TBK Travels - The truth behind the April fool

I had waited so long to see my friends in Palawan! Chester and I first started our countdown to Palawan in October 2020 there were just 90 days until I left Bapco on 14.2.21. I had everything organised- started handing over my work to Evan, arranged for the removal company to pack my belongings, rented a house in Palawan, booked my flight with Gulf Air and started shredding all incriminating evidence .

Back then I was making a quick recovery from my hip replacement and trying to loose weight and having Physio with Aravelle. I had hoped to have a big 60th Birthday / farewell party but Cov 19 was against us and I had to cancel the planned party at the Gulf Hotel.

November came and included much wrangling with my Manager, getting them to process my resignation. Then I had to argue with Bapco HR about why they wanted to send my belongings to the UK when I was going to the Philippines. Finally , with help from Mike and Martin, who had just left Awali I contacted Writer Relocations myself and they came and gave me a quote. They advised me that if I was to arrive in Palawan in Feb 2021 I would need to send my belongings at the start of December 2020.

My belongings all neatly packed ( 57 boxes) and waiting for me in Palawan

I paid the 2,900 bd to Writer Relocations on 5 December and then contacted Bapco HR to get it reimbursed. Again more arguments and finally I was told they would not pay the 2,500 until I left in February 2021. So I headed off on Vacation to Dubai and my friends had to help me out financially ( thanks Erickson for the KFC delivery on my last day!).

Grecil unpacking and wearing my aprons

In January 2021 I rented a house in Palawan and in February Jhoanna and Grecil moved in and unpacked my belongings. I booked my flight to Manila and Chester arranged my quarantine accommodation and I had several plant sales to get rid of all the plants from my house in Awali.

As COV 19 would still not permit a large gathering at that time I had to forego the traditional Bapco farewell party ( sorry to all my friends and students at Bapco over my 11 wonderful years there for not being able to say goodbye properly) . However I wanted to say thank you to the team of guys who had looked after me in Awali , washing up, cooking, cleaning, ironing, helping water the compost so I hired a Limo and we spent a day eating our way around Bahrain.

Corleen and I breakfasting at Mado, at Seef Mall , Muhurraq ( photo by Joshua!)

We then went to Mall of Dilmunia, Water Garden City, The Orangery, Shakespeare & Co at Zallaq Springs, and Malkiya Beach. I also gave them all Palo in the forest!

Ian , Corleen, Jake and TBK in the secret Forest , on our Farwell tour of Bahrain

Finally everything was packed, I had a lovely farewell party from my colleagues in Building B, lots of gifts and farewell messages and on Feb 14 2021 , 11 years after I arrived in Bahrain I handed back the keys to my house and my Bapco badge and left Awali for what I thought was the last time.

My house keys and Bapco badge , ready to hand on 14.2.21

However a chance email from a friend in Palawan put a spanner in the works. Beth told me that it was then impossible to enter the Philippines without a visa and she suggested I contact the Philippine Embassy in Bahrain before getting on my plane, which I did.

They confirmed that Beth was right and that as from 1.2.21 Foreigners were not allowed into the Philippines. Thinking this was a temporary problem, and with the Philippine Embassy Bahrain unable to say when the ban would be lifted I checked into the Ramada hotel in Adilya. I booked a two week stay and they kindly gave me a special rate including breakfast and upgraded me to a suite!

Living out of one suitcase for a year!

When it became clear in March 2021 that I was not going to the Philippines for some time I cancelled my delayed Gulf Air flight and they told me the fare, which Bapco had paid, and the first class upgrade, which I paid , were non refundable! After much correspondence between us Gulf Air kindly agreed to hold the ticket open for one year. When the Ramada became overbooked I moved to the Spot Residence - which was very modern and had a balcony and a nice view of the American naval Base ( see the 60th Birthday invite above, another photo by Joshua) .

My two bedroom apartment at the Spot residence ( no second room and no Wi-Fi)

When the Spot still could not get the Wi-Fi to work after a week of promising "Tomorrow, inshallah" I moved to the cheaper noisier Al Hamra Residence. By this time the COV 19 Lockdown in Bahrain was getting worse and my Thai Masseur friends had no work or income ( in the end for 18 months) I invited them to stay and cook and we made some Recipe Vlogs together, using the lighting m tripod and other video equipment paid for as a retirement gift from my friends at the Oil & Gas Academy ( thanks guys!)

Oak and Bew making Thai chicken curry at Al Hamra

You can see this vlog here : Thai Chicken curry with Oak and Bew

The summer of 2021 came and my monthly emails to the Philippine Embassy Bahrain were still met with the usual standard reply that currently foreigners were not allowed into the Philippines and they did not know when this would end. The rest of the world was opening up to vaccinated tourists and I researched where I could go ( Vietnam, UK, Dubai, Cambodia, Thailand , Oman ) and settled on two months in Dubai and one month in Oman. You can read all about these trips in my blogs and watch my experiences in my vlogs.

I returned to Bahrain in October 2021 and this time rented an apartment on the 13th floor at Nooh Tower in Hidd with an amazing sea view, fabulous sunsets, and lots of places to walk nearby. I met up with all my friends like Rew, Coco, Jake , Corleen, Beshy, Miss Andrea, Ronnie, Ariel and we had several fun days out around Bahrain ( including a few walks in Awali ) . Sadly Jake had to go back to the Philippines but I have promised he can some and set up my new compost in Palawan one day!

Jake, TBK, Corleen and Beshy at one of our Friday Gang feasts, this one at Tata Ed's

Next Christmas was upon us and after previous unhappy Christmases in Bahrain I decided to go back to Dubai for Expo 2020, The wonderful Miracle Gardens, Global Village and the newest Biggest wheel in the world at Ain Dubai. I met up with all my old friends there like MK, John Ric, Jeboy, Joshua , Erickson and Thang and was well looked after by the amazing staff in the three Accor Properties where I stayed ( Ibis Al Barsha, Ibis Styles Jumeirah and Adagio) . I loved the views from my 24th floor apartment at Adagio and we made several more Vlogs, and had some great meals out at various Celebrity Chef Restaurants. I think my favourite venue was Sofitel Obelisk where I had three amazing meals at Brasserie Boulod, Bijou Patisserie ( with Mar Mar from Myanmar) and our Sunday Roast Lunch for dinner with Chef Michael at the Nine, their British Gastropub!

MK's Roast lamb with Cauli cheese croquettes, roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, gravy, mint sauce, red cabbage and parsnips and carrots- SARAP!

As we entered the New Year speculation was rife that the Philippines might open its borders again with an election imminent and a lame duck president on his way out. My many friends there kept me updated through Facebook and I cross checked the news weekly with the Philippine Embassy in Bahrain .

How ironic I thought- 16.2.22- one year after I left Bapco plus 2 travel days

The Embassy admitted they too had seen the publicity but until they were given permission by the Inter Agency Task Force ( IATF) in Manila they could not issue me a visa . So reluctantly I paid for another months accommodation, car rental and flexi visa ( 500 bd, 1000 gbp , 69,414.14 Philippine peso) in addition to the storage of my belongings in Palawan and living expenses for my 5 "anaks" there.

My SSRV application , version 2 - they lost version one!

During February 2021 the International press covered the eventual opening of the Philippines to Foreigners on 10 Feb but the Philippine Embassy in Bahrain told me that as a Retiree I should email the Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA) my SSRV documentation and once complete they would issue me with an Entry Exception Document ( EED) which would allow me to travel , finally to the Philippines. They sent me this advisory:

I emailed the PRA to check if I could save time by having my Medical done in Bahrain and they agreed , as long as the form was Apostilled by the person whose details they sent me. Sadly my email to him was returned as " no longer works here". I remember describing the whole process as " One step forwards and two back!"

Just before you all die of boredom from this long blog I want to thank all the people that helped me on my long journey to the Philippines. From Alpesh, Mittal and the kids delivering lunch and a hand made farewell card on my last day in Awali, to Miss Andrea for doing all my printing for a year ( I sent my printer to Palawan in December 2020). Next up my doctor Brett and the amazing Medical team at Awali hospital for all the medicals, x-rays, blood tests, urine and stool samples and analysis and so on. To my Coaches Jane, Mark and Phil for reminding me to stay Cool and that this was just a transition period! They told me I would get to Palawan one day. In the Philippines my thanks to Beth, Gracie, Chester and everyone who sent me information , helped arrange car and house rental , stored furniture, received parcels etc. and to Jhoanna for arranging for the storage of all my items and paying all the bills for me.

My second GBC ( the first expired in May 2021!)

There were more problems on the way- it took three weeks to get a letter from Bapco Security to say I was of good character, and then to get the MOI form for the Good Behaviour Certificate (GBC) and finally to book my appointment on line. I turned up at 7 am on 14 March with my 1 bd and my passport photos, copies of my residence visas and passport and CPR, completed application form and letter from Bapco security. The lady ( that's being polite in case she reads this) told me I had the wrong form, there was no current residence visa in my passport, and I did not need the letter from Bapco and that she could not accept cash. I nearly cried and gave up at that point. She gave me a new form and sent me up one floor to get a sticker in my passport to say I was covered by a flexi visa and accepted my credit card for the 1 bd payment . She told me they would message me when the GBC was ready.

My new flexi visa sticker issued 14.3.22

I then went to Awali to get all my paperwork copied ( just in case) and scanned ( lesson learnt after I deleted the soft copy of the paperwork I submitted to PRA in October 2021. ) Two days later I returned to the security complex in Muhurraq and a smiling lady gave me my GBC- and told me where to get it Apostilled. Thankfully the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ( MOFA) does not operate an online appointment system ( Skiplino) so I just took a ticket and filled in a form to say what I wanted apostilled and why and patiently waited my turn.

Finally my GBC is apostilled

Remember that phrase- one step forward? When the nice man handed back the form he got his colleague to explain that they could not apostille the medical certificate until it had been stamped by NHRA ( National Health Regulatory Authority) to say that Brett was a competent Physician and not my friend trying to help me into the Philippines) and that the Philippine Embassy would have to stamp the SSRV application. Once stamped I should return , get another ticket, pay another 40 bd and they would apostille the last two documents. Whilst disappointed I could see a light at the end of the tunnel, and as a Facebook friend commented " You did not expect anything to be easy did you, Neil!". I used my Google maps on my smart phone to find the NHRA who took 20 bd and stamped the form and then directed me to a closer MOFA office in LMRA who apostilled the Medical certificate in exchange for another 20 bd! However they agreed with the first MOFA office that the SSRV application from PRA had to be stamped by The Philippine Embassy , Bahrain. I decided to email them from MOFA ( as you have to book an online appointment a week ahead to get anywhere near the embassy). This was their reply:

Manama PE Consular

Wed, Mar 16, 9:25 AM (8 days ago)

to me

we do not stamp the SRRV application form sir

Consular Assistants

Philippine Embassy, Manama

Kingdom of Bahrain

Email: manamape.consular@dfa.gov.ph

Contact Number: 17721234

Worse was to come when I barged my way into the Embassy without appointment ( yes after 14 months of being messed around by the Philippine Embassy Bahrain I decided enough was enough) and they asked why I was completing an SSRV application when I could just fly to the Philippines and get a visa on arrival!

I politely explained I was following their instructions and they asked when I had been told to do that. Having not previously been a big fan of mobile phones I was delighted to pull up the thread of 36 emails going back 14 months and showed them their email to which they replied:

" Ah well the rules have changed since then" and gave me this:

I walked out before I hit someone and went to Awali to scan and email myself the apostilled documents ( just in case) and called Gulf Air to schedule my flight to Manila. They charged me a further 29 bd in admin and no show charge for the previous flight in Feb 2021 . They assured me everything had been sorted and I would be travelling First Class to Manila. I messaged the car hire company and they agreed to take the car back on the day of the flight and refund my money. I decided it was not worth the hassle to try and get my last months flexi visa 30 bd back, ( I later found out it would cover the cancellation fee!) and was disappointed that NOOH tower , after a total of 4 months staying here would not refund my money. Corleen came and packed my case and sent the rest of my belongings to Jhoanna in a second Babikayan box. Then I gave Corleen the key and he stayed in the flat after I left.

My second Babikayan Box

I spent my last week in Bahrain saying goodbye to my friends ( again) and booking accommodation in Manila, and arranging to meet my friends Chester and Geo there and go for the long awaited Beef Caldaretta cooked by Chester's mum who was by then back in Marikana from Bahrain. The night before I departed I checked in on line to find it was only economy class. I wrote to complain- no reply, I called and was kept on hold for a long time due to "unusually high call volumes"- which it says EVERY Time I call Gulf Air. When I finally got through the signal went on my phone and they hung up. After 3 attempts I gave up and checked in on line and had to pay 10 bd extra for a window seat. Then Chester finally replied to my what's app message on the day of departure saying I did need a PCR test ( after MK and others said I did not). I got an appointment at 730 am and paid 25 bd at Awali but they said the results would not be ready for my flight. I went to Al Hilal hospital and paid another 30 bd for a fast results test. Awali promised to refund the 25 Bd ( but still have not) and when I called Gulf Air they said because the bid for first class was over a year ago its no longer valid so I lost my 300 bd. I asked how come they gave me a free flight and they said that was valid for 18 months! She said I could write and complain if I was not happy! She did not seem to understand there was little point complaining about not flying first class after the flight was over!

Chester and I had dinner at Highlands ( MOA) where Drew ,Tom and I once ate!

Chester and I went out for a night at Mall of Asia, when he finally arrived at 6 pm. By the time we finished most of the shops were shutting and we could not get the long list of things I had scheduled us to get.

And then I realised the date- April one, April fool's day- would anyone REALLY believe after a 14 month wait I was finally in the Philippines? Especially my anaks who I have been lying to for the last month!

It was Grecil's 21st Birthday on 26 April and she wrote to me to say:

" That's what I want po tatay to be here with my 21st bday."

I told her I would chase the PRA to get my pre evaluation completed as soon as possible and my EED issued to allow me to fly to the Philippines!

She replied:

"Thank you for doing more effort tatay."

Oh Tatay, you are so makulit, lying to your girls! But having missed Jhoanna and TJ's 21st, Ran and Geralyn's wedding and the birth of my first Inaanak, and two Christmas dinners at the Microtel in Puerto there was no way I was going to miss Grecil's 21st!

So then I had to swear everyone to secrecy and ask Beth to arrange a hire car for me ( no more Drew Rip offs!) and Gracie found me a house to rent so I was able to sneak into Palawan without anyone knowing! I booked the first week at the Microtel in Puerto Princessa and booked a flight with Air Asia from Manila to Puerto on 3rd April.

The Microtel at Puerto Princessa, my room is bottom right

Its been a long wait ( 15 months since I left Bapco until Grecil's party ) but It will be worth it when she runs and jumps into my arms like the last time I surprised her shouting " Tatay"

I posted pics of Chester and I in Manila on Facebook but TJ and Jhoanna just laughed and said it was

an April fool! On 3rd April I flew to Puerto Princessa. Can you believe they cancelled the flight I booked, then put me on a later one and then that was late as well. It seemed someone just did not want me to get to Palawan!

I wish I could go back here to El Nido Cove where I fell in love with Palawan in 2014, but it is still closed. However I am writing this from Microtel Puerto Princessa where I am staying for a week to find a house to rent, and complete some paperwork for my SSRV that we did not have time to complete in Manila due to Chester's late arrival. Then I will start heading north with a week at Rosemarie's place , Eshanti in Port Barton , and with Cierson in New Canipo ( where I am having drone flying lessons ( assuming the drone arrives in time!). After that I am off to Lio for a week - with a side trip with Ritchelle and the boys to Sibaltan for a Massage and a boat trip at the ever expanding Marz empire. Finally I will end up in Nacpan ( thanks Ran for arranging ) and surprise the hell out of Grecil when I turn up at her 21st Birthday party. I told her that a friend of mine will collect her and take her to Puerto the next day where I have arranged for Jhoanna, TJ and Kit to join us ( and Grecil's brother Ariel) and Chef Arnel has agreed to make 3 birthday cakes!