Paying Philippine Travel Tax Online

Traveling soon and want to get rid of the long queues paying for the Philippine travel tax? Worry no more, just late last year the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) launched a system online that will make it easy and hassle-free for travelers wanting to pay the travel tax which is a requirement for most Filipinos traveling abroad.

You might be wondering who pays for the Full Travel Tax, Reduced Tax and those who are exempted. More info below.

People who pay for the Full Travel  Tax: Click here

People who pay for the Reduced Travel  Tax: Click here

People who are Exempted from Travel Tax: Click here

In order to avail the online payment, travelers need to register on the TIEZA website. Click here

On the header of the homepage go to"Travel Tax" then click "Pay Travel Tax Online".

TIEZA website

After that, you need to register in order to proceed.

Registration Page

After registering, you can now proceed in applying.

Application Page

With regards to the payment type, they will only accept VISA card and Bancnet Card and as you notice on the Payment type option there is a note that a 1.75% Convenience fee(roughly PHP 28 added to your bill much cheaper if you use the Bancnet Card only for 10PHP) is charged for this application. Once all details are placed and checked, you can now log your application then redirected to the payment page.

Payment Page.

Once payment is done you will then received an electronic receipt. Simply bring the receipt and present your passport and ticket on the day of your departure.

Have you tried this service from TIEZA? Share your stories in the comment section below.

Visa-Free Countries using US visa [Filipino Citizens]

So you just scored a US tourist visa and wondering how you can maximize the use of it considering it takes a huge effort to obtain one. Little do we know, we can extend our hard-earned US visa benefits by using it to enter to another country.

This article only refers to Filipino Citizen carrying a Philippine Passport with Valid US Tourist Visa. Some of these countries may require the US tourist visa to be multiple-entry and have been used at least once to travel to the US. Using the US tourist visa, some countries may require you to apply for a travel certificate or Visa on Arrival.

If you are still to apply for a US Visa here is a guide: US visa Guide

Here is the list of countries you can enter by just using your valid US tourist Visa.

North America

Mexico

Just a few kilometers from the US, Filipinos with a valid US tourist Visa can enter Mexico Visa-free for 180 days.

FOR ALL NATIONALITIES. In accordance to National Institute of Migration of Mexico regulation, effective May 1st, 2010, all foreigners regardless their nationality traveling to Mexico, with a valid USA visa, will be allowed to visit Mexico through any port of entry – air, land, sea- without a Mexican Visa; this includes tourist, transit and business trips.

source: Government of Mexico

Central America

El Salvador

Filipinos with a valid US tourist Visa can obtain a visa on arrival to enter El Salvador up to 90 days.

Since there is no embassy in the Philippines for El Salvador, if you have any query best is to contact the El Salvador embassy in nearby countries (eg. Japan).

Guatemala

Filipinos with a valid US tourist Visa can obtain a visa on arrival to enter Guatemala up to 90 days.

Since we don't have a Guatemalan embassy in the Philippines, if you have any query best is to contact the Guatemalan embassy in nearby countries (eg. Japan).

Honduras

Filipinos with a valid US tourist Visa can obtain a visa on arrival to enter Honduras up to 90 days.

For further details, contact the Honduran Honorary Consulate in Manila: idhiports@yahoo.com / r_zosa@pldtdsl.net / (+632) 634-5708 or visit them at Suite 19-A Strata 2000 Building No. 12 Garnet Road, Ortigas Center Pasig City Manila Philippines

Panama

Filipinos with a valid US tourist Visa can enter Panama visa-free provided that they have used the US Visa at least once.

For more info please visit the embassy of Panama: Panama Embassy in Manila Website

Europe

Albania

Filipinos with a valid US tourist Visa can enter Albania visa-free.

For more info, please contact the Albanian Honorary Consulate General in Manila, Philippines at (+63) 2 899-5533 / 5758 or (+63) 2 897-0592, email them at inquiry@benedictosteel.com or visit them at 1143 Pasong Tamo Street Makati City Manila Philippines.

Montenegro

Filipinos with a valid US tourist Visa can enter Montenegro visa-free up to 30 days.

Source: Montenegro Tourism

Asia

Taiwan

Just a few hours by plane from the Philippines, Filipinos with a valid US tourist Visa can visit Taiwan for 30 days.

A detailed guide here: Taiwan Visa Exemption

Please note that information stated above may change without prior notice.  Best is to contact respective countries for queries and clarifications.

How to apply for Taiwan Visa Exemption [Filipino Citizens]

Taiwan has recently become a new destination for Filipino travelers due to the increase of flights from and to Taiwan from the Philippines from different airlines. Taiwan has its own charms and hidden gems that need to be explored.

UPDATE (July 28, 2018): Filipinos are  still  VISA FREE for another year till July 31, 2019.

Update as of  August 2018: If you have an expired visa or resident card of the mentioned countries Below and was expired less than 10 years from  intended travel to Taiwan then you are still eligible to apply for a ROC. More info here.

Filipinos traveling to Taiwan requires a visa. While applying for Taiwanese visa seems to be easy (though I haven't tried it yet), there is another way to get into Taiwan without securing a visa provided you are qualified and fall into some conditions. Taiwan recently announces the ROC Travel Authorization Certificate for some Southeast Asian citizens(Applicable to citizens of India, Indonesia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos) to enter Taiwan visa-free provided some conditions are met.

To be eligible for a ROC Travel Authorization Certificate, the following conditions must be met:

1. The applicant’s passport must have a remaining validity of at least six months starting from the date of arrival in Taiwan.
2. The applicant must possess an onward/return air or ferry ticket.
3. The applicant has never been employed as a blue-collar worker in Taiwan.

In addition, the applicant must possess at least one of the following documents issued by Australia, Canada, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, any of the Schengen countries, the United Kingdom, or the United States:

1. Valid resident or permanent resident card
2. Valid entry visa (may be electronic visa)
3. Resident card or visa that has expired less than 10 years prior to the date of arrival in Taiwan

Please take note of this:

1. Nationals of Indonesia who possess a valid Japan Visa Waiver Registration are eligible for a ROC Travel Authorization Certificate.
2. The visas in the aforementioned list of required documents do not include work permits.
3. Online applications can only be made by persons holding valid regular passports. Persons holding temporary, emergency, or informal passports, or travel documents other than a passport, cannot submit online applications.
4. If any mistake is made during the online application process, the applicant may submit a new application.
5. Once the application has been approved, the applicant is kindly requested to print out the ROC Travel Authorization Certificate. The applicant must present the certificate and the required documents for inspection when entering Taiwan. Entry will be denied if the required documents are not produced.
6. An approved ROC Travel Authorization Certificate is valid for 90 days. Multiple entries within these 90 days are allowed. The holder of a ROC Travel Authorization Certificate may stay in Taiwan for 30 days, starting from the day after arrival. If the holder wishes to apply for another ROC Travel Authorization Certificate, he or she must do so seven days prior to the expiry of the current certificate.

Source: Taiwan Government

I applied for the ROC Travel Authorization Certificate since I have a valid  US Visa and by looking at the requirements, I am also eligible and have met those conditions.

Here is where you apply: ROC Travel Authorization Certificate application

Online Application for R.O.C Travel Authorization Certificate

In the online application, all you need to do is fill up the form(basically your personal info like your passport info, your VISA that you will be using and etc.). After filling up, if your request is approved you can now print the certificate. 

Important Note: You need to keep this certificate in entering and leaving Taiwan, as the immigration officer will check this.

My R.O.C Travel Authorization Certificate

Have you tried applying for Taiwanese Travel Authorization Certificate? Share your stories and experience in the comment section below.  

How to apply for Japanese Visa [Filipino Citizens]

Japan's rich culture mixed with mouthwatering dishes and advanced technology lures tourists from different parts of the globe. A mixture of old and new definitely catches the attention of tourists. Japan has been one of the top tourist destination in Asia, thanks to the rise of affordable flights from various airlines which makes everybody able to fly to the land of the rising sun.

Scoring the Ultimate Travel Deal

All of us are dreaming about an ultimate adventure that we could cherish for a lifetime. In every journey, there are financial attributes that correlate to it. They say, traveling is a luxurious hobby and is more suitable for the rich which I think is a big misconception. Traveling is a matter of perception, if you think it is expensive then it is indeed hard for you to go elsewhere while if you think it is affordable then you have the world at your hand. 

In almost all of my travels, I see to it that I can get a deal that's a bang for the buck since I am traveling on a tight budget. My mindset is always been that there is always a cheaper and affordable options to anything, you just need to do some little research, patience and being passionate about it. 

In this article, I will be sharing with you, my experiences on how to get a good travel deal that makes your pockets happy and where to get them.

Transportation

Airline

No doubt this will have one of the biggest chunks of your budget while traveling. Scoring a discounted tickets and promos/deal is a pain and headache for most of us. With all those budget airlines and competitive prices between airline companies, the chances of getting a a good deal significantly increased. 

Scored a Cebu-Narita RT ticket at Cebu Pacific's Anniversary at around 1.4kphp

Once I have a destination in mind, usually, I compare prices with different airlines (mostly low-cost airlines )  that travel to that destination and take note of them and its prices. After that, I like and follow them on Facebook and list them as "See first"  on my newsfeed and enable the notify feature in every post they have so I will be fully aware if they have any good deals and promo.

Knowing when these airline companies offer seat sale is uncertain, most of the time they do it on upcoming holidays or company's milestone. Most of the time, the sale and good deal happens early in the morning so you need to camp, man your station and prepare for the upcoming battle. You also need to be patience as there are thousands of people battling against you for the same ticket you wish to book.

Also, I do subscribe to newsletter and emails coming from the airline companies  I am following. This will help you boost your awareness of the upcoming sale.

Ryan Air's Seats Sale (Europe's one of the low-cost Airline)

Signing up to airline miles program also help you score a good deal or even free flights of your choice. I already sign up to several airline miles program in hopes of redeeming free flight and a good deal from them someday.

Bus

If traveling by air to your desired destination isn't a viable option, a bus would be an alternative option. Buses take a longer travel time but they are definitely one of the cheaper options out there. I often use night buses traveling inter-country or cities because aside from being affordable, it can save a night of accommodation. 

Scored a discounted Bus Ticket from Munich Germany to Rome Italy  at Php 460 (13hrs travel time)

Train

Trains are one of the fastest ways to get around a city or even to neighboring cities or countries. There are lots of good deals involving unlimited train/metro ride within a city which is designed especially for tourist. If you are roaming around from one district to the other in a city, then the unlimited train pass is definitely a good deal for you.

Availed the Roma Pass for the unlimited metro ride.

Accommodation

The best accommodation to have when traveling is through a host either with a relative/friend or from sites such as Couchsurfing. Aside from having a "Free" stay, you get a chance to be toured around the area by your host. It is also important to contact your relatives/friends you knew who are living on the place you are traveling.

In case you don't have any relative/friend around the area or you are ashamed of contacting them then a good deal to take would be booking on a hostel (or Hotel depending on your budget). I have stayed in a hostel for several times and it never failed me. It is definitely best for people who are traveling solo like me due to being budget friendly and open acquaintances with other solo travelers around.

If you prefer hotels there are apps that offer good deals such as Traveloka (same goes to Trivago, Agoda, TripAdvisor and etc.)

Discounted promo from Traveloka

Airbnb is also an option and their invite a friend promo will help you gain credits for a discounted or even a free accommodations which is really a good deal.  To get a discount on Airbnb you can use my referral code: ADELACERNA. 

Airbnb's invite a friend promo

Booking several times in Booking.com will boost your ranking on the site and unlock tons of exclusive deals from them. They also have their "Todays Deal" which is definitely a deal breaker.

10% off exclusive for Genius members at Booking.com

Last minute and member only deals often are sent to you via email when you subscribe to any of the booking platforms like Expedia and etc.

Last minute deals from Expedia

Amusement

When traveling to a place you need to enjoy the attraction and parks in it. With this are entrance fees and tickets you need to acquire in order to be admitted. Buying a ticket to a theme park on the site itself is expensive and a tiring task. You need to line up to a long queue just to get one. 

Klook definitely is convenient and it saves time from lining up as they only use electronic vouchers in order to get admitted. It also saves a ton of money with their very competitive prices and deals which can go as much as half of its price when purchased onsite. Their referral program also gets you a discount and to the buddy you referred. To get a discount on Klook, you can use my referral code: 2T34N

Discounted ticket of Universal Studios Singapore from Klook

Indeed there are several alternatives and options to a budget-friendly travel. You just have to look around and patiently wait for it. 

Have you scored an  Ultimate Travel Deal for yourself? Share your stories and experiences in the comment section below.