just arrived in SYDNEY mga kapatid! ang bait ni Lord!
Sharing what we did after receiving our GRANT
- PDOS ONLINE – fast transaction lang sya actually pero may mga mishaps lang.
Tips: Register at exactly 7AM in their website. Prepare image (JPG/PNG) files of your passport, visa, and another identification card. Choose PRINCIPAL for SC 189/190
APR 17: I registered both me and my husband using different accounts/emails at exactly 7AM. Same day nakareceive sya ng schedule for APR 18. Me none, I tried to contact their support around 4pm, they told me mali daw pagkaregister ko but I have screenshots to prove na tama naman, they suggested to register again the next day.
APR 18: I registered again at exactly 7AM, nagpanic pa ako kasi hindi na pala pwede gamitin e-mail mo once nagamit mo na buti na lang I have a spare email. Tapos unang reply nila is asking for my petitioner details. Mejo naoffend lang si girl kasi I picked SI189 naman and uploaded my visa details (may generalization ata sila na pag pinay may petitioner agad HAHA) and take note hindi ito hinanap kay husband ah! Ako pa yung primary applicant hahaha. So I had to explain in a polite way na wala ako petitioner. After, nakareceive naman na me ng schedule for APR 19. We received our online certificates immediately after filling-up an online form and paying the fees. Tips again: pag wala nareceive na link 1hr after ng orientation, contact them thru the email na nagsend sayo ng sched. In the ‘PETITIONER’ section of the form, write your name (for SC 189 and 190 I think).
- Booking our FLIGHT – I’ve been monitoring cebpac sales for months na, may nagpop-up na mejo lower price na close date so I booked it na agad. 4 years namin hinintay to so dasurv namin soon BM HAHAHA ang lakas. Tip from kabayan Unsullied: Bring php money sa plane para pwede magbuy ng food pag nagutom (kaso you can only buy bread, chips, and drinks lang not the meals. so better eat before traveling). You can also add-on naman food and extra luggage sa cebpac even after booking.
p.s. may distant relatives si husband sa au na nagwelcome samin pagstay-an for a few weeks kaya makaka BM na kami agad hehe
Closing the PAG-IBIG Account – apaka accommodating ng PAGIBIG Baguio. Just presented my plane itinerary, visa, an identification card, and my bdo debit card (where they will send the money). And poof! Tapos na, sila na rin nagphotocopy ng ID and card ko (unlike ibang gov’t offices jan lol). It’ll take 8-20 days daw bago mareceive ang amount.
Converting our little POCKET MONEY to AUD – went to BDO SM Baguio (I have an account there) to enquire, magset daw muna ako ng appointment since wala available that day. So nagset kami Friday the next week since I had to be somewhere, they took my details and the amount I will convert. Went there on Friday shookt wala daw sila stock, daily basis daw ang remittance nila (what they receive sa morning at their branch and sm department store forex, yun lang pwede nila ibigay at the same day, then they have to remit it at 2pm and start at zero again the next day) they took my details again. After another week luckily may nagpaconvert and they called me, so napapalit naman namin after 3 weeks na pabalikbalik and may kasama naman na transaction paper with serial number ng mga AUD. (less than 10k AUD lang po hehe). Tip: do this na agad after receiving your grant para less hassle. If wala talaga AUD at your bank you can use USD pero icoconvert mo again sya to AUD in oz so twice bababa ang money mo due to conversion (last resort po ito if desperate na talaga)
Packing our stuff – just clothes including winter clothes (we brought lots of winter clothes kasi 5 degrees at my husband's relative's place), shoes, books, and toiletries na less than 2Li in our 32kg each checked-in luggage. Personal stuff, documents, and electronics naman sa 7kg handcarry. We also brought blanket and inflatable neck pillow dahil lamigin ako haha. Tips: we hid our pocket money sa tumbler in our handcarry lol
Signed-up for commbank days before pre-departure
Registered to e-travel 3 days before flight
Manila to Sydney ♥ - it went very smooth pero mejo gahol sa time kasi 3 and half hours before our flight kami nakapasok sa naia lol. We spent like an hour at the check-in of cebpac (they opened the checked-in luggage, weighed the checked-in, printed the boarding pass, then the handcarry was not weighed!). an hour and half at the immigration line. and an hour before the flight nagpapasok na sila sa plane. so recommended talaga like 4 hours or more before departure kayo dumatin just in case mahaba pila sa check-in or immi. 7 and half hours smooth flight and touchdown Sydney!