What's in a (Business) Name? Sesenta y nueve

This Street Fighter got roasted.

Spotted along Imus Avenue, Cebu City

For more amusing business names, please visit Go Random.

Cebu Pacific Flight Cancellation and TravelSure (Insurance)

When you travel, do you avail of the airline's add-on travel insurance? I usually don't for domestic flights, but I do for international flights—without really reading the coverage, just skimming. Stupid, I know.

For my last trip, I paid Php 400 for travel insurance, at the same time praying the airline would not lose my luggage (I don’t own any expensive clothes, but it would be a hassle physically and financially to have to buy new clothes if they did lose my sack of rags), I would not get hospitalized (or worse, die!) while on the trip, or the flight would not be cancelled.

The inevitable happened. Of all the days the typhoon had to landfall, it had to be on the date and time I was set to travel. The suckiest part of all was that Cebu Pacific cancelled the flight just six hours before. That would have been okay had my flight been direct from Cebu, but it wasn’t, I had a connecting flight via Manila, and their announcement came when I had already arrived in Manila. I knew the flight would get cancelled, but I was hoping they had made the announcement the night before (like PAL did for their flights on the same route) or at least while I was still in Cebu. I guess they just didn’t want the hassle of having to rebook the other leg of the trip for those who were on connecting flights. (The airline provided a replacement flight for the cancelled flight segment; replacement flight was scheduled for the next day.)

The travel insurance covers flight cancellations under certain conditions, but they would not be the ones to provide accommodation, meals, and transportation. You would have to fend for yourself and then file for reimbursement. The maximum amount you can claim per day would be Php 1000.

Flight delays are recoverable under your TravelSure insurance if the flight is delayed for more than twelve (12) hours. The insurance provides up to Php 1,000.00 (up to 20 days) per day of reasonable expenses incurred if delay is caused by the following:

COVERAGE G- FLIGHT DELAY 

• delay caused by any severe weather conditions; 
• delay due to strike or other job action by employees of the airline on which the Insured is scheduled to travel; 
• delay caused by the equipment failure of the aircraft on which the Insured is scheduled to travel. 

This cover only applies to normally scheduled airline flights which the Insured had duly confirmed according to the airlines rules and regulations.

This policy will reimburse the Insured up to the limit specified in the schedule if the Insured’s flight is delayed for more than twelve (12) hours, for:

• any prepaid, unused, non-refundable land or  water accommodation 
• any reasonable expenses incurred in respect of meals and lodging which were necessarily incurred as a result of the delay and which were not provided by the airline or any other party free of charge; 
• the cost of transfer to and from the airport.

This information (and all other insurance coverage) can be found in the Cebu Pacific and TravelSure websites or can be provided by TravelSure through email.

The expenses I incurred for being stuck in Manila for a day was about Php1500, not including accommodation (because I luckily had a friend who adopted me for a night). I only submitted receipts for two meals and transportation to and from the airport (they accepted screenshots for Uber) for a total of Php909. I could not file for reimbursement for dinner because I had forgotten to ask for a receipt. (Had I not forgotten to ask for a receipt for dinner and had I stayed in a hotel, they would only have reimbursed a maximum of Php1000 a day anyway.)

Kindly furnish us the following documents please in order for us to proceed with the evaluation of your claim:

1. Scanned copy of your passport
2. Scanned copy of your itinerary ticket
3. Copy of Certificate of Flight Cancellation / Flight Delay from the airline
4. Scanned copy of your rebooking ticket
5. Scanned copy of the original receipts for your expenses incurred on either food, accommodation or cost of transfer to and from the airport
6. Duly filled-out Client Information Sheet form (provided by TravelSure through email) 

It took two months to process the reimbursement and they approved the amount of Php900.

More so, upon approval of your claim, we may proceed with either check or bank transfer as the mode of settlement.

For check, the claimant should have a local bank account here in the Philippines. Once the claim check has been prepared, we will notify the claimant for the pick-up of his/her check in our Binondo Head Office.

For bank transfer, upon approval of your claim, we may send the money via bank transfer. Kindly give us the details of your nominated bank – preferably your savings bank account. Please take note however that your bank shall apply charges/fees for the transfer so the amount that you will get shall be lower than the amount of your claim.

Because I was based in Cebu, I had no choice but to choose bank transfer. The total amount I received? A whopping Php504 because of bank fees! Was it worth all the trouble? I spent Php400 for the insurance and Php1500 for being stranded in Manila, and all I got back was Php504. What a laugh. (On a brighter note, the person they assigned to handle my case was responsive and always provided updates.)

Better get a real travel insurance next time.

Guest Post: Offshore Kayak Fishing is the New Trend

This is a guest post by Tom Miller, a kayak fishing enthusiast who also writes for The Kayak Critic.

Fishing is a favorite hobby for many of us, but it is also an important industry to work in. No matter, people nowadays are going crazy over this new growing idea of kayak fishing. Previously, only a handful of people can be seen with a kayak moving offshore for hunting their prey. Now, dozens of people can be seen embracing the adventure. Not to mention proper seminars are being conducted to educate the fishers to help them explore in a better way.

This method of fishing has been adapted for several reasons. Kayaking itself allows our muscles to tone. While paddling in the water, one strokes up for miles which helps our arms, legs, and our whole body to find the rhythm. Kayak fishing is quite a workout and will you a fresh and delicious meal afterward, which makes things more interesting. Kayaking also keeps your heart in good health. But most of the time offshore fishing is a significant relaxation method used by many of us in this fast-paced time. In many parts of the world, offshore kayaking has proved to be substantial for team building exercises.

Building the team up is one reason for offshore kayaking, but at the same time, it also helps us with self-reliance. Isn't it amazing how just one outdoor activity can do so much for you? Although it isn't as easy as it sounds there are a few tips and tricks you should keep in mind:

1. Take your first note: offshore kayaking is not for beginners, and practice is what makes a person perfect.
2. Second, of course, to choose the right kayak for your adventure. Fishing kayaks are different. Don't go in the middle of the sea with a kayak that has no place to put the fishing gears.
3. Third, nature is beautiful, but it is dangerous, too. The sea is no joke. Put your life jacket on and keep yourself safe from the elements in the sea. You don't want things to go out of hand. And to be on the safe side, do take an emergency communication device with you, because your safety comes first.
4. Fourth, plan before your trip down the sea, ask a local meteorologist for details. This active-mindedness will help you be on time for the last wave to go by, as that is your time to start doing what you came to do.
5. Down the lane is the knowledge of weight distribution. As I mentioned earlier, fishing kayaks are different, and if you don't put the weight balanced in the center, you will end up hurting yourself every time a wave breaks onto you.
6. Lastly, do not forget to be visible to others while you are out. You do not want bigger boats to overlook you. In daylight, a safety flag from a distance can make you visible to others. And at night time, use a 360-degree light for yourself.

How to Get Your ITR (Form 2316) Stamped as True Copy (in Cebu City)

We all want things to be free and easy. Applying for a visa to Korea for trips of less than 59 days is free. (Yay!) And the list of requirements for applicants who are employees is short and simple enough. (Double yay!) But, alas, when you're applying in the consulate in Cebu, you don't simply hand the consulate staff a copy of your ITR/Form 2316—unless it has been stamped and certified by BIR as a true copy. (Well, you can, but the consulate staff will hand it back to you and will not accept your application!)

Since I work for a company that falls under the Large Taxpayers Division (LTD) of BIR, it wasn't as easy as popping by the BIR office and flashing them my ITR/Form 2316. I had to prepare some documents and go to two different BIR offices.

If you, like me, work for a company that's under the LTD of BIR, here's what you need to do:

Prepare the following:

• Copy of ITR/Form 2316 that you want certified
• Request letter signed by you and your company HR or your manager
• Copy of your ID
• Php130 in exact amount (for certification fee and documentary stamp)

And then get your butt to the BIR offices:

1. Go to the BIR Regional Office Building and get a priority number for the Cashier/Window 12.
2. Give the cashier your ITR/From 2316 copy and pay the certification fee and documentary stamp fee (total of  Php130). The cashier will give you a receipt with the documentary stamp attached.
3. Go to the BIR Large Taxpayers Division Office (a 10-minute walk from the Regional Office).
4. Present your request letter, photocopy of your ID, copy of ITR/Form 2316 that you want certified, and certification fee receipt with attached documentary stamp. The BIR staff will verify your ITR/Form 2316, stamp and sign it, and stick the documentary stamp on it.

If you work for a company that does not fall under the Large Taxpayers Division of BIR, you only need to go to the BIR Regional Office Building for the certification. Please inquire from BIR for the exact process.

BIR Regional Office Building
Archbishop Reyes Avenue, Cebu City
(032) 231 1593

BIR Large Taxpayers Division Office (BIR LTDO)
8th Floor Pag-Ibig Fund – WT Corporate Tower
Mindanao Avenue, Cebu Business Park, Cebu City
(032) 233 9820

Wisdom from the Road #59

On snow

Don't succumb to the snow's siren call.

Oh, Snow! You look so beautiful! Freshly fallen, you sure are an angel! But the longer you stay, letting yourself pile up, melt, and then transform into a sheet of ice...you have evil on your mind: you wait for me to slip and fall on my butt, you mock my tropical-ness with your icy fingers, you make me wear all the clothes in my luggage, and, ultimately, you turn me into a hermit.

In short: Snow looks beautiful when it freshly coats everything. Snow looks beautiful in photos. And I will just admire it in photos.

Don't say I didn't warn you.