A while back I posted an article that was really about a terrible shortfall here in the Philippines … the lack of an viable postal service. One Thing Americans Will Surely Miss in the Philippines .

Today I thought I’d toss out a couple things I really don’t miss and am very happy for.

Political Commercials: It’s already Election Day as I write this, but the polls haven’t yet opened in the US.  Unless we have another debacle like Election 2000, in twenty-for or so hours our country will have anew president-elect and frankly it can’t come soon enough for me.  Like Bob Martin, I am supporting absolutely no one. (please leave no partisan political comments, I’ll delete at will).  My personal view is that both major parties have done a horrible job in selecting two of the poorest choices from a broad field of talent … but that’s just my opinion and it really doesn’t matter, come tomorrow one of them will be in the catbird’s seat.  But the horrible, boring, repetitious and usually pointless commercials you folks still back in the US have endured … my God bless you and bring you a speedy recovery.

We get a fair amount of US television here but we get virtually no US commercials and around this time of year I am really glad for that.  We also get much more balanced news coverage I think that is on the US networks.  We get the CNN International channel which actually takes notice there is more than one country in the US and has reporters who don’t wear their bias on their sleeves. ( Fox News is available on some cable channels, fortunately not from my provider ). The BBC and the ABC (Australian) in particular do a much better job of reporting actual events without ‘spin’ , and there is always the Daily Show and the Colbert Report each night to provide a few laughs and also point out the gaffes on both sides.  It’s really been refreshing.

Long Waits for US Services:

The US government takes pretty good care of us expats here.  In particular:

Passports: Many wonder “what do you do when your passport expires”?  The answer is simple.  You call a phone number at the US Embassy and they send a bonded courier to your home to pick up your old passport, renewal application form (which you can fill up and download from their website) and your fee …payable in either US Dollars or Philippine Pesos, your choice.  In about two weeks the courier will be back with a shiny new passport.  Last time I renewed mine I even got a personal phone call from a State department technician because the lady thought I was planning to leave on a trip in less than two weeks and she was concerned that if she started the processing I wouldn’t get the passport back in time.  All was ironed out in 5 minutes on the phone … and I wonder how many of you in the US never stood in a line or got a personal call from the passport processing folks the last time you renewed yours.  Excellent service from the folks at US Citizen services.

Social Security: I decided to take my Social security retirement annuity earl, at age 62.  Could not have been much simpler.  Go to the web site for the Philippine office of US Social Security Administration, make an appointment, and bring the required paperwork to the meeting.  The excellent technicians there will fill up all the forms (when’s the last time a US government employee filled out a form for you?) , go over every question in detail and submit the application package.  In 60 to90 days the first deposit will show up in you bank account.  By Appointment Only as they say in Britain.

Veterans Affairs:  I haven’t yet dealt with these folks but their office is also in the Us Embassy right next door to Social security and they operate in the same way.  Make an appointment by phone or email and you’ll see a competent technician who knows answers and gives you the straight poop with little or now waiting.

DEERS: This is an acronym for the US military system (Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System) which issues and tracks ID cards and military benefits, for active duty, retirees and their family members.  For year one hassle of living in the Philippines was that there was no agency to renew expiring ID cards or issue new ones to children, new wives, etc.  Not any more.  there’s a little DEERS office in between the SSA and the VA office  manned by a real live US Army Specialist (thanks for all you do for us, SPC Babcock) who has all the required forms and the necessary secure computer connection to take care of all registration and ID card needs.  just like “downtown’ as my daddy used to say.

One note of caution:  The security at the Embassy is provided by a Philippine “rent a cop” firm which seems a bit surly and substandard to me.  You are not allowed to bring a cell phone or other devices into the Embassy and there is no official repository for them.  Plan accordingly.  Also, the last time I went the guard would not allow cigarettes inside the Embassy either and no lighters or matches.  Perhaps chewing gum will be next on the anti-terrorist list, who knows?Welcome to the Philippines.

All these folks are now able to offer many of their services over the Internet, so it is not always necessary to make a physical visit to Manila.  But for those things which do require a ‘face-to-face”, all these folks make regular “outreach” trips during the year to major cities like Baguio, Cebu and Davao.

All in all I feel pretty good about the services the US government provides for me here, I am certainly not a ‘disadvantaged” citizen at all.  For things like the passport renewal I feel pretty darn lucky.  Another reason I enjoy living in the Philippines.

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