Cebu Pacific's Bad Attitude

Comment from a reader:

First let me say that the SB is excellent, it's succinct, clever, splendidly informal, at times controversial and informative.

Thank you SB and its Subscribers.

Second, Clark Airport has come in for some 'stick' recently but I want to say that my family and I have passed through Clark a number of times, internally and internationally and we have found the staff, from the first you meet - car park guys - right through the airport to be warm, pleasant and efficient.

Thank you Clark.

Third, Immigration has been the subject of correspondence recently and in this regard I would now like to add that yesterday my family and I returned from Singapore. There at the boarding desk of Cebu Pacific Airlines I was refused a boarding pass because my passport is British and they demanded that I have Permanent Residency or a return air ticket.

I was then marched to the Cebu Pacific Airport office and a woman announced herself as the person in charge of the office, she would not listen to me, at all. I explained that I had been married to a Filipina for 12 years with daughter, and we were all travelling together as a family, my permanent address was in the Philippines etc., she was totally inflexible, loudly saying that I was illegal in Philippines without either, unless I had a B/B stamp in my passport dated 2010, which was impossible since this was only 4th January but I had a B/B stamp for the previous years.

She would not listen, she said more than once that I would be prohibited entry into Philippines, even as a family member. She then said that a new law came into effect on 1st January 2010 which effectively states that ALL foreigners married to Filipinos had to have Permanent Residency or a return air ticket OR they will be deported. I said that I had been through Philippine Immigration over a 100 times over the last 12 years or so and NEVER, but never had experienced a problem and I then said: "why are you doing this" followed quickly by the question: "is it because Cebu Pacific wants to sell me another ticket" she half-smiled but said nothing; so I repeated the question: "do Cebu Pacific want to sell me another ticket" she bowed her head. I then said if such a law did come into effect on 01:01:10 then when we purchased the ticket in December '09 Cebu Pacific should have informed us of the new law. She dismissed this completely, and abruptly said it was our responsibility not Cebu's. Her attitude throughout was, in my opinion, unprofessional she was belligerent and the whole episode was unnecessary and distasteful. Finally, I am aware that "Tourists" entering Philippines have to have a return air ticket but those who permanently reside in the Philippines, who are married to a Filipino and who enter as a FAMILY member, do NOT.

Questions: 1.0 Did a new law come into effect on 1st January 2010 which says the all foreigners married to a Filipino must have Permanent Residency or a return air ticket in order to gain entry into Philippines?
2.0 If a foreign person married to a Filipino arrives at Philippines will he or she be deported if they do not have Permanent Residency or a return air ticket, whether or not they are accompanied by their spouse and attempt entry as a family? Upon receipt of opinions, views and comments of others, who are far more knowledgeable than me, I will then judge if the Cebu Pacific representative was lying, incompetent or wholly correct and if she was then I will unreservedly apologize. Warm regards happy New Year and please keep up the good work.

[The Subic Bulletin] We have heard this complaint numerous times about Cebu Pacific and yes they do it to sell you FULL PRICE ticket while they have you on your knees.

As far as we know the law they are using to force you to buy the ticket has been around for a long time. Someone who is married to a Filipina is suppose to get a 13a visa so these problems don't exist.

We would be interested to know if someone has any other information where a balakbyan visa exempts you from having an exit ticket.