⌛ Filipino Passport with Foreign Spouse - CFO

I just found another interesting twist on obtaining a passport or screwing money out foreigners!!! We went to get my wife a Philippine Passport, her first one, of course. I thought we had met all the requirements, birth certificate, Barangay clearance, NBI Clearance, Marriage Contract, multiple photo ID's, pictures, etc. Then I learned that, since she is married to a foreigner, she also needs to attend a seminar in Cebu called a "Guidance and Counselling Program", a full day affair costing another 250P in order to obtain CFO (Commision of Filipinos Overseas) Certificate of Attendance, a pre-requisite for a passport. Note that the lady at CFO said that 650P would actually be required; I don't know why. To attend this seminar, my wife must bring my previous divorce documents also(stupid, since I was required to provide this in order to get married in the Philippines), a photo showing both of us together (I guess, to prove that I exist and have at least been close enough to touch her, haha), plus many of the other documents that she must also provide to the DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) to obtain her passport anyway. Well, it looks like one more money grab, knowing that these Filipino wifes can get the money from their "foreign" spouse.

Has anybody else had to go through this? Is there a way around it? I tried most of the travel agencies, thinking that they might know a fixer, but to no avail. Can this be fixed in Cebu itself? I would prefer to avoid the trip but will go if I must.

 

There is one way to avoid all this BS......marry a woman from your own country

I think it's pretty obvious to everyone 'how it works" in the Philippines...so why do foreigners keep complaining?

 

Lots of Guts behind the Screen

Hey, November Rain. I would really like to see you make that kind of comment to my face, or to anybody else's for that matter!!! You might be spinning in circles for a while. I am fully aware of what the Philippines is like, and fully capable of making my own decisions. I simply just found one more way that they suck money out of us; wanted to make others aware aware; and was wondering if anybody personnally knew a "fixer" that I could pay to save myself a useless trip to Cebu.

If you do not have anything constructive to say, why don't you just keep your mouth shut?! Alternatively, let me shut it for you!!!!

 

great over reaction

 

Hi SteveB, yes, she have to do it either mla. or cebu. I did mine way back early 2002, it was in Mla. and processing was chaos. They will show a video to all the applicants (wives) about some of the few discouraging situations of foreigner husband & filipina wife( I will not give you more details about the video in case the change their programme of a day counselling/seminar). Once it finished, in the teller sometimes they will ask few questions about the husband, it's like an interrogation. Make sure she knows your profession/designation, etc...etc...
It's better if she do it herself, don't go for a fixer, don''t trust these people.
There is no easy processing in the Philippines.

So, goodluck na lang to both of you.

 

Well some people are just cheap...

Let me remind you that a few civic responsibilities;





Federal income tax, State income tax, County income tax, State sales tax, Meals tax, Cigarette tax, Alcohol tax, bust your @ss for decades and pay 30% capital gains tax, Conveyance tax, 911 phone tax, federal telephone access tax, property tax...80% of that for the board of education....I have no children so I have given over $100K to raise someone elses children, hunting license tax, car excise tax, higher personal income tax rate because I don't have a dozen children sucking from society (refer to Octomom), higher car insurance rate from age 18 to 25 because 'you're more likely to have an accident'.

So let me plagerize our friend from Wendys....."WHERE'S THE BEEF?"

 

If it's fixable in Cebu then you might as well just go and do it. I'll bet the complaint is more about having to travel to Cebu for this class rather than the cost... I went thru it back in 2001 btw.

Wiseguy remarks from locals are really unnecessary. It seems there's always at least one local at any PI oriented forum waiting to pounce on any little misstep by a foreigner.

I resent the 'you're guests in this country' attitude as well.. Older Filipinos (I've talked to many of them) remember the sacrifice foreign soldiers made in the Philippines during WWII very clearly. The younger generation here seems to take it with a ho-hum grain of salt. 1000 GIs died in the fighting to retake Manila alone.

I can put you in touch with one US veteran of the fighting to retake Negros who saw many of his comrades die on this island if anyone would like a history lesson.

Show some respect.

 

This is part of the government's effort to educate the filipina about the dangers of living and working abroad and marrying a foreigner, this may sound stupid but the intentions are good. How much is 250 pesos? 650 pesos?? and the result is the filipina would have a better understanding of what she will be going thru after she departs the phils. 1 credit unit in school cost more than that! Just do it and get it over with and and just make something good out of something when you to Cebu etc.
My wife have do it as well.

 

My opinion is that SteveB has an important question on which he likes to have a good advice.
The answer from November Rain is not to be categorized as a usable "advice".
I can imagine the reaction/anger from SteveB, although I must say that November Rain did put a behind his comment.
So MAYBE he does not mean it that bad as it looked.
But on the other hand, dear NR, why then did you add your second sentence, because it is NOT that pretty obvious 'how it works' in the Philippines for someone who has such a question.
Be a bit more thoughtful please.
I hope you don't mean how it looked :o

 

Wow

Thanks ViperACR and KAYLEIGH.

The trip to Cebu doesn't bother me nor does the few Pesos that they will be stealing from us. The principal does, however, bother me; to have to pay and to waste so much time for something that is so extremely stupid and completely prejudiced towards all foreigners. I love living in the Philippines and I appreciate Filipinos in all respects. I don't agree that the "Robin Hood" syndrome is valid excuse to steal or extort, and no matter how you look at it, that is what it is!

Imagine three Filipinas that want to go to and visit another country. One is a single female tourist, one is heading off to marry some guy she met only on the internet, and the third has been living here in the Philippines with her "foreigner" for years and they recently married and would like to visit his country for a few weeks. Only the third lady will be forced to sit through this tortous day, and only because CFO / DFA know that they can extort money from her husband.

So yes, it bothers me, and since it is sooo unfair, if I can find a way around it, I will do like any God-fearing Filipino and pay the fixer! So if somebody does know of a way that I can do it from here, at any cost, please tell me

For the rest of you that have nothing better to do than to add your rude comments to everyone's post, you know where you can go. I don't need to extrapolate because I am sure I would not be the first to tell you.

Thanks.