General Information

[QUOTE=Stroker Ace88; 1309633]WR,

BI had previously requested single female passengers (who they suspected of sex trafficking) and some younger male passengers (suspected of working in another SEA country without the proper stamps and the Philippine bean counters losing out on revenue) who were flying to certain destinations in SEA to fill out a form. There was no hard guideline that BI used to implement who they asked to fill out the form. It was left up to the BI agents to decide.[/QUOTE]It is the loss of fees for POEA and all the OFW seminars etc that they want to catch and collect. Always comes back to revenue and cash. From talking to some people appears many have visas for work in other SEA countriesbut want to avoid what they seem as unnecessary 'seminars' that the government insists they attend (many apparently only held in Manila) for which there is a fee. SO they go to the new country as a tourist then convert to OFW on arrival thus avoiding the fees and the incredibly long tme it takes to process all this extra paperwork.

Only in the Philippines.

[QUOTE=Wicked Roger; 1310355]SO they go to the new country as a tourist then convert to OFW on arrival thus avoiding the fees and the incredibly long tme it takes to process all this extra paperwork.

Only in the Philippines.[/QUOTE]Except that when things go belly-up, as they usually do for undocumented filipinos working abroad, they run to the government pleading for help.

A huge percentage of the filipinos in deep shit in Syria are UN-DOCUMENTED. They are now pleading for repatriation.

The Head of BOI was on local TV yesterday discussing this very problem.

He indicated that it was OK for workers to do direct contracting rather than through an agent IF THEY KNEW THE JOB WAS LEGIT, but often it is not. He just requested that they register with POEA so that GoP knows they are overseas.

Employers in foreign countries LOVE the pinoys and pinays who come unregistered. They rip them off mercilessly. They are a bit more circumspect when there is an official document.

I spoke with a woman yesterday who was undocumented and worked in a Gulf state Hard Rock Cafe. The manager, another filipina, ripped her off to the extent that her 28, 000 per month (php) promised salary became just 12, 000 per month through sheer theft by the manager. When she complained about the situation to the owner the manager kicked her out. The owner did nothing.

She went to the Philippines authorities but they could not do anything as she had no official papers but at least they helped her get back home.

Now she is working abroad again and is a strict advocate for being registered by POEA.

I agree that the seminars etc that they require are often seen as useless by us but at the end of the day filipinos get shafted by everybody.

[QUOTE=Wicked Roger; 1310355]It is the loss of fees for POEA and all the OFW seminars etc that they want to catch and collect. Always comes back to revenue and cash. From talking to some people appears many have visas for work in other SEA countriesbut want to avoid what they seem as unnecessary 'seminars' that the government insists they attend (many apparently only held in Manila) for which there is a fee. SO they go to the new country as a tourist then convert to OFW on arrival thus avoiding the fees and the incredibly long tme it takes to process all this extra paperwork.

Only in the Philippines.[/QUOTE]On a related point, was reading South China Morning Post yesterday in HK. Was telling the story that many helpers, after working in HK for 5 years have less money than when they arrived in HK. Reason being they become guarantors for other peoples loans, they lend money to one of their OFW with the usual sob stories (yes they rip each other off same as they try to rip us off LOL) or just waste it on expensive presents when they go back home.

Some of the seminars they attend in Manila do actually tell them to only spend what they can afford, but it seems to fall on deaf ears often.

Was in Beijing this week and due to rain stopped in a small Italian restaurant. And of course the waitress there is Pinay. Ask here if she got the job thru an agent, she says no. Ask her if she has a permit to work in China, she says no.

Ask her how she got to Beijing, said she took a flight to Macau and arranged a China tourist visa from there. Sadly she was short and fat otherwise I'm sure I would been asking her a whole lot more!

[QUOTE=El Greco; 1310287]I checked them in different places around the world. They might not show an ATM fee as such but if you check the rate you'll notice that it is in there.

I used three different cards from three different banks same time Same amount on same machine and then checked my charges. The cheapest one was always my old Greek bank. Maybe this is one of the reasons they are broke now. LOL The worst was always HSBC.[/QUOTE]Some banks have agreements not to charge each other's customers ATM fees and / or the bank absorbs the ATM fee and / or you are important to the bank.

I get some free withdrawals in Europe from Deutschbank but haven't found any in Pi that have arrangements with an Aussie bank.

I like ATMs as easy to get cash without have to manage USDs.

[QUOTE=Red Kilt; 1310397]Except that when things go belly-up, as they usually do for undocumented Filipinos working abroad, they run to the government pleading for help.

Employers in foreign countries LOVE the pinoys and pinays who come unregistered. They rip them off mercilessly. They are a bit more circumspect when there is an official document.

I spoke with a woman yesterday who was undocumented and worked in a Gulf state Hard Rock Cafe. The manager, another Filipina, ripped her off to the extent that her 28, 000 per month (php) promised salary became just 12, 000 per month through sheer theft by the manager. When she complained about the situation to the owner the manager kicked her out. The owner did nothing.

I agree that the seminars etc that they require are often seen as useless by us but at the end of the day Filipinos get shafted by everybody.[/QUOTE]I agree with general reasoning as you said RK not how it is administered which seems more like money grab than real advice. Pinays being ripped off by pinays / pinoys is part of Filipino culture and I can give you many examples, especially with domestic helpers (DHs). They go through all the seminars etc and still end up in some Middle East countries where the agent makes them sign a new contract at 50% less. Naïve etc they do and then work 7 days a week. Very typical and is why the Philippines and some ME countries still to agree on DH contracts (main issue is that the locals won't pay 15, 000 PHP a month and give a day off saying they can get Africans for 50% and no days off.)

In the UAE I am told salaries are becoming lower as so many Filipinos looking for work that the employers take advantage. Example no medical coverage (illegal) , no ticket home (illegal)

The other main problem is the Philippine Embassy and Missions who IMHO are not active enough to stop. When I last asked a few years ago the UAE mission had 43 runaways in its accommodation waiting for someone to send cash to send them home.

[QUOTE=FreebieFan; 1310406]Reason being they become guarantors for other peoples loans, they lend money to one of their OFW with the usual sob stories (yes they rip each other off same as they try to rip us off LOL) or just waste it on expensive presents when they go back home.

Some of the seminars they attend in Manila do actually tell them to only spend what they can afford, but it seems to fall on deaf ears often.

Was in Beijing this week and due to rain stopped in a small Italian restaurant. And of course the waitress there is Pinay. Ask here if she got the job thru an agent, she says no. Ask her if she has a permit to work in China, she says no.

Ask her how she got to Beijing, said she took a flight to Macau and arranged a China tourist visa from there. Sadly she was short and fat otherwise I'm sure I would been asking her a whole lot more![/QUOTE]See my earlier post. The guarantor issue is a major problem in the Middle East. I know of a pinay who did this for a relative, who promptly took the cash and departed for PI never to be seen again. Banks and police are chasing her but I have some friends in the country advising her so while she is not in jail (as she can't pay the monthly instalments and live at the same time) , she is managing to keep them away. This was a close relative who she told me she 'trusted'

Met a pinoy waiter last night in KL and chatted to him. He earns around 30, 000 PHP a month and could not survive unless he was single. Said he is there illegally, is buying visa he said etc.

Another I know paid an agent 60, 000 PHP for a job in SEA but so far earns 15, 000PHP as only part time work. Go figure.

FF I think you should have been more magnanimous and taken one for the team with the waitress as she clearly needed help. Or least a huge tip (and I don t mean shave your pussy and lose weight LOL)

[QUOTE=Wicked Roger; 1310490]See my earlier post. The guarantor issue is a major problem in the Middle East. I know of a pinay who did this for a relative, who promptly took the cash and departed for PI never to be seen again. Banks and police are chasing her but I have some friends in the country advising her so while she is not in jail (as she can't pay the monthly instalments and live at the same time) , she is managing to keep them away. This was a close relative who she told me she 'trusted'

Met a pinoy waiter last night in KL and chatted to him. He earns around 30, 000 PHP a month and could not survive unless he was single. Said he is there illegally, is buying visa he said etc.

Another I know paid an agent 60, 000 PHP for a job in SEA but so far earns 15, 000PHP as only part time work. Go figure.

FF I think you should have been more magnanimous and taken one for the team with the waitress as she clearly needed help. Or least a huge tip (and I don t mean shave your pussy and lose weight LOL) [/QUOTE]WR, I couldn't have done this one. Small, fat and dark, with some dental issues. I just couldn't. But for sure I thought about it when I shocked her with my best Tagalog.

She was there on a "student visa". If you meet many Pinays in KL you will find those who are living in KL are also all on student visas. They enroll in a school, pay the minimum student tuition deposit to get the visa and then never go to the school. Tried and tested trick to get a long stay visa in many countries.

Whilst the agents in Manila are very avaricious and shark like, the Indonesian agents can be even worse. Its quite common for a DH in HK, to give up the first 6 months of her salary to pay the agent fees.

[QUOTE=FreebieFan;1310493]She was there on a "student visa". If you meet many Pinays in KL you will find those who are living in KL are also all on student visas. They enroll in a school, pay the minimum student tuition deposit to get the visa and then never go to the school. Tried and tested trick to get a long stay visa in many countries.[/QUOTE]Seems to be an excellent idea for Pinay to enter Australia as well. Many young WLs I meet here in Australia are here to 'learn english'. One Pinay I met in Cebu is trying to get into Aust but she needs to show she has some cash in her bank. She's applied twice already. I'd consider sponsoring her entry with some cash in her hands but I don't want to have my name on her visa application. Of course she is quite pretty and when she (23 year old) sees all the good looking Aussie 'boys' her middle aged boyfriend (me) might not look so attractive!

[quote=wicked roger; 1310488]i agree with general reasoning as you said rk not how it is administered which seems more like money grab than real advice. pinays being ripped off by pinays / pinoys is part of filipino culture and i can give you many examples, especially with domestic helpers (dhs). they go through all the seminars etc and still end up in some middle east countries where the agent makes them sign a new contract at 50% less. naïve etc they do and then work 7 days a week. very typical and is why the philippines and some me countries still to agree on dh contracts (main issue is that the locals won't pay 15, 000 php a month and give a day off saying they can get africans for 50% and no days off.)

in the uae i am told salaries are becoming lower as so many filipinos looking for work that the employers take advantage. example no medical coverage (illegal) , no ticket home (illegal)

the other main problem is the philippine embassy and missions who imho are not active enough to stop. when i last asked a few years ago the uae mission had 43 runaways in its accommodation waiting for someone to send cash to send them home.[/quote]very true. sadly, its the case with most third world countries, in india as well, they give big promises while in india and when you go to gulf, your passport is confirep001ed and told to work 16 hours a day to pay off the loan amount you were brought in for. there were riots involving indians and their contractors in the middle east couple of years ago when the tallest building in the world al burj was being built. middle east is hell for asians for the most part. indians and filipinos send the highest number of workers to the middle east by far from asia.

the administration who looks after these cases in both countries are a joke, paid and brought off by the royal family sponsored companies. i'm sometimes astonished by the exact degree of cheating and lies that governments and recruitment agencies shell out in both countries to its own people. its almost perfect that these scams work in both countries 5000 miles apart with different country and culture...they dish out the exact bs to both countries and get away with it...

[QUOTE=BrainDrain;1310690]Seems to be an excellent idea for Pinay to enter Australia as well. Many young WLs I meet here in Australia are here to 'learn english'. One Pinay I met in Cebu is trying to get into Aust but she needs to show she has some cash in her bank. She's applied twice already. I'd consider sponsoring her entry with some cash in her hands but I don't want to have my name on her visa application. Of course she is quite pretty and when she (23 year old) sees all the good looking Aussie 'boys' her middle aged boyfriend (me) might not look so attractive![/QUOTE]I could only imagine what the money in the bank would do once she got it. Are there any Aussies who have taken a bar girl back to Aust from Cebu? I had guys ask me and I always reply none that I know.

Does anyone know any cam site where there are only cebu girls? Or which is the best phillipine cam site to have some fun and possibly meet the girl? Sorry if this question is not meant for this section obviously I'm new LOL.

[QUOTE=BGolf74;1310877]Does anyone know any cam site where there are only cebu girls? Or which is the best phillipine cam site to have some fun and possibly meet the girl? Sorry if this question is not meant for this section obviously I'm new LOL.[/QUOTE]My thoughts, there are two approaches.

1. Meeting girls for dates and then validating them via a webcam.

2. Looking for webcam fun.

Would the freewebcams site work for this fun? I think they have an asian offshoot website which can be selected by country. I doubt it would get down to selection by City though.

Some of the girls I've met on various dating website are happy to go to Yahoo Messenger for web chat. Each girl has their favourite webcam program that they understand. Sometimes it is easier to just install the various alternate cam programs ie Skype, Google, whatever. The alternative trying to get them to install new software, setup an account takes a lot of patience. I can be installed and registered a lot quicker. I think even Facebook has webchat now.

BD

[QUOTE=BrainDrain;1310690]Seems to be an excellent idea for Pinay to enter Australia as well. Many young WLs I meet here in Australia are here to 'learn english'. One Pinay I met in Cebu is trying to get into Aust but she needs to show she has some cash in her bank. She's applied twice already. I'd consider sponsoring her entry with some cash in her hands but I don't want to have my name on her visa application. Of course she is quite pretty and when she (23 year old) sees all the good looking Aussie 'boys' her middle aged boyfriend (me) might not look so attractive![/QUOTE]Does she appreciate the fact that she needs a lot of cash for tuition fees too BD. University is not free in Australia unless she has a scholarship (competitive) and her study will be strictly monitored too. If she doesn't attend classes or shows that she is there for reasons other than study she will be kicked out AND black-listed too. Most of the SE Asian girls studying English in Australia come from wealthy families or they are smart girls (Vietnamese, Indonesian, Filipina, etc) who have won scholarships or are on the Australian Government Development Scholarships scheme.

The fact that she has applied twice and been rejected means she is flagged on the list and any 3rd application will be watched closely.

Pinays have a rose-colored view of Australia and don't believe me when I say that I it is very expensive to live in Australia. Your final sentence is your own very good reason why you should not "sponsor" her. If you do there is no way you can avoid having to provide a letter of support for her with your name and passport number. I know how difficult it was to get my (then gf now wife) a visa for her first trip. After the first one was granted we have returned at least twice a year.

[QUOTE=BGolf74;1310877]Does anyone know any cam site where there are only cebu girls?[/QUOTE]

I never found any in Cebu when I had the same very bad idea that you have. Almost all were in Manila or around that area. The local authorities have an extremely dim view of girls working on webcam sites. This is why there are no longer any private rooms in the cyber cafes.

Having experienced how unbelievably easy it is to meet girls in Cebu, I realized that spending money on webcam chats trying to hunt down a girl who was living in Cebu and was interested in meeting me was a waste of time and money. There are a few individuals on this forum who seem to not have anything better to do with their time than spend every waking hour chatting with girls on DIA for months and months (check the Chat Rooms & Pen Pals thread). They then try to analyze who is a scammer, who is a lady boy, who will actually meet them, how large the boobs are etc. etc.. You might want to join this "club of losers". However if you actually HAVE A LIFE and will actually be TRAVELING TO CEBU, simply read the forum and don't worry. Even if you look like Quasimodo, as long as you have $30 or $40 bucks to spend (at the very most), you will find plenty of company.

By the way, congratulations on paying your $19.95 so that you can send and receive PMs. This is very useful since some forum members can help fix you up if you need a little help.