The ACR Card & The Bureau Of Immigration Manila

At some point for more than a few visitors to the Philippines, there comes a time when you have to make a decision of whether to leave the Philippines and return to wherever home is in order to add to your budget or to stay and if, you decide to stay, then you are going to have to visit your local branch of The Bureau of Immigration for the Philippines. If, you are South of Manila, down in the Visayans, their branch office in Mandaue City can assist you, in the Cebu City area, just before you cross the bridge to Mactan Island, where the airport is located.

However, if you are in Manila, you can just go by The Bureau of Immigration in the beautiful area of Intramuros, that's Spanish by the way, for "within the walls." There in Intramuros, you can see the old Manila and it's lovely architecture and Spanish influence. Definitely worth a visit and make a day of it, with its many spacious parks in the vicinity. Plenty of shade trees and don't forget to bring your lunch or snack and just in case you forget, there are many canteens (eateries) adjourning the many parks where you can get a three course meal for about P80 (< $2).

The ACR Card is the Alien Certificate of Registration Card that the Philippines Government implemented to help with registrations of persons inside its borders and to aid in combating questionable identification cards. The ACR Card has a microchip embedded in it and it's about the size and the thickness of a credit card. Note the card examples above, compliments of the Bureau of Immigration, located in the Intramuros area of Manila.

The ACR Card is great for Temporary visitors who are coming for pleasure or business if, you are coming to the Philippines for reasons associated with your health, all the better, especially if your stay in the Philippines is going to be for more than six months. It's also a good option, if your are going to be a temporary student, because along with your Student ID card, it proves that your residency conforms to Philippines Law. The ACR Card at the time of this posting is about P2200 ($50) for issuance and renewals. The ACR Cards are generally valid for one year. Native born Philippines citizens who may have taken citizenship in other countries, such as the United States, Canada, Australia, etc, are also encouraged to apply for the ACR Card. To apply for the ACR Card, check with your local or branch office of the Bureau of Immigration, or visit their website: immigration.gov.ph.

A Guesthouse Near The Airport

Backtracking a bit, I forgot to mention the lovely guesthouse that I stayed at after my arrival on Cathay Pacific from Hong Kong. I was fortunate to have an earlier enough arrival into Manila, to still enjoy some of the day. I stayed at a very convenient hostel owned by a really friendly couple called Islas 8817 Guesthouse in Paranaque City, which is one of the closest cities near both the International and Domestic Airports.

If you take a jeepney from either airports the ride to the guesthouse is
about P7 and by a shared taxi going down Sucat Road, you're looking at about P32 and by taxi from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, the ride is about P85. Don't take the fixed-rate taxis at the arrival area outside, rather go to the departure area where the taxis are dropping off passengers and catch a taxi going down Sucat Road, otherwise the fixed-rate taxis will charge you about P285-P330 to take you to the guesthouse.

The Islas 8817 Guesthouse is located at 8817 San Juan Street in the San Antonio Valley 2 Subdivision, which is right off Sucat Road, just past the second McDonald's after the SM Mall/Sucat about 6 miles (9.6km) from the International Airport. Once there you'll be met by the owners who will make your stay so enjoyable and comfortable that you may not want to leave straightaway. There is basically one large air-conditioned room with an upstairs that has a room with twin beds for about $11 or P484 a night and on the first level of the large room are 16 single beds that are of mixed use, that is male and female in the same room with no partitions, but hey, for $7 or P308 a night, it's no problem for most lodgers, because you will meet folks from everywhere and that's a big plus in it self.

You'll be provided with linen, a place to store your luggage, a kitchen to share with other guest and a area if you wish to BBQ. The one thing I would suggest for those of you who may be new to living on the cheap, is to bring or purchase a pair of rubber flip flops for the shared bathroom and shower and you'll be fine I'm sure with the accommodations. The wifi is fast and reliable. The location is 1500 feet (500 meters) from "mom and pop" eateries serving Adobo chicken, noodle dishes and various native dishes, you know the many pots on the table that you just point at the lid and the vendor will open the lid and let you peek in to see what the dish is, and then you can decide if it looks tasty enough to order. Also, there are several stores, a fruit and vegetable vendor and a few fast food restaurants all within a 15 minute walking distance. One of my favorite layovers when I fly in and out of Manila and I'm sure one that you will want to check out too! You can book accomodations direct or through hostels.com (Exchange rate based on P44 to $1).