Where Have I Been Yesterday?

Since I wanted my holidays to be a little more productive, I decided to update some of my legal requirements/documents as an OFW.

PASSPORT RENEWAL
If your passport happens to be expiring within six months just like in my case, this is the right time for you to renew it. My passport will expire on 19 April 2010. Please bear in mind the importance of having a valid passports at all times. It is a requirement in all countries that passports must be valid for more than six months before they can allow you entry.

All countries are now issuing Machine Readable Passport in congruent to the new guidelines of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) requiring all countries to issue Machine Readable Passports by 01 April 2010.

There was a message proliferated in the internet before that those having old green passports should renew/change to Machine Readable Passport (MDP) before 01 April 2010 based on this ICAO guideline. Good news to those who still have their old green passports for this is not true as cleared by our embassy.

The Philippine Embassy has issued an official statement regarding the wrong presumption/interpretation of the new ICAO guideline (as posted in the Bulletin Board of the Consulate Office in Dubai). In the statement, it was reiterated and confirmed that all the old green passports will still be valid and acceptable until their expiry dates.

@ Beirut St. Al Ghusais, Dubai UAE
i'm not lost here for this is my 3rd time in the consulate
(1st- a witness to civil wedding of a friend;
2nd-registered in absentee voting for 2010 national election)

the buillding of Philippine Consulate
you will not be lost as long as you open your eyes;
our national flag will lead you to it.

The Seal of Phil Consulate in Dubai @ the entrance

oopps, i was wrong timing. it was exactly 12pm when I arrived,

they're on lunch break. consulate office is open

from 8am to 5pm from Sunday to Thursday.

i have to wait for one hour. while waiting, i took
pics of my renewal application forms :-). i'd like to thank
the staff of our consulate for renewal processing is actually fast & in order,
it took only an hour or less. their staff are friendly and accomodating too!
(unlike the usual exasperating one whole day processing of any govt agencies in the Phils)

SSS Payment Contribution as an OFW
I was able to update my SSS contribution too! I have been in default since Nov 2005 (when I resigned to my company in the Phils and decided to go here in Dubai). Yesterday, I went to a Al Ghurair Exchange in Reef Mall (partner of SSS) to ask something about it. Though if you asked me what is the importance of updating SSS, i only have wild guesses. If ever I go back to Phils, I can be eligible for a loan?!! or as its name suggests, it will be like my social security. On a more higher lever, i can also somehow help our government funds their projects. :-). I think I need to do a further homework regarding this. Meantime, i'd considered this as my mission accomplished! At least I took the first step. :-)

inside Reef Mall
Did you see the security guard? He actually called my
attention telling me that pics are not allowed inside the mall,
only family pictures accdg to him. I told him I am alone, and asked
if he could he take my pictures instead. He laughed at me thinking
I was just joking. Of course, I was so serious. :-)


mission accomplished :-)