The Balikbayan Privilage

Comment on your post "Cebu Pacific's Bad Attitude":

It's all in the "TIMATIC" and Philippines Immigration posts and various Airline websites.

Timatic

IATA Timatic is the industry standard used by airlines and travel agents to check passenger documentation requirements. The service provides personalized immigration and health requirements based on the destination, transit points, nationality, residence and departure country.
Timatic features:
• Passport requirements and recommendations
• Visa requirements and recommendations
• Health requirements and recommendations
• Airport tax to be paid by the traveler at either departure or arrival airport
• Customs regulations relating to import/export of goods and small pets by a passenger
• Currency regulations relating to import and export by a passenger
Timatic can be used to provide passengers with this critical information as part of the booking process, as well as during check-in to ensure travelers have the correct travel documentation.

http://www.iata.org/ps/publications/timatic.htm

http://www.delta.com/planning_reservations/plan_flight/international_travel_information/visa_passport_information/

http://immigration.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=239&Itemid=37

THE BALIKBAYAN PRIVILEGE (R.A.6768 as amended)

By legal definition, a Balikbayan is:

1. A Filipino citizen who has been continuously out of the Philippines for a period of at least 1 year;
2. A Filipino overseas worker; or
3. A former Filipino citizen and his or her family, who had been naturalized in a foreign country and comes or returns to the Philippines.



• The "Balikbayan Privilege" may be availed of by foreign family members of all 3 classifications provided that they travel together everytime they enter the country (MEMORANDUM dated July 1, 2008 issued by Atty. Edgardo L. Mendoza, Chief, IRD).

• "FAMILY" shall mean the spouse and the children of the Balikbayan who are not Balikbayan in their own right traveling with the latter to the Philippines. (Section 2 (b) of R.A. no. 9174, amending R.A. 6768, entitled: "An Act Instituting a "BALIKBAYAN PROGRAM", by providing Additional Benefits and Privileges to Balikbayan and for other purposes").

• Correspondingly, all Balikbayans 14 years and below and 60 years of age shall be allowed to extend their temporary visitor visa under Section 9a of the Philippine Immigration Act of 1940 as amended, for a maximum period of 6 months for every extension PROVIDED that all appropriate fees are paid. Thus, Balikbayans are allowed a maximum total stay of 2 years inclusive of all extensions. (MEMORANDUM ORDER NO. ADD – 02 – 011 dated 11 February 2002).

The Commissioner of Immigration Andrea D. Domingo informed the Department of Foreign Affairs on 04 June 2001 that, "All Immigration Officers at authorised ports of entry shall grant the benefits and privileges to all Balikbayans and Former Filipinos included every time they enter the country to visit, regardless of their frequent travel". This means that the above categories of persons could now avail of the Balikbayan benefits and privileges regardless of the number of times they enter the country within a year.

I'll add that it must be kept in mind that the Balikbayan visa is for Filipinos/Filipinas THAT ARE RESIDING IN COUNTRIES OUTSIDE OF THE PHILIPPINES. It's to entice them to return and stay a while and "spread the wealth"; it's not designed for those that are living in the PI to get "Pass Go" card and thereby create a new class of immigrant.

If you really live in PI with your asawa, go get an ACR I-Card like others have done.

[The Subic Bulletin] We tend to agree, its a bit tough to be complaining about the system when your really circumventing the system.