01:00.4
How did you get here to the Philippines?
01:02.2
I came here in 2015 to marry my wife.
01:06.5
Oh, so you have a Filipino wife?
01:08.4
Yes, actually we are not together anymore.
01:12.6
Since 2017-18, we are separated.
01:16.1
It's because it was not intended to stay here.
01:20.4
When I was after the marriage, when I wanted to check in at the airport,
01:24.6
they couldn't find my ticket. It was delayed.
01:26.4
So you came here back in 2015.
01:29.2
So you came here back in 2015 to marry your Filipino wife back then, right?
01:33.7
What's the name of your wife, sir?
01:39.9
I married her on my vacation.
01:41.8
During vacation, you married her?
01:44.4
I married her on my vacation, yeah.
01:46.3
We met before, since 2013 already by social media.
01:50.9
And I was here in 2014 for a holiday also.
01:54.9
And then in 2015, I came here to marry her.
01:58.1
Okay. So, what happened, sir?
02:01.1
So, after the marriage, I wanted to turn back in my country after vacation for continue my work there.
02:07.9
And they told me at the airport that my ticket was delayed.
02:11.5
I had an online booking of my vacancy.
02:14.5
My flight back was not there.
02:16.7
And when it's delayed, and it's stored in a database, basically an internet somewhere,
02:23.3
and someone has delayed it, how you can approve that?
02:27.5
So, your marriage didn't work out?
02:29.1
After you marry her, was this a church wedding?
02:33.1
Oh, yeah. It was a Christian marriage.
02:35.1
Christian marriage.
02:37.1
And then after Christian wedding, why do you have to go back to Germany?
02:40.6
Because of my work, I had to drop there.
02:43.1
And there was an agreement that you will leave her behind here while you go back to Germany for your work.
02:50.1
And she's going to follow later on.
02:52.4
And it didn't happen. It didn't work out that way.
02:54.4
It didn't happen. It was...
02:55.9
Because of the ticket.
02:57.3
Oh, because of the ticket?
02:59.8
I could not have been stuck here because of the ticket.
03:01.8
What happened to the ticket, sir?
03:03.8
I don't know. Someone deleted it.
03:05.8
Deleted the ticket?
03:08.8
And where is she now? Carmina?
03:13.3
I don't know. Maybe in Manila.
03:15.3
We are separated since seven years.
03:17.3
Seven years ago. Since then, you were working here in the Philippines as an empanada vendor?
03:24.3
Actually, in the first six months, I was working here.
03:27.3
And I was staying here as a tourist.
03:32.3
And after this, this is only a possible six months, and after this, I tried to find work.
03:38.3
But without documents and resident visa, it's not possible to find your work.
03:45.3
The main problem in our marriage was money.
03:50.3
As long as I had the money, money is not a problem.
03:53.3
You know, when you don't have the money, money is a problem.
03:55.3
Strange when people can change.
03:56.8
They can change, you know.
03:57.8
And so for that, I think this is also one of the reasons why she had left me because I was not successful.
04:05.8
But the mere fact that you married her, you would have gotten yourself a visa to stay here in the Philippines based on the marriage.
04:15.8
Only tourist visa. It's maximum valid.
04:17.8
Let's talk to this concerned citizen who is very kind and helping her, Carrie Abad.
04:26.8
I'm fine naman po.
04:27.8
Napakabait niyo po talaga.
04:29.8
Matulog kayong tao.
04:30.8
Nakita po namin yung video.
04:31.8
Si Carrie Abad ay isa pong estudyante, third year college.
04:34.8
Saan ang schoolhan po kayo, ma'am?
04:38.8
Sa mga taga-TUP, kumusta kayo?
04:39.8
So, paano po siya nakilala, ma'am?
04:41.8
Nakilala ko po si tatay.
04:43.8
Nagtitinda po siya ng empanada doon po sa kahabaan ng San Joaquin sa Pasig.
04:48.8
Then sobrang tirik po ng araw.
04:51.8
Kaya parang naisipan ko po na bumili sa kanya.
04:54.8
Tinry ko po siyang video.
04:56.8
And hindi ko in-expect na magti-trending yung video niya sa TikTok ko po.
05:00.8
And ayun po, sobrang nakakatawa dahil ang dami na pong bumibili ng empanada niya nung simula po nung dumating ako sa life niya.
05:08.8
Ah, kayo pong swerte niya.
05:10.8
Opo, naging instrument po ni God.
05:13.8
Now, yung empanada raw, ma'am, ay hindi daw siya ang nagluluto?
05:16.8
Pinapabenta lang sa kanya?
05:19.8
Before po, may nag-ano sa kanya, bibigay po ng empanada.
05:23.8
Bali, taga-tinda lang.
05:24.8
Yung friend niyang black guy po. Pero nag-away po sila.
05:28.8
Then ngayon, kami na po ng ma'am ko, pati ako, yung nagpo-produce ng empanada which is para may source of income siya.
05:35.8
Kasi ayoko pong makita siya na wala siyang kinabubuhay.
05:38.8
Ayun. Okay, tinutulungan niyo siya by way of giving her something to do which is mag-tinda ng empanada na kayo pong nagluluto.
05:46.8
Oo, ang bait-bait. Saan naman po siya nakatira?
05:48.8
Ngayon po sa nagpayong pinagbuhatan pasig po.
05:51.8
Hindi, pero kaninong bahay po siya?
05:53.8
Sa bahay niya po. Doon sa nirerentahan niya.
05:55.8
Magkano yung renta raw?
05:57.8
Php 2,500 per month.
05:58.8
Yeah, 2,500 flat.
05:59.8
Php 2,500 per month.
06:01.8
Are you planning of going back to Germany or you want to stay here for good?
06:05.8
I stay here for good because I had a job offer.
06:10.8
Yeah, and that's why I need the resident visa for that I can work.
06:15.8
But we have a problem though. We have to talk to the immigration, see if that's possible.
06:20.8
Dana Sandoval, spokesperson of VF Immigration.
06:22.8
Ms. Dana Sandoval, magandang hapon po ma'am.
06:24.8
Magandang hapon po sir, magandang hapon po.
06:27.8
So ano pong para sa inyo ma'am, anong magandang gawin Ms. Sandoval dito po sa kaso ni Mr. Strampi?
06:33.8
Yes, actually ang challenge po dyan kasi since 8 years na po siyang overstaying dito, actually nag-incur na po siya ng napakaraming fines and penalties.
06:43.8
That's for 8 years po. So kasama po doon ng blacklisting because of overstaying for such a long time.
06:50.8
What he could do po, ang kailangan po niyang gawin kung ganyan is siya po ay kailangan i-settle yung kanyang fines and penalties with the Bureau of Immigration.
07:01.8
And then mailalagay po kasi siya sa blacklist dyan. So an option that he could do is go out of the country and request for lifting off his blacklist.
07:10.8
Or another option is he could request to the commissioner to reconsider his case.
07:16.8
Pwede niyang sabihin na he has been a good president here in the Philippines.
07:19.8
And he has been helping siguro citizens of the country and things like that po doon sa kanyang motion for reconsideration.
07:30.8
So he's been a productive member of the society because hindi naman po siya umasa sa gobyerno, hindi siya kumukuha ng mga benepisyo sa ating gobyerno.
07:40.8
Bagkos siya po ay nagtatrabaho ng sarili sa tulong po ng mga mga kababayan natin. That's how he survived.
07:45.8
So that alone could be counted as something na baka may consider po. Tama?
07:50.8
Yan po ay maaaring aralin para kung may consider po ng ating commissioner. So pwede po siyang magsambit ng kanyang request sa opisina po ng ating commissioner at doon po ay aaralin kung siya po ay mapagbibigyan.
08:02.8
But ultimately kailangan niya pong i-update ang kanyang visa. Kailangan po ay yung kanyang fines and penalties are settled.
08:10.8
Magkano po yung kanyang fines and penalties po?
08:12.8
I have yet to get the exact figure po siguro doon sa arrivals niya and latest extensions.
08:19.8
But kung eight years po medyo malaki-laki na po ito kasi nagpatong-patong.
08:23.8
Magkakarano po sa estimate niyo po?
08:25.8
It might fall po two figures or ng thousands na po siya. Around 1,700 ng monthly extension. So that's for eight years. And then there's fines and penalties po around 70,000 na i-datagdag pa po doon.
08:40.8
Nabanggit po sa amin kanina ng isang mga researcher namin, 170,000 is that correct?
08:46.8
That might be a little too low pa po.
08:48.8
A little low pa po because it's eight years po na overstaying siya.
08:52.8
Abutin po ng 200?
08:54.8
More than po. I believe it will be more than.
08:58.8
I would have to, siguro po after the phone call I will get from your staff po yung details ng kanyang passport, yung latest arrival po para ma-recompute na po natin at makapag-apply na po siya nung karampatang request po niya for that.
09:12.8
Nagdarasal. Maybe you need to sell trucks and trucks.
09:18.8
To pay off your fines.
09:22.8
I'm gonna help you, sir.
09:23.8
Kaya tweeting na siya. Siguro ma'am Carrie, kaya siguro mga ilang container na…
09:32.8
Para na makaserve.
09:33.8
Let me ask you this, Mr. Strompy.
09:37.8
You have a family in Germany, I'm sure.
09:40.8
We are not close.
09:43.8
But that's the country where you were born.
09:45.8
And you grew up with so many friends.
09:46.8
And of course, I know.
09:47.8
I know that you studied and all.
09:50.8
While here in the Philippines, except for Miss Carrie, you don't have that much friends.
09:55.8
So why do you prefer staying here in the Philippines than going back to your country, to Germany?
10:02.8
In the first place, because I'm not close with my family.
10:08.8
It's not about… It's unlike here.
10:11.8
And when we are leaving our…
10:14.8
You like it here.
10:15.8
House of the parents.
10:16.8
House of the parents.
10:17.8
Then we are staying by our own.
10:19.8
And we don't bother our parents like they do it here.
10:23.8
So my question is…
10:25.8
Why do you like it here versus Germany?
10:27.8
So one brother is self-employed.
10:30.8
He cannot help me.
10:32.8
The other brother is living his own life.
10:34.8
We have contact on Facebook, but it's not so much.
10:37.8
My mom is in hospital because of dementia.
10:40.8
She cannot help me.
10:42.8
And other relatives, I don't have.
10:48.8
So for that, I have nobody there, even not friends.
10:51.8
Because I'm so long time here now.
10:53.8
And so for that, I said, well, I'm happy here.
10:56.8
So this is my home.
10:58.8
This is your home?
10:59.8
This is my home now.
11:00.8
Well, I'm flattered.
11:03.8
I'm flattered to hear that.
11:04.8
I have my family.
11:07.8
And yeah, I learn also the language.
11:09.8
It's not easy, but I do.
11:13.8
What's your name?
11:14.8
Senator Nancy Binay.
11:17.8
I thought I saw you.
11:20.8
It is also fun for me to sell empanada on the street and the cookies and talk to the
11:28.8
And they like that.
11:30.8
And because they're saying I'm old, but I'm kind and something like that, I appreciate
11:36.8
And what I said before, I have someone…
11:41.8
And who's that someone?
11:45.8
Carrie takes good care of you.
11:49.8
And that one offered me a job in some company.
11:53.8
They working with hydroponic farming.
11:57.8
Are you an agriculture back in your country?
12:01.8
Not really, but the work is kind of easy.
12:04.8
What is your profession when…
12:05.8
I'm call center agent.
12:06.8
An alcohol center agent?
12:08.8
I'm IT professional.
12:11.8
This is what I'm going to do.
12:12.8
We're going to accompany you to the immigration and we'll do some computation about your
12:21.8
fines and penalties.
12:23.8
And if I can afford to pay it, why not?
12:24.8
I'll pay for it for you.
12:25.8
I'll take care of it.
12:26.8
And then, of course, I'm going to get you a lawyer, an immigration lawyer, to make an
12:33.8
appeal to the commissioner of the immigration.
12:36.8
Write him a letter and explain your side and see what happens.
12:41.8
Pagpakasal siya sa isang Pinay, so ano nangyayon sa kasal niya?
12:46.0
Di ba base doon sa pagpapakasal sa Pinay, dapat by now citizen na po siya ng Pilipinas.
12:50.7
Or kahit man lang sana allowed na siya mag-stay rito, magkakaroon siya ng green card.
12:55.3
Pwede po siya kung nag-apply po siya ng residence visa based on the marriage.
12:59.9
But kung yung marriage po na yun ay hindi na po in effect or magkahiwalay na po sila,
13:06.3
yung mabapawalang visa na rin po yung residence visa na na-issue sana sa kanya.
13:11.9
So he has to apply, after the marriage he has to apply?
13:15.4
Yes, tama po pa rin.
13:16.4
But you didn't do that?
13:18.5
You did? But he did ma'am, he did apply.
13:21.9
Oh, sige po. We will check the records po if there was such a visa issued to him.
13:26.2
Baka hindi lang po siya aware doon sa mga documentations niya.
13:29.9
So papacheck din po natin kung sakali at maaaring makatulong po yun.
13:34.4
Maaaring mabawasan yung overstaying po niya dito.
13:37.0
Ayun. Okay. Sige sir.
13:39.7
Sir, we'll accompany you tomorrow to the immigration and let's see what we can do.
13:44.6
And if we can afford the fine, if it's not in the millions,
13:47.4
if it's only in the hundreds of thousands, which I can probably afford,
13:50.3
then I'll help you, I'll take care of it.
13:52.5
I have another question.
13:54.4
Another question, yeah.
13:56.5
It's more about my health status.
14:01.2
Oh, you have a hernia?
14:02.7
Oh, you have a hernia. Okay.
14:03.9
Have you operated?
14:06.3
Bring it to hospital, a clinic.
14:08.3
Basically, yes. It's not really dangerous but it's uncomfortable because this is attached with my stomach.
14:15.7
Sir, no problem. I'll take care of that.
14:18.4
I just need to see a doctor, a specialist.
14:21.0
No, I have already, it's everything in preparation and we need only support for the lab test and the surgery later.
14:30.6
That's it. I'll take care of it.
14:32.1
Tomorrow, you'll have your surgery.
14:34.1
And for now, like I said, your hernia, we'll take good care of that.
14:37.8
Your lab test, any kinds of test, I'll take care of it.
14:42.3
But most important is that resident visa.
14:44.9
Resident, of course.
14:46.4
That's why first things first, we have to go to the immigration.
14:49.1
Very, very important.
14:50.6
Without the immigration, no can do, you might get deported.
14:53.7
I'm not afraid about the blacklisting or something like that.
14:56.2
I'm just about the...
15:00.4
How much is the penalty?
15:02.4
How much is the penalty?
15:06.4
Pwede ba? Diyan na lang siya magtinda ng ano?
15:11.4
Yeah. How many empanada I should sell with that?
15:14.4
Bigyan niya ang bawat empleyado.
15:16.4
Ma'am Dana, sige pupunta kami dyan sa inyo tomorrow.
15:20.4
Salamat po, Ma'am Dana.
15:21.4
Salamat po. See you soon po. Maraming salamat po.
15:24.4
Okay, sir. I'll take good care of that.
15:26.4
Again, Ma'am Kerry, a bad story.
15:28.4
Sobrang, sobrang thank you. Napakabuti niyo po.
15:30.4
Napakabait niyo po. Ako'y sumasaludo po sa inyo.
15:33.4
Sir, it was for me a pleasure to talk to you.
15:36.4
It's because of her.
15:37.4
And also an honor and thanks also to Kerry.
15:39.4
She's got a big, huge heart.
15:42.4
She's very kind. She's very nice.
15:44.4
Yeah. God bless her.
15:47.4
Give her a hug. As a thank you.
15:53.4
Your wife is not watching on you.
15:54.4
No. You're no longer with your wife.
15:58.4
Are you single ka, Ma'am?
15:59.4
Opo. Student pa lang po.
16:01.4
Student? Single? Okay.
16:02.4
And 21 years old, you can give her a hug as a thank.
16:10.4
Palakpakan natin.
16:11.4
Palakpakan natin.
16:13.4
Tomorrow, we'll take good care of all your problems, Mr. Stranti.
16:16.4
And again, Ma'am Kerry, sobrang thank you. Sumasaludo po sa inyong madam.
16:27.4
Subtitles by the Amara.org community
