Where does this post belong? Hmm well, there are too many complaining posts right? How about some compliments.
I’ll post a recent good experience and see if any of you can follow up.
Recently I spent a week in the Philippines. While in the airport in Taiwan I exchanged NT$ for P 28,000. Upon arrival in Manila, I visited Mall of Asia. I went to an ATM with a a cirrus and maestro mark just like on my Taiwanese bank card (I had used it before successfully in the Philippines). To my horror the ATM ‘captured’ my card! What could I do? The people in the line behind me pointed out a phone number posted on the ATM to call. So I called it. But the computer on the line asked for a Bank of the Philippines account number to continue. What to do?
I’ll skip some of the details – I got my card back the next day. I promptly tried another bank’s ATM and it was captured again. I asked a friend who knows the manager of the bank to help me out. The next day I got my card back again and didn’t get any help from the manager. I retried the card there and then and it was captured again. It was returned to me immediately. No one could tell me why it was being captured.
My bank in Taiwan was no help as they just insisted that I must have forgotten my PIN. And they told me it’s best to work out the problem after I return to Taiwan.
So, with my remaining cash, I had to be very careful about expenses. The last few days in the Philippines I spent with a friend and so only had to think about keeping enough money for the taxi ride to the airport (P600 from Cavite) and the P500 airport terminal fee.
But oH! Wooe is me! The Ninoy airport raised their terminal fee by P250 since last January. The airport currency exchange window accepted every currency BUT NT$ ! I explained my situation to a pair of middle aged ladies at the customer service desk. They looked at each other and said “I think I’ve got at least P200, how about you?” They just handed over the cash from their pocket.
I was very grateful to them because I didn’t know how I would be able to leave the Philippines, let alone survive without cash. I told them I wanted to pay them back. “Please give me your contact info and I’ll send the money to you.” They smiled and said no. I offered them whatever I had of value to cover their loss (souvenirs, novels, etc) but they refused “No, you keep it. That’s your souvenir from the Philippines.” I thanked them and caught my plane. :bravo:
Aw cripes, given TC’s post I’m going to look like the glass is half empty, man, but what about your frigging Taiwan bank? Have you killed the manager yet? I’d be contemplating it.
You were very, very fortunate. This whole drama could so easily have gone a completely different way, especially in the Philippines.
I was working in a UNHCR refugee camp in the Phillipines back in 1991. I was housed with 10 Phillipinos most of them had graduate degrees and were working for the UN for the high pay. We were in a very poor, rural area near Bataan-famous for the WWII Bataan Death March.
Housing was basic. Two meals a day of fish and rice. A water truck would drive by twice a day for us to collect our water ration. Everything was done communally-and boy-you had better work or the whole house would have been affected.
On my first day I was grilled by my roomates- Was I working with the CIA or State Department? Was I sent there to spy on them? Why didn’t I live in an air-con trailer with an SUV and mistress like the other NGO’s?
I countered-were they members/supporters of the communist rebels? Were they going to arrange for me to be kidnapped? Did they expect me to pay them because I am a “Rich” American etc. After the dust settled and they saw that years of living in a big family made it easier for me to work in a communal atmosphere and that I didn’t want any special privledges they more or less accepted me.
One of my roomates asked me what I missed most about the States-other than the obvious, (my family, my motorcycle) I said
“Pizza!”
My 25th birthday rolled along and my family sent me a birthday card. The next morning I got up in the early AM. my roomates had decorated the cooking area. One man who was an art teacher had drawn a huge poster of my likeness, gift wrapped presents like toothbrushes were bought from salaries that were supporting up to 30 family members and lo and behold -A PIZZA!
I found it hard to explain why I was crying-I considered myself a “tough guy” but I was overwhelmed by their kindness. One other roomate had written a funny song about me and another had baked a cake from scratch. My roomate who made me the pizza had traveled 90 MILES!!! to Manila to get the ingredients.
[quote=“Huang Guang Chen”]Aw cripes, given TC’s post I’m going to look like the glass is half empty, man, but what about your frigging Taiwan bank? Have you killed the manager yet? I’d be contemplating it.
HG[/quote]
Well, I haven’t bothered. A FIlipino friend here in Taiwan who does some international traveling told me of two reliable methods – #1 an ICBC bank card, or an I-remit visa card. ICBC is a Taiwanese bank. And I-remit is a Filipino company with two branches in Taiwan. Both cards work in most ATMs worldwide.
[quote=“Diego”][quote=“Huang Guang Chen”]Aw cripes, given TC’s post I’m going to look like the glass is half empty, man, but what about your frigging Taiwan bank? Have you killed the manager yet? I’d be contemplating it.
HG[/quote]
Well, I haven’t bothered. A FIlipino friend here in Taiwan who does some international traveling told me of two reliable methods – #1 an ICBC bank card, or an I-remit visa card. ICBC is a Taiwanese bank. And I-remit is a Filipino company with two branches in Taiwan. Both cards work in most ATMs worldwide.[/quote]
I opened a new account at Chinatrust Bank last September. I was given a 6-digit PIN. When I went to the Philippines in January, the ATM card wouldn’t work. The machines never kept the card, but I couldn’t access my account.
Of course it turns out that the 6-digit code only works for the IC chip on the ATM card in ATMs that can read the chip. Chinatrust hadn’t activated the magnetic strip on the back of the card, which is where the 4-digit code is stored. Most ATMs overseas only read the magnetic strip. No activation=no access.
Luckily I could use another card, and I’ve gotten everything straightened out at Chinatrust for my next trip.
I had a similar situation in Hong Kong. I got a bowl of rice somewhere and there was a woman who asked if that was all I was going to eat. I told her I was worried about money and she bought me way more than I could eat. I had lost my wallet and only had the money that was in my pockets and the kindness of the people there got me through the day.
Believe it or not, I’ve had this happen here once too. A woman gave me 100 nt when I was 100 nt short at AIT.
My biking group is led by a few philipinos, and they are some of the most upbeat, friendly people I call my friends.
One time, we had a group of 6 motorbikes leave from San Jose to head up the East Bay to Berkeley. I’m riding my Honda CBR (2nd hand) which I bought a few months before. 3/4 of the way, the thing cuts, no spark. Engine dies. I’m stranded on the highway, but fortunately close to the next town. After figuring out it’s more than a battery problem (thing won’t charge, even walked to a store to buy new battery where a nice couple then offered to drive me back to my bike!!!), my pilipino friend offers to haul my bike.
He proceeds to ride his bike back to San Jose, jump in his pickup truck, drive back up, load my bike, drive back down to San Jose, drive to his place to pick up a charger for the new battery, then drive to my place, and unload the bike. Missed out on his Sunday ride, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. Turns out, the rectifier was too old and had to be replaced.
That day further renewed my faith in humanity. It was a day of help from everyone in the community from:
The pilipino guy who offered his truck
The rest of my bike crew who lost their riding day
the guy at the closest automotive shop who didn’t charge me to jumpstart the bike
the couple who drove me from the automotive store to my bike (they saw me in my leathers)
well i’m bloody glad to hear all of this
there had been several negative comments about the philippines on F.com,and they did not reflect the proper ratio experienced here.
here’s mine,maybe i wrote it before,can’t remember:
my wife’s Christmas present (cell phone) was stolen by the tricycle driver i used when exiting the stores
long story short,the police patrolled the whole town with me in the car so that we could ID the thug,of course he was nowhere to be seen.
they then pushed forward with relentless questioning and investigating,1 week later i got the cellphone back,ace.
story #2
in my first trip to Philippines,a pick-pocket got my wallet,it had everything inside.
i emailed a workmate in London (he’s Argentinian) ,i had worked with him less than 1 month,
the same night,he western unioned 800 pounds so that i wouldn’t have to abort my trip.
there’s no appropriate adjectives for peoples like that.
Tanforan is the name of a large shopping mall in San Bruno, California.A major Pilipino poulation center. San Bruno is just north of South San Francisco.
Unless they are there, the PI’s in HK won’t understand your joke.
[quote=“TainanCowboy”]Tanforan is the name of a large shopping mall in San Bruno, California.A major Pilipino poulation center. San Bruno is just north of South San Francisco.
Unless they are there, the PI’s in HK won’t understand your joke.[/quote]
Ooh yea, there’s a famous restaurant there I used to go to. Right off the hi-way. Had a name like a girl’s name from a fairy tale. Escapes me, but such delicious desserts, drinks, and sorta-currylike chicken. arrghh. [Homer drool]
