Voucher

These were the vouchers issued to me

by my agency instead of 

official receipts with their 

printed business name.

I paid for the documents

that were to be filed in the

KSA embassy for my visa.

Each document costs P1,200,

I passed 6 documents.

Medical Exam Procedure

My medical/physical exam was held last May 31.
I paid P3,600 at the agency and was given a referral slip
with a map of the GAMCA (Gulf Cooperation Council
Accredited Medical Clinic Assoc) clinic at the back.

Sadly, I was not given a receipt for my payment,
I thought I was going to be given one at the clinic itself.
I should have known better...

Arrived at the Ruben Bartolome Medical Clinic
rather late around 10 or 11 am methinks.
It is located at Nakpil Street opposite
PWU (Philippine Women's University)
near a 7-11 branch.

You are to bring the referral slip and 2 pictures,
which you will submit to the front desk personnel
at the reception area at the ground floor.

You will be then given around 3 pages-worth of forms
to accomplish regarding your medical history,
some waivers for the AIDS test and the usual
personal profile details.

I forgot to add, that you should have starved yourself,
hahahaha edit that, you should have not taken
anything liquid nor solid for the past 10 - 12 hours.

To avoid temptation just clench your mouth tightly
by 12midnight, sleep, then travel to
the clinic for your tests.

Do not forget to take some snacks and sugary juices
to feast on after they take your blood for the FBS/CBC
(fasting blood sugar & complete blood count)
Also bring a pen, some pencils; wear clothing and shoes
that are easy to remove and comfortable to wear.

On your form is your number, remember that number,
you will be called by numbers during your queue and
not by surname, so do not forget it.

On the second floor fall inline and the staff would call you by
tens for your digital photo session prepare around P50
(yes, bring extra cash, clinics charge for everything)

They would then take your photo, (remove caps & glasses),
they would be printing those for filing in the GAMCA database.
You would have to queue again for the cashier,
those who have not paid at their agencies will have to pay here,
other wise they would tell you your good to go.

Reminder: Be patient as some of the staff are masungit
(because they have been doing the same routine for years)
so be on your toes and be aware of your surroundings.

Go upstairs to the third floor where there is absolute chaos,
if you already have your stool & urine specimen
pass it to the attendant at the lab window and sign their logbooks.
Otherwise buy their specimen bottle for P20 each I think
and do your business at the comfort room.

Pass your form to the staff and wait again to be called
for the blood extraction, remember to relax and if
you are afraid of the needle try pinching your ears
when you are poked with the syringe to divert the pain.

After having your blood extracted you could now snack
on your baon, yehey finally!  Hunger & thirst be gone!

Pass your paper to the window at the X-ray lab,
wait again, talk with your fellow applicants and mingle.
When your number is called proceed inside the X-ray lab,
remove your upper clothes and metal accessories,
wear the prescribed green tunic and have chest your x-ray taken,
remember to take your form.

Proceed to the 4th floor for your actual physical exam,
pass your paper to the nurse and wait for your number to be called.
Female clients will be handled by female doctors.
They will then take your height and weight,
which is inaccurate, they wrote on my form that I was a mere
5'6" when in fact I am  5'8", tsk tsk tsk.

The doctor would then interview you about your
past medical history plus the things you wrote on your form.
You would be then asked to go inside the cubicle
to loosen your upper clothing + unhook your bra
and remove your jeans but please keep your panties on!

The doctor would then palpate you for deformities or
abnormalities and ask you to lie down to conduct
with your hands behind your head for the breast exam.

Then you would be asked to face the wall pull down
your underwear, stoop down a bit and spread your
butt cheeks to check for hemorrhoids.
It is embarrassing, but remember they see all kinds
of private parts everyday, they are immune to it already,
although they might gossip about it hahahaha.
Ouch : (

Wait again to be called, your blood pressure will now be taken
and your eyesight will be tested through the use of the Snellen chart.
Bring your glasses, try to remember the grade of your lens.
I think some of the males were asked to undergo an ECG exam as well.

Take your form again and pass it to the dentist's room
also located on the same room.
I highly advise fellow applicants to have your teeth cleaned
and cavities filled before proceeding to a GAMCA medical exam.

Why? Because it will cost you more to have them taken
care of in-house. Most of the complaints emanate from this issue.
You will be then asked  to go inside the dentist's clinic by tens.

She will check your teeth by mere sight, if she sees something
that should be fixed she will write you a prescription ulk!
Which means you will have to fulfill that first
to pass the entire medical exam.

Afterwards take hold of your form again and go up
one floor, pass your papers to the nurse for the psych exam.
This was the longest wait -- around an hour or so,
when you are called inside better have your pencil ready.

You would be given instructions, so listen very well.
There would be parts wherein you could choose
to answer in English of Filipino, some parts you
would be asked to draw some figures.

Pass your test paper and your done, results will
be out in 3 days, if the clinic does not call, contact your agency.
Your medical results are good for 3 months only.

I finished at around 6 pm and went to the nearby 7-11
to buy some food and soda, then I rode a bus home.

The feeling of waiting for your medical results is
pretty much like waiting for your board exam results.
Excruciating!

Additionally, you can proceed to each exam process
anyway you can, what I mean is you can proceed to
your dental exam before your physical or start from the
fifth floor -- the psych exam and work your way down.

Though I highly suggest to do the blood tests first,
or risk hypoglycemia and faint en route to the other floors.

I found a blog post that is helpful in airing out the issues
surrounding GAMCA clinics and a pending memorandum against them.
Click here

Read my second post and pictures about
my 2nd physical examination here

Agency Fees

A post long due,
about the time I e-mailed POEA
about the fees we were to pay
regarding the processing fees
and other charges.

P.S.
Kudos to POEA for answering my email right away,
But I would have wanted more clarifications,
anyhow, the e-mail answered all my queries.

And so here is the entire e-mail....

This has reference to your e-mail relative to your query as regards to the fees being charge by the Philippine Recruitment Agency and to the Fees/Cost Chargeable to principal and to the Workers.

          The schedule of allowable fees prescribed by the Secretary is outlined in Section 1,2, & 3, Rule V, Part II of the POEA Rules and Regulations Governing the Recruitment and Employment of Land-based Overseas Workers that specifically provides for the Fee, Cost and Contributions or allowable charges that may be collected by a Philippine Recruitment Agency, which reads as follow:

Section 1. Service Fee.  Agencies shall charge from their principals a service fee to cover services rendered in the recruitment, documentation and placement of workers.  The Administration shall provide incentives to agencies and employers who are able to comply with this rule.

Section 2.  Fees and Cost Chargeable to Principals.  Unless otherwise provided, the principal shall be responsible for the payment of the following:

a.      visa fee;

b.     airfare;

c.      POEA processing fee; and

d.     OWWA membership fee

Section 3.  Fees/Cost Chargeable to Workers.  Except where the prevailing system in the country where the worker is to be deployed, either by law, policy or practice, do not allow the charging or collection of placement and recruitment fee, a landbased agency charge and collect from its hired workers a placement fee in an amount equivalent to one month salary, exclusive of documentation costs.

Documentation costs to be paid by the worker shall include, but not limited to, expenses for the following:

a.      Passport

b.     NBI/Police/Barangay Clearance

c.      Authentication

d.     BirthCertificate

e.      Medicare

f.       Trade Test, If necessary

g.     Inoculation, when required by host country

h.     Medical Examination Fee

In the event that the recruitment agency agrees to perform documentation services, the workers shall pay only the actual cost of the document which shall be covered by official receipts.

The above-mentioned placement and documentation cost are the only authorized payments that may be collected from a hired worker.  No other charges in whatever form, manner or purpose, shall be imposed on and be paid by the worker without prior approval of the POEA.

Such fees shall be collected from a hired worker only after he has obtained employment through the facilities of the recruitment agency.

          It is clear from the foregoing provisions that the principal shall be responsible for the cost of visa, POEA processing fee and OWWA membership While the worker shall pay a placement fee in an amount equivalent to one month salary and the documentation cost as enumerated above.

          With respect to the other fees being charged by your agency, it is best for you to demand from your agency the specific details and composition of such fee.

We hope that we have sufficiently addressed your concern.

Careful With Your Tongue

Received Mama's cargo 

a few days back

delivered by two men.

The older one seems to be in charge,

he was asking too many questions for comfort.

He was annoyingly scrutinizing my

midwifery id, thank heavens my nursing one

was expired, and I rarely take out my passport.

It was like he was eying everything in the house,

and my home was in shambles, 

I was doing the laundry while trying to clean up 

my old magazine stack plus the dried laundry 

was on the dinner table.

I must admit I am not a tidy, prim and proper lady.

When he was leaving he mumbled something

about me being lucky that I get to stay at home

and wait for my mom's cargo and do nothing in return.

I retorted that what I received was not solely for me

but majority of the stuff are for my relatives,

I then shoved 100 pesos in his hand.

What an ungracious, impolite, narrow-minded fucktard!

What does he think of us children of OFWs?

That we enjoy receiving material presents in lieu of a 

warm hug and kisses from our parents?

Does he actually think that presents and money can

replace the love of a parent?

His remarks made me so uncomfortable,

it actually made me cry.

I hate narrow-minded people.

Your lot will never know what we have been through.

You just don't care mister.