I mean, the fact that I took time out of my busy schedule to help these folks with answers to their questions, then when I send the reply to them, I get a message that the e-mail address is not valid.  It’s frustrating, and makes me usually feel that I have wasted my time in answering, or really even reading their e-mail.  Some such e-mails are quite long.  Some questions are complex, and require me to think for quite a while before responding, considering the possible ramifications of my advice.

The other day, I got such an e-mail from a fellow named Christopher.  When I e-mailed Christopher back, the message bounced.  The thing that frustrates me in this case is that I feel that Christopher is treading on some pretty dangerous ground, and could possibly be putting himself in danger when he returns to the Philippines.  The fact that I am unable to reach him, given that his e-mail address is not valid, troubles me, and makes me worry for his safety.

Christopher was a New York Policeman

Here is what Christopher had to say:

Bob, ive been reading your articles for some time now.

I am a 49 year old American living in a northern suburb to NYC. I am a retired cop from the suburb area job where I live. My pension is $72k a year plus free medical for life. I’m married with 3 kids. Girls of 21 and 14 and an 8 yo son. I am a American who was born in the Philippines to a Filipino father and an American mother.

I moved from the Philippines to NY when I was a infant so America is all I know. I married a lovely Irish gal who I assisted in getting her “green card “.

My dad has substantial property in Quezon City, Batangas City and Lobo. The property includes apartments in Quezon City, a strip mall on Rizal Dr in Batangas and an old beach front home in Lobo. He additionally owns farm property and quite a bit of other properties with value. The problem is that my dad is 85 and lives in NY near me. He has no trustworthy people handeling his buisness affairs and no close dependable relatives. It’s a given that he is being stolen from badly. The farmers on his property pay him by produce percentages which are always way below normal.

Relatives of distant relatives are living on his property for free and are taking advantage of him. My father says that his arraignments are “old -school ” and if he starts treating it like a business the people over there will be offended.

I just got dual citizenship for the Philippines for me and my two younger children (my 21 yo is too old to be eligible). I am considering moving to the Philippines to get our finances in order there but expect a lot of resistance (from squaters and freeloaders) and even goverment laws. My first trip to the Philippines may be this year but I’d be lost there, I haven’t been there since i was a baby. I’m sure that getting my dual citizenship will help to make sure i have the rights of other citizens but I still don’t know what to expect. I don’t want to arrive there with a cowboy attitude and jump right in with guns -a -blazing but i won’t be walked all over either. Can you give me advice on how to proceed and what i could expect for my 8yo boy and 14yo girl if we do make the move. Any advice will be appreciated.

Hi George,

Since I could not e-mail you directly, because the e-mail address you provided is not valid, I am addressing your concerns in this article.  Firstly, for advice on your children making the move, I recommend that you read my article from last week, “Bob, Why did you move to Davao?”

Now, on to the other issued in your query.

Interesting story, thanks for writing.

I think it is possible that you are about to step into a very dangerous situation.  What  your father said is exactly right, when he said that people might get offended.  I would add that they also may get violent.

I would strongly recommend that you need to understand the culture here before you step into the situation.  If you don’t, you will likely say or do something that is considered offensive, and if that happens you may well end up hurt or even dead.

It is a touchy situation, and needs to be handled in a way that will not offend the people who are squatting on the land.  I would say that it might be a wise thing to hire some local folks who have a better understanding of the culture, and also a better knowledge about how things are done here.

Good luck to you, I hope it all works out in your favor.

Any other advice for Christopher, readers?

Here’s what makeup newbie had to say:

hey bob. a friend (X) who’s a dual citizen married a filipina in the philippines. marriage certificate indicates that X is filipino(he being a dual citizen). now, he wants to bring the wife to the US. how can he do it if the marriage certificate shows that he is a filipino? can he just show his naturalization papers or does he need to change the nationality indicated in the marriage certificate from filipino to american? thank you.

Here’s what Bob had to say:

Hello makeup newbie – Honestly, I see nothing unusual about your friend’s case. He files for the immigration of his wife. If any questions are asked by the US Immigration people, he just tells them that he is a dual citizen. No problems. No fuss at all.

This is what Ron had to say:

Hi John,Thanks for the info on 13a.I travel back to Australia every 13 weeks(have been doing it for four and a half years).I am on a pention that if I am not there in person every 13 weeks they will stop my pension.I have 2 more trips to do Aug and Nov then I qualify for the age pension.That is the time I will apply for permanent residency.I will have to go to Cebu to do this and i hope it will all go smoothly.Yes Cebu Pacific do require you to have a ticket out of the country.The one time I didnt have they refused to stamp my passport and I had to buy a ticket at the airport before they would let me in.Cebu Pacific also got fined 50,000 peso for letting me on the plane in Singapore without said ticket.Also it is a lot cheaper to do all your extensions at one time for the limit of your stay.You can save over 2000 peso over a 13 week stay.You are only paying the express fee once.I assume all the documents for the 13a can be down loaded off the internet?As to Kurt his behavior is something that we expats find disturbing as it reflects on all of us.

Visa

This is John’s reply:

Ron: Yes, they are all downloadable, and some of the NSO docs can be ordered online.

The Global Pinoy Center is owned by SM, and can be found in almost all of the SM Malls around the country now.  The Global Pinoy Center is primarily aimed at Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW’s), and the member ship to the Center is limited to OFW’s and other Filipinos who have traveled or worked abroad.  Expats can also qualify for membership in the Global Pinoy Center.

I joined the GPC about 6 months ago or so, and I am glad that I did.  I find that I use it on a fairly regular basis.

Global Pinoy Center at SM Malls

The cost of membership in the Global Pinoy Center is around P150 per year.  Since it’s been a while since I joined, I don’t remember the exact cost, but as I recall we got a 2 year membership for P300 each (Feyma and I each joined).

What can you do at the Global Pinoy Center?  Well, to be honest, most of the services are things that I don’t and won’t use.  Things like making phone calls overseas, doing cash remittances and such.  These services are squarely aimed at the OFW members, and really are the primary reason for the existence of GPC.  But, I like the GPC for other reasons:

1. They have a “storefront” in SM that is in a quiet, not well traveled area.  I can go there to relax and not get inundated with people who “know me” from seeing me on the web.  Because of this, I can meet with friends, or just sit down and have a cup of coffee or read the newspaper without constant interruption.
2. You get free coffee, tea, water and other refreshments.  Want 2 or 3 cups of coffee?  It’s not a problem, you can have as many cups of coffee as you want, and it’s free.  Want a Latte?  Yep, they have those too!  All free.  It’s included in the membership fee of just P150 or so per year.  Heck, if you go to Starbucks or Bo’s coffee shops, you’ll spend nearly P150 for one cup of coffee!
3. They have a full selection of current newspapers, magazines and such for you to read.
4. It is a nice comfortable place with nice couches, padded chairs where you can relax.
5. They even have computers which are free to use, and have internet access.
6. If you prefer to use your own computer, you can bring your laptop or Smartphone and connect to their wireless network.
7. If you are shopping and need to use the rest room, the GPC has a very nice rest room, which is clean and stocked with toilet paper, soap, etc. for your comfort and convenience.
8. They have a currency exchange counter, where you can exchange dollars or other foreign currencies into Philippine Pesos.

All of these services are for members only, so it keeps the crowd down.  In fact, whenever I have gone to the GPC, usually I am the only one there, or maybe 2 or 3 other people at the most.  It’s quiet, well lit, well decorated, and really a nice service.

The Global Pinoy Center!  I think it’s a great place.  I was even reluctant to share information about it here, because I don’t want it to get too popular, and spoil the peace and quiet I can find there!

Additional note:  As a member, whenever you visit you are entitled to bring one guest with you.  So, if you want to bring a friend who is not a member, he may also enter with you, based on your membership.

Here’s what Janice had to say:

Hi Bob,

I have a 16 yr old daughter who was born in San Francisco, Ca. We moved here in the Phils. when she was 7 yrs old using a Philippine Passport. Right now, she has both Phil and US passport. My questions are: 1. Does she needs to renounce her Filipino citizen when she reaches 18 yrs old? 2. If yes, how can she keep her filipino citizen? does she needs to have her renewal of US passport be done in the US? How old can a naturalized born US citizen petition her parents? I am a Filipino citizen… Hoping you can help me with these… Thank you and more power to you..

Here’s what Bob had to say:

1. I see no reason why she should renounce any citizenship at any age.

2. By doing nothing she will be a US and Philippine citizen, in my opinion.

3. She can renew her US passport anywhere in the world.

4. I am sorry, I know nothing about what the steps are for her to sponsor you to the USA.

Good luck to you and your daughter.

This is what Claudette had to say:

In terms of obtaining a 13 series resident visa, I think the entire process is perfectly doable without a lawyer. All it takes is to know the process and not to be intimidated by the immigration personnel. A great deal of patience is also necessary as they (BOI personnel) seem to think you are at their mercy and can make you wait as much as they want to get whatever it is you need from them.

But in fairness to the BOI satellite office, they processed our papers very quickly. I do wonder though if it is a big factor that the petitioning spouse (myself), is an Ombudsman lawyer. hehehe… maybe…:p

Visa

This is John’s reply:

Claudette:

The BOI people at Intramuros were fine to me… As I mentioned, it was foreigners usually causing the problems. The regulations are complex, and that office is very busy, so, as you said, patience is really what it’s all about.

Don has a wife and two kids.  He asked me why Feyma and I decided to move here, and especially why we decided to raise our kids here in the Philippines.

I have written on this subject matter in the past, but it’s been a long time, so I thought I’d share my e-mail exchange with Don, for the benefit of others who may have such questions on their minds.

Here is what Don wrote:

Hello Bob,

Can you tell me why you and your wife decided to move to the Philippines and raise your children there ?

Why I ask is because we are thinking of moving with our daughter 4 and 10 to Davao.

Thank you,

Don

Hi Don,

Thanks for writing.  You have certainly touched on a big question!  Actually, I have written about this many times on several of my websites, but it may be hard to search out the exact articles you are looking for.

Bob & Feyma, enjoying life in the Philippines

My wife, Feyma, and I were married in 1990.  She arrived in the USA in January of 1991, and we started our life together.  Our first child, Chris, was born in December of 1991.  Aaron, our second, was born in September of 1996, followed by Jared in March of 2000.  We moved to the Philippines in May 2000, Jared was just a few days older than 1 month old when we moved!

Starting sometime around 1996 or so, maybe 1997, I wanted to move to the Philippines.  Feyma, on the other hand, was not so keen on the idea.  Frankly, she was a bit scared to move back to the Philippines.  I think that in her mind, she associated life in the Philippines with being poor, as that was her experience in her 22 years of life in the Philippines.  I, on the other hand, was tired of life in the States.  Though I was only 38 when we moved, I had a few health issues, and a job that was tough on those health issues.  Also, I felt like I was on an endless treadmill in the States, and I longed for a bit of originality and adventure in life.  Thus, my desire to move to the Philippines.

It took a while for Feyma to come around and agree with me in regards of moving here.  I don’t think she was all gung ho like I was to make the move, but more resigned to give it a try since I wanted to do it badly.  We made an agreement with each other that we would commit to living in the Philippines for a minimum of five years, no matter what.  No matter how bad it turned out to be, we had to stick it out for five years, to give ourselves plenty of time to make the adjustment.  As it turned out, that decision/commitment was the most important thing we did.

You specifically asked about our kids, and how they fit into our decision to move.  Actually, our oldest son, Chris, was one of the key factors in our moving.

Bob and the boys

Chris was 8 years old when we moved.  Chris is a special kid, and has special medical issues.  His specific problem is that he is mentally retarded, although he is pretty highly functioning for a person with his challenges.  Having a kid like Chris, while a blessing, is also very challenging for parents.  It requires constant work and attention.  Frankly, it is like you need a whole team of parents to give the child the type of attention that he needs.  In the USA, we simply did not have an adequate support network to care for Chris.  My extended family is small.  I have my mother and a brother.  Both lived within 30 minutes from us there in the USA, but they are both busy and have their own things to take care of.  You know how it is in the west… everybody is busy.  My mom would help out a bit with Chris, but it was not enough, to be honest.  I am not criticizing my Mom, but rather just stating the facts.  I don’t blame her for that, she has her own challenges to take care of in life.

Living in the Philippines is different though.  You have a much stronger extended family network to help care for somebody like our son.  My wife’s siblings, cousins, nephews and nieces and such were all willing, and happy to help with Chris.  In fact, in the USA, Chris was sort of an “outsider” because he is different.  Here in the Philippines, Chris is just part of the family.  It is a much different dynamic, and exactly what we needed.

Of course our other children were a consideration as well.  I mean, even if making a move would be good for Chris, you would not want to short change your other children.  However, after some reflection and research, we came to the conclusion that we would not be short changing our kids at all by moving to the Philippines.  In fact, we feel that living here gives our kids additional opportunities.  The kids are exposed to additional cultures, different ways of looking at things, learn additional languages and such, things that they would not have gotten in the States.  They are being raised in a more “family culture” compared to what US culture has evolved to.  They are getting a good education at a world class private school that is still relatively inexpensive (although quite expensive by Philippine standards).  I don’t really see much, if any, downside to them living here, and there are plenty of upsides to them, especially Chris.

Bob & the girls

At this point, we have been living in the Philippines for 12 years (today is our 12 year anniversary of living here!).  Chris is 20 years old, Aaron is 15 and Jared is 12.  Over the time that we have lived here we have also adopted and accepted two girls into our family, Jean is 15 and Nicole is 8, they both fit into the family very well, and are nice compliments to the family.  They are also loved and accepted by the boys.

In your e-mail, Don, you said that your kids are 4 and 10.  I think that now is your opportunity to make the move.  I would not advise waiting too much longer, because your 10 year old daughter will have a hard time making the move if you wait more than about 2 more years.  I think, though, that making such a move at 10 years old is no problem.  Yeah, she will have to adjust, and she may complain a bit about it (or she may not), but she can make the adjustment.  If you were to wait until she is a teen, say 13 or 14, I think that making such a move would be a big challenge.

Remember, earlier I said that making that “5 year” commitment turned out to be a very important thing, probably the most important that we did?  You see, when we first moved here, Feyma and I both had times when we were ready to chuck it and move back.  Especially Feyma, she had a very hard time adjusting.  But, we had made the commitment, and were both willing to stand by the commitment we made.  Truth is, it did take 5 years before we were really both very happy living here.  Were we fully adjusted by 5 years?  No way, we’ve been here 12 years and we still make adjustments!  We will probably still be adjusting to life in the Philippines for the rest of our lives, but we do love it, though.

Good luck to you, Don.  I hope that whatever decision you reach turns out as good for you as it did for us.

Here’s what Nathalie had to say:

Hello Bob,

I was born in Germany and have a German father & Filipina mother. We are now living in the Philippines. I’m already 25 yrs old but haven’t yet applied for a petition for dual citizenship. But I have both passports and are renewing them when needed. I need to go abroad and will be using my German passport, and my question is, can I enter the PH with my German passport (because my Filipino passport is still in process for renewal)? Will the immigration officer give me a visa because I don’t have my PH passport with me?

Also, do I really need the petition? Can’t I just have both passports with me (in the future ) everytime I travel?

Thanks in advance Bob!

Here’s what Bob had to say:

Hi Nathalie – From what you told me, I believe you already are a dual citizen, and do not need to file any papers. Just a note of caution, though… it is my understanding that Germany does not allow dual citizenship, so I would not be showing my Philippine passport to German authorities. But, if you enter the Philippines on your German passport, you will run into immigration troubles if you choose to stay here beyond your visa date. You should enter the country on your Philippine Passport.

This is what Lenny had to say:

Just got back from Hong Kong Extension run yesterday, Let me clue you in with Cebu Pacific. They insisted that I have a forward ticket OUT of the Philippines when returning there!! Even though I showed them proof I was living here, Billings etc.. I told them I have never had a problem or have been asked for a forwarding ticket upon arriving into the Philippines, they answered yes, it is random, but that is our rule.. So I bought a ticket back to Hong Kong, and they boarded me.. Maybe PAL might be different, just thought I let you guys know what happened…( Was not asked for a forward flight ticket when returned to Manila…hahahah)

This is John’s reply:

Lenny: For me, that is a prime reason to obtain residence. Some airlines observe the rule, and some don’t. (I can tell you from experience that PAL, CP, Asiana, and SQ check…. CX, American, JAL, and Delta usually don’t).

Here’s what LadyJoyce had to say:

Hi bob,

i reside here in nevada and i’m a direct citizen cause my mother petitioned me and i’m still a minor. i’ll be getting my US passport probably 2 weeks from now. i want to apply for dual citizenship since i’m still planning to study college in the philippines. though i don’t have the naturalization certificate. would the US passport be enough to prove that i’m a citizen here in the US? please reply asap. thank you.

Here’s what Bob had to say:

Hi LadyJoyce – I believe that you are already a dual citizen. If you obtained US citizenship through an act of your parents, you should not have lost your Philippine Citizenship, because you were too young to have taken an action to relinquish your Philippine citizenship. Because of that, if I were you, I would simply apply for my Philippine Passport, and be done with it.