Second Passport Chops

Here are scans from my second passport, which also only has chops from the Philippines from visits in 1998 and 2001. The 1998 arrival stamp is a special "Balikbayan" stamp while the 2001 arrival stamp is a regular chop with a handwritten "BB" for "Balikbayan."




In 1998, my parents held Philippine passports, so when I went through US immigration with them as a family, we all received entry stamps. However, in 2001, my parents still had Philippine passports and we were still processed as a family, but apparently the immigration offices decided against stamping my passport. While regulation has it that it is unnecessary to stamp a US passport with a US entry chop and perhaps my case was different in that I was being processed along with non-citizens, I just find it strange that the practice in group processing is inconsistent among immigration officers.

I guess immigration officers both in the Philippines and in the States are not so consistent with their passport stamping when it comes to group processing (refer to my note about my "Balikbayan" status in 1992). Then again, theirs is a rather demanding and repetitive job.