Frank (and I never knew his last name ) died 2 days ago. you would know him because he wasn't married or have have a girlfriend but he was raising his 12 year old daughter. He is currently laid out at the clarion funeral home at the city limits of Dumaguete and Bacong. The sad part is he has no relatives. The mother abandoned them when the girl was 6 months old. Now the girl has no where to go. The American embassy has been contacted and they are trying to get her papers in order .They will pick her up and take her to America where she will be put in a foster home. Who knows how long that will take. She is currently staying with Janice Lacomba who is seeing she is fed and going to school. I have never asked anybody here for anything and have tried to help as many people that asked me. Any donation you can give will go strictly to feed and care for this 12 year old girl until the embassy picks her up.I am putting envelopes up with the story over the next few days at our usual watering holes or if you knew Frank stop by the funeral home in the next day or two. Thanks
That's unfortunate. This should serve as a reminder for expats to make sure their kid's paperwork for dual citizenship/survivor benefits are in order. You never know when you will kick the bucket and it is your responsibility to make sure you have a backup plan for your kids when it inevitably happens. He might have been a good guy but it sounds as if he was rather irresponsible with having his affairs in order. Hopefully some kind hearted people and the embassy can make up for his shortcomings.
First, I have no idea how old the fella was. And, I do hope he rests in peace. But, any single parent should have some sort of plan in place, for someone to look after their child in the event of something happening. I know it is probably something we may not want to think about. But, in the case of this little girl. God only knows what is going to happen to her, now. Personally, I feel terrified for her. I have heard so many horror stories of both abused, and neglected children in the foster care system (in the US).
Unfortunately, no one among us is perfect and no one knows when one's days come to the end. Some of us feel we could live forever and procrastinate, only to be suddenly gone too soon. Since the child was allowed to be in his custody since 6 months old and until now that she's 12 years old, let us presume that the late Frank had signed his daughter's Certificate of Live Birth (whether or not he was married to the mother) in formal acknowledgement of paternity when it was filed at the Office of the Local Civil Registrar of the city/town where she was born. If so, then let us hope he had also promptly documented her birth and/or his paternity at ACS/US Embassy with a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CBRA) and that the FS-240 was already approved before he died. If the late Frank had accomplished the two above, then US State Department should be able to issue a US Passport to her so that she can travel to US -- yet only to be subsumed in the foster care system? Such a pity. Such Birth Certificate and CBRA would serve as basic ground for US Citizenship and, maybe, also for claiming Social Security survivorship benefits that can support her financially. I encountered a similar case years ago. I think the Filipino maternal relatives instead raised the child locally until he completed college in RP.
what I have heard is the girl has an american passport but its expired her mother was Thai not filipina. she has never been to the U.S. So far this is all I know at the present time but I will update as things happen.
I presume the late Frank's demise was already reported to US Embassy. It appears the late Frank did a father's due diligence since his daughter already has a US passport. Absent the Thai mother, a good Samaritan from your community is now needed to help her fill out forms and appear in person at American Consular Agency in Lahug, Cebu to renew her US passport. Still, where will that passport bring her - into the foster care system? If late Frank has a friend expat hereabouts willing to legally adopt her, can this be done locally, US being signatory (this I know because my Fil-Am sister had adopted an abandoned Filipino baby years ago) to international child adoption law ?
I am very aware that the writer 'Mom Miriam' has very high moral values, but I ask the question: Will this child be better within the foster (maybe eventually adopted) system of the USA or within the Philippines? People will have different opinions on this but I think I veer towards giving her the opportunities which the USA can offer in terms of education and employment opportunities. Perhaps she has some relatives there, even if she has never been there, and may have a sound life with them.
Hopefully, here in the U.S., they will be able to place her with family (assuming there is family here). If there is no family here, then she will go into the foster system. There are many wonderful foster families, also. She could still end up quite happy and successful here.
