, 2012

www.nscb.gov.ph/poverty/2012/highlights_fullyear.asp

Unethical Recruitment Agencies in the Philippines

POEA List of Cancelled Recruitment Agencies

Hans Leo J. Cacdac, the Administrator of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), has warned overseas Filipino workers not to deal with recruitment agencies whose licenses have been cancelled.

The following was shown on his Facebook Account on 9th April 2015

POEA List of Cancelled Recruitment Agencies for 2014 — cancelled on account of unethical recruitment practices and violations of PHL recruitment laws and regulations:

A-M Phil. Professional Services Corporation
Al-Siq International Placement and Manpower Services, Inc.
AFT International Manpower Services
Aguila Management and Resources Corporation
Al-Ahram International Group Services, Inc.
Al-Sadiq Manpower Corporation
Apex Grande International Labor Agency
Asian International Manpower Services Inc.
Asmara International Placement Agency, Inc.
Batie International Manpower Services, Inc.
Bobstar International Recruitment Agency, Inc.
B & E Overseas Manpower Services Corporation
Chronos International Manpower Corporation
Creative Artist Placement Services, Inc.
Dalandan International Manpower Inc.
Dream Fame International Manpower Corporation
Dywen International Manpower Agency
Expeditor International Manpower Services Co.
Experts Placement Agency Inc.
Findstaff Placement Services, Inc.
France Asia International, Inc.
Global Care International Manpower Services
Global Unlimited International Manpower, Inc.
Globrec Manpower Services Inc.
Gerardo J. Santos Manpower
Goodman International Manpower Incorporated
IDM Manpower Services
Inter-Globe Manpower & Consultancy Services, Inc.
Jade Jobwell Philippines, Inc.
Japhil 2000 International Agency Corporation
Jenar Maritime, Inc.
Jovineria Manpower Services
Kabayan Ko Overseas Manpower Placement
Kookies International Recruitment Agency, Inc.
Meccaj Manpower International Services
M.G.M International Recruitment Services, Inc.
Mind Resources Corporation
Nahed International Manpower Services
Non-Stop Overseas Employment Corporation
Pacific Mediterrenian International Manpower Agency, Inc.
Perfect Employment Agency Corporation
PERT-CPM Manpower Exponents Company, Inc.
Renaissance Staffing Support Center, Inc.
Ridzkey Human Resources International Services
Sacred Heart International Services, Inc.
Sand-dune International Manpower Services
Saranay Philippines, Inc.
Seven Ocean International Manpower Corporation
Sherine Manpower Services, Inc.
Sunshine Recruitment Agency, Inc.
Sky Top Service Contractors, Inc.
Sunshine Recruitment Agency, Inc.
Tuem International Manpower Corporation
Wandy Overseas Placement Agency, Inc.
YMC International Manpower Services

The current status of recruitment Agencies can be checked at: http://www.poea.gov.ph/cgi-bin/aglist.asp

One Year Tourist Visa for Philippines

Is there a 12 month Tourist Visa for the Philippines

There are a number of Philippines Embassies around the world that offer a 3, 6 or 12 month Tourist Visa for the Philippines, but, is it what you first think?

This is copied from the Philippine Embassy in Norway which covers Filipinos in Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Sweden.

C. Below are different types of Entry Visas for Tourists and their respective fees:

Single ENTRY valid for three (3) months (270 Norwegian Kroner or 1,492 Php 14/4/2015);
Multiple ENTRY valid for six (6) months (540 Norwegian Kroner or 2,984 Php 14/4/2015); and
Multiple ENTRY valid for one (1) year (810 Norwegian Kroner or 4,420 Php 14/4/2015)

D. The above-mentioned visas are for ENTRY purposes only. Period of stay (which will not exceed 59 days) will be determined by the immigration officer at the point of entry in the Philippines.

Take special note of the item D: Each Period of stay will not exceed 59 days. You NEED to leave the Philippines before the 60th day, or apply for and get, a normal Visa Extension before the 59th day expires.

This is copied from the Philippine Consulate Los Angeles, USA.

The applicable fees for a tourist visa are as follows:

Single entry valid for three (3) months: US$30.00  (or 1,340 Php 14/4/2015)
Multiple entry valid for (6) months US$60.00  (or 2,680 Php 14/4/2015)
Multiple entry valid for twelve (12) months $90.00  (or 4,019 Php 14/4/2015)

NOTE: The authorized maximum period of stay granted by the Philippine Consulate to all temporary visitor’s visa applicants is fifty-nine (59) days. If the applicant will stay beyond 59 days in the Philippines, an application for extension of stay must be filed at the Bureau of Immigration in Manila, or the Immigration office nearest to the place where the applicant is temporarily residing.

Balikbayan 12 Month Visa

The Balikbayan Program allows visa-free entry to the Philippines for a period of one (1) year for foreign passport holders, with the exception of restricted nationals.

This normally applies to a foreign spouse of a Filipino citizen who ARRIVES with the Filipino spouse, and effectively gets a 12 month visa at the airport. This allows the holder to stay for the full 12 months, before needing to leave OR apply for another type of visa.

The term “balikbayan” shall mean a Filipino citizen who has been continuously out of the Philippines for a period of at least one (1) year, a Filipino overseas worker, or a former Filipino citizen and his or her family who had been naturalized in a foreign country and comes or returns to the Philippines.

The term “family” shall mean the spouse and the children of the balikbayan traveling with the latter to the Philippines.

Annulment in the Philippines Based on Presumed Death

Annulment Based on Presumed Death requires four years absence

Using an Annulment Based on “Presumed Death” is an easier way to get annulled, BUT, if you were to later apply for a visa to go to another country, especially the US,  the Embassy, during the visa interview, may want extensive evidence that the absent spouse was truly considered deceased.  If you have already checked with the US embassy, and have written documentation, then that should be sufficient for them, or other countries embassies.

The Philippines Family Code, specifically Articles 41 to 44, deals with the declaration of presumptive death for purposes of remarriage.

[3] Proof required that petitioner tried to look for the missing spouse

The court will however require the petitioner to present proof that he or she exerted earnest and diligent efforts to locate the whereabouts of the missing spouse. These efforts include asking the police or NBI for help in locating the missing spouse, using the media like newspapers or radio, etc. The court will deny the petition if the petitioner cannot present such evidence of earnest and diligent efforts to locate the missing spouse.

The Family Code provides for a period of four years (ordinary absence) for a person to be able to go to court and file a petition for declaration of presumptive death of the missing spouse.

Source: famli.blogspot.com/if-husband-and-wife-have-not-seen-each