My first content on YouTube (Bakit ako na-offload?) is the reason I had the courage to continue making videos about travel guides and tips for Filipinos.
I was an OFW in Taiwan before I traveled as a tourist to the Maldives. The purpose of my travel was to meet my German long-distance partner for the first time. That was my first trip as a tourist because I was an OFW on my last international trips. I had never heard about being offloaded, meaning I had no idea about it at that time. I didn't even know there was a secondary inspection at Immigration, because, as I mentioned, in my past travels, I was an OFW and never went through the secondary inspection.
On December 1, 2020, my flight from Manila to Maldives, NAIA T3, is a detail I will never forget. My flight was at 11 PM, but of course, I was already at the airport by 5 PM. I remember that around 8 PM, I was at immigration, and it took almost 2 hours before I finished because I went through the secondary inspection. After a very long interview, in the end, I was still offloaded because they were looking for the CFO Guidance and Counseling Certificate, which I didn't have.
All I could say was, "Huh?" Is this for real? I was really upset when the immigration officer said, "Ma'am, you need to undergo CFO-GCP first to get a certificate before you can leave the country." I was dumbfounded because, actually, at that time, I had an idea about the CFO, but I thought it was only necessary when already married to a foreign partner. I said to the officer, "Sir, why do I need a CFO when my partner and I will only meet in the Maldives? We are not yet getting married, and we are not engaged yet." The immigration officer answered, "Ma'am, as long as we have a partner/fiance/spouse who is a foreign national, we really need to undergo the counseling program of the CFO." At that moment, I was so mentally blocked that I didn't know what to do. It was also my German partner's flight from Germany to the Maldives. I didn't know how to explain to him what had happened. It felt like I was carrying the whole world at that time. I couldn't believe that I couldn't leave.
This is the slip that immigration gave me when I was offloaded. It means I have to comply with what is written on the slip if I want to travel again.
After I told my partner what happened, I asked him, "Are you going to continue your flight?" I knew he couldn't believe it either, and it was too much. I was worried about him because it was his first time traveling, and he couldn't speak much English. It was depressing to think about; I did nothing but cry and cry. My partner said, "Yes, I will still take the flight. I will wait for you in the Maldives. Just comply with what Immigration needs." I am very thankful that he did not give up and did not lose hope.
I completed the CFO Guidance and Counseling Certificate the day after I was offloaded. I registered online, and luckily, it was Thursday because the CFO is closed on the weekend. I was able to register and had an assigned counselor who interviewed me for a few minutes via WhatsApp. He asked me about my partner, how long we had been in a relationship, and so on. After that, I thought everything was okay, but not yet, by the way. Suddenly, my counselor called and said that I would not be given a CFO Certificate because my partner and I had not met yet. This meant another drama, and I was crying again. I begged my counselor a lot, and she said, "Ma'am, I don't decide this. There is a head officer of the CFO who must approve you. You must plead with her." She gave me the email address, and I also begged their head officer. They asked me for documents like my parents' consent, even though I was already 29 years old at that time. He said I insisted on meeting my long-distance partner, which is why they asked for a Parent's Consent Letter. At that moment, I didn't care anymore about whatever they wanted. I just really needed to get a certificate and be able to fly right away.
After a 3-day process, on December 4, 2020, I was able to fly from Manila to the Maldives successfully. I was very emotional when I passed Immigration. I cried out of joy, annoyance because of the offload experience, and excitement to finally see my partner. It was really mixed emotions.
I arrived in the Maldives on December 5, 2020. My partner and I stayed there for 4 nights together. On December 9, 2020, I flew back to the Philippines, and he flew back to Germany. It was a very short time together, but that was our first step toward living together for life.
2 comments
need parin po ba ng CFO kahit unemployed po?
I experience offload also, is it a problem for to try again? I have flight in Mongolia as a tourist but I was offloaded in the immigration
Is it a problem for my next travel if in case my student visa in Mongolia is approved?