By Mar-Vic Cagurangan
Variety News Staff

MANILA — Merchandize stalls outside the U.S. Embassy building on Roxas Boulevard have now been serving as the holding “counters” for visa applicants’ mobile phones since the embassy imposed a ban on all electronic devices in its premises.
“We don’t force people to leave their cellphones with us. They are the ones who come to us and offer money for us to hold their cellphones before they enter the embassy building,” said Carmela de Jesus, who owns a cigarette and refreshment stall.
“It gives us extra source of income. People give us amounts ranging from PhP20 to PhP100. It’s really up to them,” De Jesus said.
The ban, which covers all electronic gadgets such as MP3 players, laptops, cameras and mobile phones, went into effect on March 1. The Embassy did not set up an official storage facility for these devices, causing inconvenience to embassy guests who are denied entry into the premises.
Embassy officials said the ban was imposed “for safety and security of staff and visitors.”
“I wasn’t aware of the ban because I just came back from Seattle to renew my visa,” said a visa applicant, who requested anonymity.
The visa applicant was denied entry into the embassy when the scanner detected the cellphone in his knapsack.
“This is very inconvenient but what can I do?” said the visa applicant.
Leaving any expensive devices with strangers may be risky but is the only option left for cellphone carriers to consider.