All posts by Pol Pinoy

Government, International, Travel

OVERSEAS FILIPINO WORKERS DITCHING THE BALIKBAYAN BOX IN FAVOR OF SUITCASES TO AVOID CUSTOMS TAX

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Suitcases in lieu of balikbayan boxes

NINOY AQUINO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles® ) – The Philippines’ Bureau of Customs (BOC) has come under very intense fire in recent weeks from overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) because of its recent announcement that balikbayan boxes will be opened and inspected to determine whether any of  the items contained inside are subject to tax.

Balikbayan boxes are those corrugated cardboard boxes used by overseas Filipinos to ship gifts and household items for their families back home. Until recently, balikbayan boxes were free of inspection and customs tax.

In order to avoid inspection and customes duties, many OFWs have ditched the balikbayan box in favor of huge suitcases.  They would rather bring their gifts with them when they travel back to the Philippines than have them sent through shipping companies and vendors. This way, they would be physically present when their luggages are inspected by Customs upon their arrival in Manila.

The new modus operandi is causing huge problems for the airlines because the multiple checked suitcases are creating long lines at airport counters. Airlines are also concerned about  potential overloading of the aircraft.

It has also resulted in long lines at the arrival lounges at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and has prompted BOC to deploy more customs inspectors.

Well, BOC has brought this upon itself.

International, Travel

TRAVEL ADVISORY ISSUED FOR AMERICANS VISITING MANILA

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NAIA sink hole (Photo: ABS-CBN News)
NAIA sink hole (Photo: ABS-CBN News)

WASHINGTON, D.C. (The Adobo Chronicles® ) –  The U.S. State Department has issued a travel advisory to all Americans and others intending to visit Manila.

“The safety of our citizens is a priority concern,” the advisory said, “so we are advising Americans to postpone or cancel non-essential travel, or to be extremely careful when visiting the Philippines, especially when arriving in or departing from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

The travel advisory was issued after an arriving foreign national sank into a 2-ft sink hole while waiting in line at NAIA’s immigration counter. The platform he was standing in suddenly collapsed.

Earlier this year, arriving and departing passengers  were drenched with rainwater after part of the airport terminal ceiling collapsed and leaked during a heavy rainstorm.

NAIA is known to be among the worst airports in the world where overcrowding, long lines, confusing signage, non-working toilets and indoor heatwaves are an everyday occurrence.

Secretary of State John Kerry told reporters today that Americans who absolutely need to travel to Manila can still do so, but at their own risk.

Politics, Race Relations

EXCLUSIVE: DONALD TRUMP PICKS ANN COULTER TO BE HIS VP RUNNING MATE

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Coulter
Coulter (Screen grab)

NEW YORK, New York (Exclusive to The Adobo Chronicles® ) – It’s cliché, but the saying, ‘Birds of the same feather flock together’ does hold true, especially in politics.

Nowhere is this more evident than in the Republican party where self-proclaimed leaders and their believers or followers find delight in singing the same tune.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump makes no secret about his disdain for Mexicans, calling them rapists, drug addicts and criminals and vowing to keep them out of the U.S. if he is elected president of the United States.

Conservative columnist Ann Coulter sings the same tune, and is probably even more vocal and blunt than Trump.  In a recent television interview, Coulter said: “I will bet you by the end of the weekend, more Americans will have been killed by Mexicans than by ISIS or by sharks.”

Today, Trump named Coulter as his vice presidential running mate. He made the announcement in an email to The Adobo Chronicles.

It is unconventional that a U.S. presidential aspirant would name his or her VP nominee even before he or she is officially proclaimed as the party’s nominee.

But nothing is conventional with Trump. And nothing is conventional either for Coulter.

As we mentioned, birds of the same feather flock together.

But whether or not  this flock wins this particular contest remains to be seen.