If you need to go to the Bureau of Immigration field office in Baguio City, Philippines, note that it has relocated to 38 Military Cutoff Road, south of Panagbenga Park and Camp John Hay.  The building in which the Bureau of Immigration rents space bears no Bureau of Immigration sign, of course.  The building does not show the number 38, either.  Welcome to the Philippines.On the east side of Military Cutoff Road, iIf you see the old, vinyl “Let’s BI vigilant” banner picturing the B.I. Commissioner Mr. Libanan, you’ve reached the parking lot.  Go into the “Greenwood School Alex and Jenny, Inc.” building.  Straight ahead, across the lobby, is the bureau’s field office.

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Of course no office hours are posted.  And no notice of holiday closure was posted, either.  Day after day in December, Dominic and I wondered when the unlabeled office might reopen.  No one posted a notice reading something like, “closed Dec. 24 – Jan. 4.”  Phone calls to the bureau weren’t answered, either.  Welcome to the Philippines.

Today we returned to the bureau and heard that our applications for visa renewals (and all other foreigners’ requests) could not be processed because “our computer is not working.”  So we have the privilege of returning tomorrow.  Welcome to the Philippines.

UPDATE: On Tuesday we returned and heard that “the computer” still isn’t working, so we’ll return to the office tomorrow or Thursday or Friday…

UPDATE: after four visits to the chaotic office and paying P3140 each (includes two annual fees of P300+10), we retrieved our passports with tourist visa stamps dated March 2, 2009.  We don’t want to extend our tourist visas beyond that.  We want to leave this ineptitude behind.