A little on Immigration for those who are interested.
In Angeles City the Immigration location most use is in the Metro supermarket at MarQuee mall. There's a better/quieter location at San Frenando, but that's farther than most want to travel.
Any trike driver will know marquee mall and it should cost about 100 pesos from Fields or 150 pesos from farther, you will get quotes for 200, but just walk away. I assume you could also find lower if you're negotiating skills are better than mine.
Also there is a free shuttle that leaves from BPI Bank, Balibago, ie down the street from Fields a little.
This place:
IMG_0279.JPG 199.39KB
6 downloads
It also makes a stop at the next BPI down by Diamond before heading to Marquee. The shuttle is jammed packed and you may get dirty looks for taking it if you have the incorrect skin color.
Cost for the first month extension after your exemption expires is:
3030 pesos
Then:
~7000 for the next 1 month
or
~7500 total for two months. (better deal)
~5000 or $50 in that fee is for a card you will pick up from them the next time you show up.
After that it goes back down to, 3030 for every 2 months.
I think you are supposed to fly out every 14 months, but many here have been extending for years or decades without trouble. Also talked to a few who never showed up at immigration since the 80s, but that's another thing.
If you overstay cost is 500 peso per month, plus a flat fee of 500, and they don't let you leave at the airport until you go to an immigration location and pay the back owed fees.
6 month visa exemptions are available for 13,000, but only at Manilla, basically. I think every location is supposed to have them, but that's not actually the way it works. You can extend those up to 36 months, so 3 years here, that's new as of November 2014 I think.
Here's what you really need to have if you go there and do the extension yourself:
A 2x2inch picture, you can get that in the mall, takes about 30 mins
A pen and some glue to put the pic on the form (sometimes the officers will give that to you, sometimes they wont)
Your passport
The form, filled out, hardest thing on there are the references you have to give, two. so come up with two names, addresses and phone numbers besides yours. They don't check so I guess you could make them up.
Took me about 5 hours total including travel time, the first time, and 2 hour the next time. The first time was just after a holiday and the place was busy.