MARCH 4, 2018. Left the Bureau of Immigration’s Main Office in Manila a day before class began to start studying at the Philippine Immigration Academy in Clark, Pampanga. I didn’t know anyone and I had the jitters to meet new people again but I was excited, at the same time. I didn’t know anything about being an IO except that they stamp passports. Boy, was I up for a wake up call. IOs have to be efficient, effective and innovative. They have to learn so much information and screen people thoroughly and knowing why certain requirements are needed per individual case. I passed and failed many tests and that surely told me that being an Immigration Officer isn’t an easy job, moreso, the challenges we had to go through and will still encounter. . MAY 1, 2018. We finished our COMPREHENSIVE EXAM yesterday after almost two grueling months of lectures, tests, activities, quizzes and physical challenges that made us sweat blood and tears, literally and figuratively. There’s so much we had to conquer. It’s sad that you have to leave and say goodbye to strangers that insantly became your family who molded your being to become the person that you are and will be in and outside of the counters. I left this exact place almost two months ago in my lonesome and I came back with 98 (99 if you include me, +10 if you include the CTR) figurative newfound friends. Figurative cos not everyone took the bus back to the BI. 😂♥️ . See you all tomorrow before we start our last phase of duties under the Center for Training and Research for our OJT at the airports and offices. Mahal ko kayo, Piang. See you around! 👨🏻✈️🛂👩🏻✈️ (at Bureau of Immigration, Republic of the Philippines)
