Manila International Airport Experience
This is a continuation to my previous post regarding my first international flight experience...
While waiting for my turn, some airport personnel were handing out the departure information sheet in which I wrote down some personal information. After thirty minutes of waiting and standing, I went nearer to the check in counter; I provided my passport, ticket and a certain travel tax receipt since I am travelling with a visit visa. I had to run over to the counter for my travel tax, paid Php 1620 and returned with the receipt in hand. The counter person immediately assisted me and provided my boarding pass and the baggage claim stub.
I rushed at once to the next counter to pay the terminal fee which was Php 550, boarding pass was the only document needed for this step. Then I went over to the travel verification counter, these guys were from the immigration office and I am considering this step as the most annoying procedure. I went to Miss Basher’s window, presented all of my documents, passport, Visa and the attested affidavit of support from my brother which was sent to me a day before my flight schedule. Miss Basher was a strict; her looks were telling me she isn’t pleased with me. While checking on the documents, she asked why the handwriting on the departure info sheet and the one on my visa are identical, at this point; she was looking at me ridiculously and asked if the visa and affidavit of support were sent to me from UAE. Of course I said yes, I received it yesterday and that my brother and my penmanship looks the same but those documents were definitely sent from the UAE. She was still skeptical and asked a couple of documents, first she want me to hand her my brother’s birth certificate which I don’t have with me (I was already sweating by this time). Since I can’t provide the document, I presented her my brother’s Overseas Employment Certificate instead but she asked for my brother’s birth date, I replied with the month and day but I forgot the year.
Still not satisfied yet, she then asked for the date of my brother’s last flight back to UAE was. All I can recall was that it was 2012 but can’t remember the exact month and date. It should be within the first quarter of the year, somewhere between March and April; she was not convinced at all! She handed back all my documents and commanded me to go to their immigration office. I went over and presented my brother’s passport copy, the personnel was not courteous too! He wasn’t doing anything but was not happy when I went inside and he looked like he doesn’t want to entertain me. He wrote my brother’s recent flight back to UAE and handed me back the copy with a sad face. I wonder what’s wrong with these guys here.
Then I went back to Miss Basher’s window but she was not there, the other lady next to her told me to wait. I waited for almost 15 minutes before she finally came back. I wonder what kept her busy then, but finally, she stamped my passport with the exit mark. I gave her my sweetest thank you but she didn’t respond at all and simply ignored me.
That’s the final step and I went ahead to the waiting area and finally released a big sigh. I rested and called my parents and James to let them know I had survived!
Apologies for the delay, my Emirates Airlines flight will be posted soon…promise!
Share this article:
