Less fingerprints required from Pinoys in securing ARC

Finger printing for Pinoys (all foreigners actually) for their Alien Residence Certificate (ARC) will be reduced to left and right thumbs only. The old rule is to finger print all of the left and right hand fingers, much like the Philippine's NBI does.

We knew that Taiwanese government workers are efficient and quick people (much the opposite of what we have in the Philippines) and they're still making it even faster.That sounds good, although we hope they remove that requirement totally soon. It does not compensate recent delays of releasing visa in the Philippines due to tighter demand on validations, but It helps. At least. Think about the lines in the police stations, and that dreaded mess and stains you endure after all those pre-departure rush you've just been before landing in Taiwan.

I just have a thought (I'm not praying it happens to anyone) : what if a foreigner losses a thumb while in Taiwan, worse both thumbs? He's untraceable anymore? Or does it matter at all? If not, hope they just take it all out. Taiwan is the only country requiring finger prints from foreigners anyway.

Make that a Christmas Wish ^-^...
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On other news:

A fews back I wrote about the upcoming commercial operation of THSR. Well it looks like it will drag on indefinitely.

On the last week of November, THSRC received the long-awaited Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) conducted by Lloyd's Register Rail of London,United Kingdom. We didn't know if the safety inspection passed, but it seems like the IV&V report was likewise questioned again because it did not address concerns about the highspeed train control systems. Inspite of that, there were news that THSRC slated operation on Dec.7. Taiwan's Consumer's Foundation continued it's stern warning to boycott if THSRC pushes operation without clearance of some 33 safety concerns.

The news almost sound like dead for the last two weeks.

Then on 12/21, THSRC's CEO Ou Chin-Der issued a statement guaranteeing the safety of the train. Until today, there is no publicly accessible document from the independent British and Japanese experts who audited the THSR, which usually the case is with controversial projects like this.

Taiwan's Ministry Of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) will hold again a meeting with THSRC and the inpectors on 12/24 to finally decide whether Taiwan's bullet train will start rolling (MOTC required THSRC to have 0% accident until 12/23 on their safety tests).

Hope to hear THSRC blowing the bells on 12/24 Noche Buena.