one of my friends already expressed the fear na baka may mga magkurakot daw sa Immigration..she is set to travel for personal R&R lang sa US next quarter....uh-oh...
Another cash cow for the Philippines. Yung requirement na dapat ang Letter of Invitation should be duly NOTARIZED by a Philippine Embassy or Consulate is another way to get easy dollars kasi may BAYAD yun, hindi naman FREE.
"All Immigration personnel have been instructed to require all Philippine nationals departing from the Philippines to present to Immigration Officials at all Philippine ports of exit a Letter of Invitation from a Sponsor Abroad." – Is this already being implemented?! Wow, that is worrisome. Paano na kung gusto mo lang mag-tour? Tsk-tsk. Stupid directive.
While I think the aim of the directive – to help address the problem of human trafficking – is laudable, the wording or the way of implementation is flawed. They should think of a better way to do it.
so I was asking in FB when I posted this - what if I just want to go there and tour around, like what I do in Japan (wala akong bitbit na letter)...I'm supposed to look for a sponsor pa? and have that sponsor be bothered pa to get a letter notarized don sa US?
will they require politicians present a letter from a sponsor? i don't think so... again selective, prejudicial implementation against us mortal citizens...what are they thinking?...o may utak ba mga 'yan?
Case in point: a maid of my sister was given a round trip plane ticket to Singapore, purportedly for her to go there as a tourist. But she is actually going to be a domestic helper there. She was told that her working visa will be attended to when she gets there. The maid left over a month ago. The family hasn't heard form her yet, although the mother said that the maid has been brought to Malaysia from Singapore. This is a not-so-bad example of human trafficking as it involves only a job as domestic helper. What if the girl ends up in a brothel instead, or worse, as a drug mule?
Can you imagine if there was due diligence regarding the departure of that woman from Isabela who is scheduled to be executed in China tomorrow for drug trafficking? That woman was promised a job selling cell phones in a shop in Xiamen. Her "recruiter" got a tourist visa for her, gave her the plane ticket and also a suitcase to use. Turned out the suitcase had heroin sachets hidden in its lining that the poor woman innocently failed to notice. She was simply looking forward to working and being able to send back money to her poor family.
There must be a compromise somehow, an efficient system of cross-checking. I wouldn't mind a little inconvenience if it will help prevent such tragic occurrences for our fellow Filipinos.
sabi nila creative ang mga Pinoy...pero parang wala pa akong nakikita na ayos na problem-solving sa mga really important issues our government is facing...
From what I read, the measure (Letter of Invitation) appears to be a step to curve or prevent human/drug trafficking (and avoid such tragic results as the execution of Pinoy drug mules in China today). I believe this is not the right solution. Those drug mules were caught in China. That means they were able to leave the country without being caught. I travel from time to time (local and foreign) and I know that inspection and security is pretty tight at the airports, specially after the 9-11 incident. As a matter of fact, there are two areas where these are done, i.e. the first one is once you enter the airport, and the second one immediately before you enter the waiting/departure area. The only way you can go through these security devices e.g. x-ray, metal detectors, frisking/pat-downs, etc., is for you to skip or avoid it. But one can only do that with the willful knowledge and permission by those who man the security points, i.e. immigration and airport security personnel. This is where the control measures should be strengthened, not asking the traveler to produce a piece of paper which can be easily faked.
As to the prevention of human trafficking, the measure should focus on the employment agencies, recruiters and even travel agencies. They should be hit with either heavy fines, or immediate suspension of business operation or closure by the concerned government offices once they're linked to or proven to have something to do, wittingly or unwittingly, with the trafficking, and specific individuals found to be involved thrown to prison.
I understand that these may just have palliative effects and that the longer or more strategic approach is to improve employment opportunities locally. But while such measures to improve employment are still being worked out and the effects are yet to make an impact on the economy, tougher measures on the "physical" security infrastructure should be done (yes, including the men/women who man those infrastructure), not by adding another bureaucratic step that only makes life miserable for people to travel.
Sad to think, but it is very possible that the unwitting drug mule who brought out the heroin lined suitcase was able to get out of the Philippines with her dangerous cargo because there were police and security personnel at the airports in cahoots with the drug traffickers.
Pero, teka. Di ba kaka-biyahe nyo lang? Were you asked about that letter of invitation or did you see other travelers being required to produce such letter? Baka may mga specific destination-countries lang na covered nitong requirement na 'to.
another officemate of mine had gone to Cu Chi...and apparently she brought a bullet as souvenir yata from there she got stopped sa airport, kc bawal to...
she said she presented her calling card and left it with them..tapos pinatuloy sya...hehehe... sabi ko wow, powerful pala HP eh...buti na lang may calling cards din ako for next time..:-)
E mga komunista yan eh. Di nila alam na ang calling card sa atin eh kahit sino pwedeng magkaroon. Akala nila siguro kung sinong opisyal yung officemate mo. LOL!
*grin* I shall be sure to tease Katt (my officemate) about that too...
bigtima na yata yun eh..last time I was telling her that she and another kasabay ko sa aming orientation when we came to HP are so big-time, that they only bump into each other at international airports and not in the office *grin*
one of my friends already expressed the fear na baka may mga magkurakot daw sa Immigration..she is set to travel for personal R&R lang sa US next quarter....uh-oh...
ReplyDeleteAnother cash cow for the Philippines. Yung requirement na dapat ang Letter of Invitation should be duly NOTARIZED by a Philippine Embassy or Consulate is another way to get easy dollars kasi may BAYAD yun, hindi naman FREE.
ReplyDeletebingo!
ReplyDeletestupid & unnecessary! Go Pnoy!
ReplyDelete"All Immigration personnel have been instructed to require all Philippine nationals departing from the Philippines to present to Immigration Officials at all Philippine ports of exit a Letter of Invitation from a Sponsor Abroad." – Is this already being implemented?! Wow, that is worrisome. Paano na kung gusto mo lang mag-tour? Tsk-tsk. Stupid directive.
ReplyDeleteWhile I think the aim of the directive – to help address the problem of human trafficking – is laudable, the wording or the way of implementation is flawed. They should think of a better way to do it.
ReplyDeleteso I was asking in FB when I posted this - what if I just want to go there and tour around, like what I do in Japan (wala akong bitbit na letter)...I'm supposed to look for a sponsor pa? and have that sponsor be bothered pa to get a letter notarized don sa US?
ReplyDeletepor dios!
honga po...I was thinking of visiting the US sana..pero with this, baaah!
ReplyDeletethere's got to be a better way than this oy...
sana nga may matanungan eh...sabi ko sa officemate ko who called my attention to this - better ask na lang to be safe..
ReplyDeleteas if naman everybody wants to go the US, kung ayaw nila ng turista, di wag! ang dami daming ibang lugar na pwedeng puntahan...sus!
ReplyDeletebut this one Meann, I think is more of the Philippines' doing...
ReplyDeletewill they require politicians present a letter from a sponsor? i don't think so...
ReplyDeleteagain selective, prejudicial implementation against us mortal citizens...what are they thinking?...o may utak ba mga 'yan?
Case in point: a maid of my sister was given a round trip plane ticket to Singapore, purportedly for her to go there as a tourist. But she is actually going to be a domestic helper there. She was told that her working visa will be attended to when she gets there. The maid left over a month ago. The family hasn't heard form her yet, although the mother said that the maid has been brought to Malaysia from Singapore. This is a not-so-bad example of human trafficking as it involves only a job as domestic helper. What if the girl ends up in a brothel instead, or worse, as a drug mule?
ReplyDeleteCan you imagine if there was due diligence regarding the departure of that woman from Isabela who is scheduled to be executed in China tomorrow for drug trafficking? That woman was promised a job selling cell phones in a shop in Xiamen. Her "recruiter" got a tourist visa for her, gave her the plane ticket and also a suitcase to use. Turned out the suitcase had heroin sachets hidden in its lining that the poor woman innocently failed to notice. She was simply looking forward to working and being able to send back money to her poor family.
ReplyDeleteThere must be a compromise somehow, an efficient system of cross-checking. I wouldn't mind a little inconvenience if it will help prevent such tragic occurrences for our fellow Filipinos.
Hindi idea ng US ito. Idea ito ng mga bird-brained bureaucrats ng Philippine government.
ReplyDeleteand this is again one of those numerous and seemingly endless cases of me asking - may esperanza pa kaya?
ReplyDeletejust woke up, turned on the tv, and what do my eyes see? unang-una is yung nangyayari nga na binitay na ang mga 3 Pinoy don sa China...argh!
ReplyDeletethere must be a better way to go about this...
ReplyDeletesabi nila creative ang mga Pinoy...pero parang wala pa akong nakikita na ayos na problem-solving sa mga really important issues our government is facing...
di na ako mag comment at ma-high-blood pa ako bigla today...*uhmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm....chanting*
ReplyDeleteFrom what I read, the measure (Letter of Invitation) appears to be a step to curve or prevent human/drug trafficking (and avoid such tragic results as the execution of Pinoy drug mules in China today). I believe this is not the right solution. Those drug mules were caught in China. That means they were able to leave the country without being caught. I travel from time to time (local and foreign) and I know that inspection and security is pretty tight at the airports, specially after the 9-11 incident. As a matter of fact, there are two areas where these are done, i.e. the first one is once you enter the airport, and the second one immediately before you enter the waiting/departure area. The only way you can go through these security devices e.g. x-ray, metal detectors, frisking/pat-downs, etc., is for you to skip or avoid it. But one can only do that with the willful knowledge and permission by those who man the security points, i.e. immigration and airport security personnel. This is where the control measures should be strengthened, not asking the traveler to produce a piece of paper which can be easily faked.
ReplyDeleteAs to the prevention of human trafficking, the measure should focus on the employment agencies, recruiters and even travel agencies. They should be hit with either heavy fines, or immediate suspension of business operation or closure by the concerned government offices once they're linked to or proven to have something to do, wittingly or unwittingly, with the trafficking, and specific individuals found to be involved thrown to prison.
I understand that these may just have palliative effects and that the longer or more strategic approach is to improve employment opportunities locally. But while such measures to improve employment are still being worked out and the effects are yet to make an impact on the economy, tougher measures on the "physical" security infrastructure should be done (yes, including the men/women who man those infrastructure), not by adding another bureaucratic step that only makes life miserable for people to travel.
lalong ma-depress na yung kakilala ko if she reads this..huhu
ReplyDeleteYung kakilala mo ba is a traveler?
ReplyDeleteI agree.
ReplyDeleteSad to think, but it is very possible that the unwitting drug mule who brought out the heroin lined suitcase was able to get out of the Philippines with her dangerous cargo because there were police and security personnel at the airports in cahoots with the drug traffickers.
ReplyDeleteThese people should have been the ones executed today in China.
ReplyDeleteshe travels, but not a lot...
ReplyDeletePero, teka. Di ba kaka-biyahe nyo lang? Were you asked about that letter of invitation or did you see other travelers being required to produce such letter? Baka may mga specific destination-countries lang na covered nitong requirement na 'to.
ReplyDeletekaya nga, di ba for US travelers ito?
ReplyDeleteI told my officemate we weren't asked in Feb for Hong Kong trip, nor for March, sa Vietnam trip...
I have to share though an amusing anecdote..
ReplyDeleteanother officemate of mine had gone to Cu Chi...and apparently she brought a bullet as souvenir yata from there
she got stopped sa airport, kc bawal to...
she said she presented her calling card and left it with them..tapos pinatuloy sya...hehehe...
sabi ko wow, powerful pala HP eh...buti na lang may calling cards din ako for next time..:-)
*knock on wood*
Yun din ang alam ko. Pero according to this, pinalusot sya ng Vietnam airport authorities. Calling card lang pala ang katapat :-).
ReplyDeleteE mga komunista yan eh. Di nila alam na ang calling card sa atin eh kahit sino pwedeng magkaroon. Akala nila siguro kung sinong opisyal yung officemate mo. LOL!
ReplyDelete*grin*
ReplyDeleteI shall be sure to tease Katt (my officemate) about that too...
bigtima na yata yun eh..last time I was telling her that she and another kasabay ko sa aming orientation when we came to HP are so big-time, that they only bump into each other at international airports and not in the office *grin*