General Info

[QUOTE=KbNagar;2970575]All.

Merry Christmas.

I had to take a TB test recently and my blood test came positive. Had to follow up with chest Xray and other tests. Looks like I may be having LTBI. No symptoms but latent. Getting some more tests done. As I was discussing with my doc, he mentioned that Phils has the high incident rates of TB in the world. Just all of you mongers out there, please take care and get your tests done!

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-70471-x[/QUOTE]After I took a few breaths of military grade japanese insect fumigator yesterday, I doubt that I'm in any immediate danger of contacting any lung related illnesses. (see my davao post).

Can anyone help me verify my new WeChat account?

I can send the QR code to scan.

Thanks in advance.

KG.

[QUOTE=KbNagar;2970575]All.

...... Just all of you mongers out there, please take care and get your tests done!

....[/QUOTE]I have had few TB tests done a few times for various reasons.

Last time was for a visa application. At that time the doctor told me not to have too many TB tests done because after a lot of them, you can start giving false positives.

Apparently they are that sensitive that they can detect the few antibodies you produce in response to the injections given as part of the test.

Gert them done if you really need them, just don't get tested for TB as often as you do for VD.

Every 1-2 months I take a 2 day ivermectin treatment, is good against a multitude of diseases, TB among them, even if downplayed by pharma. I take it mainly for it's primary intended use: worms. We are at the tropics, worms may come, from water (not necessarily when drinking it, but in the eyes when showering, or nose, or brushing your teeth), food, etc, take many years to hatch, and cause irreversible harm.

It's cheap, and has no side effects.

[QUOTE=OldAndUgly;2971330]...and has no side effects.[/QUOTE]Dizziness, nausea, constipation, diarrhea.

[QUOTE=OldAndUgly;2971330]Every 1-2 months I take a 2 day ivermectin treatment, is good against a multitude of diseases,

It's cheap, and has no side effects.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=JohnClayton;2971369]Dizziness, nausea, constipation, diarrhea.[/QUOTE]Haha. To be fair, my ex gave me most of these symptoms on a regular basis (and she never cured anything).

From [URL]https://www.drugs.com/sfx/ivermectin-side-effects.html[/URL]:

Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur while taking ivermectin:

[B]More common side effects[/B]

Difficulty in moving.

Muscle pain or stiffness.

Pain in the joints.

Swollen, painful, or tender lymph glands in the armpit.

[B]Less common side effects[/B]

Black, tarry stools.

Bloating or swelling of the face, arms, hands, lower legs, or feet.

Chest pain.

Chills.

Cold sweats.

Cough.

Dizziness or lightheadedness.

Dizziness, faintness, or lightheadedness when getting up from lying or sitting position.

Eye or eyelid irritation, pain, redness, or swelling.

Fast, pounding, or irregular heartbeat or pulse.

Feeling of constant movement of self or surroundings.

Fever.

Painful or difficult urination.

Rapid weight gain.

Sensation of spinning.

Shakiness in the legs, arms, hands, or feet.

Sore throat.

Sores, ulcers, or white spots on the lips or in the mouth.

Swollen glands.

Tingling of the hands or feet.

Trembling or shaking of the hands or feet.

Trouble breathing.

Unusual bleeding or bruising.

Unusual sleepiness.

Unusual tiredness or weakness.

Unusual weight gain or loss.

[B]Rare side effects.[/B]

Agitation.

Back pain.

Bloody eye.

Blurred vision.

Change in consciousness.

Confusion.

Decreased awareness or responsiveness.

Difficulty in standing or walking.

Hallucinations.

Headache.

Irritability.

Loss of bladder control.

Loss of bowel control.

Loss of consciousness.

Mood or mental changes.

Redness of the eye.

Seizures.

Stiff neck.

Unusual dullness or feeling of sluggishness.

Vomiting.

[QUOTE=WestCoast1;2971379]Haha. To be fair, my ex gave me most of these symptoms on a regular basis (and she never cured anything).

From [URL]https://www.drugs.com/sfx/ivermectin-side-effects.html[/URL]:

Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur while taking ivermectin:

[B]More common side effects[/B]

Difficulty in moving.

Muscle pain or stiffness.

Pain in the joints.

Swollen, painful, or tender lymph glands in the armpit.

[B]Less common side effects[/B]

Black, tarry stools.

Bloating or swelling of the face, arms, hands, lower legs, or feet.

Chest pain.

Chills.

Cold sweats.

Cough.

Dizziness or lightheadedness.

Dizziness, faintness, or lightheadedness when getting up from lying or sitting position.

Eye or eyelid irritation, pain, redness, or swelling.

Fast, pounding, or irregular heartbeat or pulse.

Feeling of constant movement of self or surroundings.

Fever.

Painful or difficult urination.

Rapid weight gain.

Sensation of spinning.

Shakiness in the legs, arms, hands, or feet.

Sore throat.

Sores, ulcers, or white spots on the lips or in the mouth.

Swollen glands.

Tingling of the hands or feet.

Trembling or shaking of the hands or feet.

Trouble breathing.

Unusual bleeding or bruising.

Unusual sleepiness.

Unusual tiredness or weakness.

Unusual weight gain or loss.

[B]Rare side effects.[/B]

Agitation.

Back pain.

Bloody eye.

Blurred vision.

Change in consciousness.

Confusion.

Decreased awareness or responsiveness.

Difficulty in standing or walking.

Hallucinations.

Headache.

Irritability.

Loss of bladder control.

Loss of bowel control.

Loss of consciousness.

Mood or mental changes.

Redness of the eye.

Seizures.

Stiff neck.

Unusual dullness or feeling of sluggishness.

Vomiting.[/QUOTE]There is a very simple solution to all these side effects: don't take it! Problem solved. I'll just do my vomiting, and loss of consciousness once a month.

Well its that time of year again. Time for the ACR, 1+ year fellas to report for a BI interview in January / February. I think you might be able to do it online now.

[URL]https://immigration.gov.ph/annual-report-season-for-registered-foreign-nationals-begins-on-january/[/URL]

Here is the entire txt from the BI web page:

[I]The Bureau of Immigration is set to kick off the 2025 Annual Report for all registered foreign nationals starting on January.

Registered foreign nationals are required by law to personally report to the BI within the first 60 days of the year, presenting necessary documents for the Annual Report.

Registered foreign nationals include those working, residing, and studying in the country, with ACR I-Cards.

The service, according to BI alien registration division chief Atty. Jose Carlitos Licas, Jr., is available in the BIs online platform at e-services.immigration.gov.ph.

The physical Annual Report for the BIs head office in Manila will be conducted at the 4th Level Center Atrium, Robinsons Manila, and at the Government Service Express (GSE) Unit of SM Mall of Asia, from Mondays to Fridays, excluding holidays, between 9AM to 6PM.

Apart from the two malls, BI offices nationwide may also cater to the reporting. #[/I]

From the BI website, crowing about its accomplishments over the past year:

[URL]https://immigration.gov.ph/bi-highlights-2024-achievements-eyes-modernization-in-2025-as-it-moves-towards-bagong-immigration/[/URL]

From the article:

[I]"MANILA, PhilippinesThe Bureau of Immigration (BI) closed 2024 with record-breaking travel figures and notable advancements in modernization, paving the way for streamlined processes and stronger border security in the coming years.

The BI reported a total of 14,540,533 arrivals, comprising 7,922,052 Filipinos and [b]6,618,481 foreigners[/b], alongside 15,050,136 departures, which included 8,348,283 Filipinos and [b]6,701,853 foreigners[/b].

BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado attributed the robust numbers to the resurgence of international travel and the Philippines appeal as a premier destination, as a result of the Department of Tourisms aggressive campaign to re-invite foreign tourists back to the country."[/I]

I boldfaced those two numbers on purpose. 6. 6 million foreign arrivals, and 6. 7 million foreign departures for the year. Two thoughts:

1) 2019, the last full year prior to Covid, saw about 8. 5 million arrive. Phils is not quite back to past year's 'full capacity' levels (not quite a record).

2) Regarding the roughly 80,000 more foreigners who left than arrived. Some reasons. The expats die. The expats have given up, and dropped their SRRV or 13 A, and just got TF out. Also I read that there were about 11,000 mostly Chinese POGO deportations last year; given the country usually only deports about 1,500 person per year, that is a dramatic increase.

[QUOTE=WestCoast1;2973253]From the BI website, crowing about its accomplishments over the past year:

[URL]https://immigration.gov.ph/bi-highlights-2024-achievements-eyes-modernization-in-2025-as-it-moves-towards-bagong-immigration/[/URL]

From the article:

[I]"MANILA, PhilippinesThe Bureau of Immigration (BI) closed 2024 with record-breaking travel figures and notable advancements in modernization, paving the way for streamlined processes and stronger border security in the coming years.

The BI reported a total of 14,540,533 arrivals, comprising 7,922,052 Filipinos and [b]6,618,481 foreigners[/b], alongside 15,050,136 departures, which included 8,348,283 Filipinos and [b]6,701,853 foreigners[/b].

BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado attributed the robust numbers to the resurgence of international travel and the Philippines appeal as a premier destination, as a result of the Department of Tourisms aggressive campaign to re-invite foreign tourists back to the country."[/I]

I boldfaced those two numbers on purpose. 6. 6 million foreign arrivals, and 6. 7 million foreign departures for the year. Two thoughts:

1) 2019, the last full year prior to Covid, saw about 8. 5 million arrive. Phils is not quite back to past year's 'full capacity' levels (not quite a record).

2) Regarding the roughly 80,000 more foreigners who left than arrived. Some reasons. The expats die. The expats have given up, and dropped their SRRV or 13 A, and just got TF out. Also I read that there were about 11,000 mostly Chinese POGO deportations last year; given the country usually only deports about 1,500 person per year, that is a dramatic increase.[/QUOTE]Those are good numbers considering how bad the world economy still is. Also it is more expensive now to fly to Asia than it was in 2019.

[QUOTE=AggieDad1;2973365]Those are good numbers considering how bad the world economy still is. Also it is more expensive now to fly to Asia than it was in 2019.[/QUOTE]Everything cost more money these past 5 years. But there are people who have money. More money than life! I have more money than life. I have money saved from the Covid lock down years. Well, I did until last year. I doubled up my mongering so much that my vitamin V couldn't keep up. LOL. But still a lot of fun. No regrets from 2024.

[QUOTE=AggieDad1;2973365]Those are good numbers considering how bad the world economy still is. Also it is more expensive now to fly to Asia than it was in 2019.[/QUOTE]Yes from East coast of US now lucky to stay under 2 k for ticket unless you buy far out. Mine United recently 2. 5 k but I bought 2 weeks out. Prior to COVID 1500 or less was common and that was for a good seat. Hotels and condo's seem about the same but yes airfare has increased and planes were full so doubt they will reduce anytime soon.

[QUOTE=Locamotive;2973698]Yes from East coast of US now lucky to stay under 2 k for ticket unless you buy far out. Mine United recently 2. 5 k but I bought 2 weeks out. Prior to COVID 1500 or less was common and that was for a good seat. Hotels and condo's seem about the same but yes airfare has increased and planes were full so doubt they will reduce anytime soon.[/QUOTE]Jeez Loco, it sounds like you guys are really getting ripped off.

I travel 3 times a year from Australia and the average price is usually about $USD700 return with selected seats on PA.

I know it's probably a much shorter flight (8 Hrs) and our dollar is shit at the moment in comparison.

That's a lot of up-front money before accommodation and cash spent on having a great time with the girls.

Long gone are the days of a cheap around the world ticket I used to get via Asia, Europe and North America before returning home.

There was the Filipina on the way, the English girls which were easy to score from any pub (beers were expensive), the Moscow experiences where random hot blondes would knock on your hotel door and then the late night NYC bars where everyone got laid.

Those were the days_ Phil.

I still find cheap ones, but I'm never tied up on some specific dates or routes.

Had to go to Germany for some surgery, and for return I checked all 3 airports CRK, MNL, CEB. I got MUC-CEB one way for 500 $ on Eva Air.

Didn't fly the other way east for 3 years now, but I'll have to do it soon. Again because I'm loose like a leaf in the wind, I may fly to Hawaii, Japan, HK, or China first and take a separate flight from there.

Back when I was on a schedule it was different, had to pay whatever it was, but the prices were much lower then. Once I flew to China from LAX for $99, many times to HK for $299. Also the oposite is true, once I paid almost $3000 for a one way MNL-LAX, or maybe was SFO, because I missed the flight due to bad weather in Surigao, and had to be back in the states, like the day before.

[QUOTE=OldAndUgly;2974220]Had to go to Germany for some surgery, and for return I checked all 3 airports CRK, MNL, CEB. I got MUC-CEB one way for 500 $ on Eva Air.

SNIP

Back when I was on a schedule it was different, had to pay whatever it was, but the prices were much lower then. Once I flew to China from LAX for $99, many times to HK for $299. Also the oposite is true, once I paid almost $3000 for a one way MNL-LAX, or maybe was SFO, because I missed the flight due to bad weather in Surigao, and had to be back in the states, like the day before.[/QUOTE]Airfare from MNL / LAX, 1-way. Cheapest flights March to June, and the last pic is cheapest flights for a random day of Mar 3. Cheapest flight is on China Airlines, under $400 USD.