Stricter rules for foreigners marrying Filipinas pushed

http://www.journal.com.ph/index.php...ules-for-foreigners-marrying-filipinas-pushed

THE government should impose stricter rules for male foreign nationals who intent to marry a Filipina.

House Bill 2387, authored by Cebu Rep. Gwendolyn Garcia, requires additional requirements for male citizens or subjects of a foreign country such as a certificate of good moral character to be issued by his diplomatic or consular official, before a marriage license can be obtained.

Garcia said the bill is aimed at preventing exploitation of Filipino women through mail-order or pen-pal, Facebook, website mail, and other Internet-coursed marriages.

“We are all aware of incidents that some foreigners who come to the Philippines to marry Filipino women are vagabonds or social and moral derelicts in their own country, whose real motive is only to take advantage and exploit our women,” Garcia said.

“Not a few of these male foreigners' real motive for marriage is to exploit our women by making them work and worse, by sending them to prostitution and other degrading and dehumanizing occupations,” she added.

The bill provides that when one of the contracting parties is a male citizen or subject of a foreign country desiring to marry a female citizen of the Philippines, in addition to the certificate of legal capacity, the foreign subject or citizen shall provide himself with a certificate of good moral character and a certificate that he has a gainful trade, business or employment, to be issued by his diplomatic or consular official, before a marriage license can be obtained.

Garcia said the exploitation of Filipino women has not only caused untold miseries and sufferings to Filipino women but also brought dishonor and disgrace to Filipino womanhood.

“The proposed requirements, in addition to the usual certificate of legal capacity, are intended to protect our women from these undesirable foreigners,” Garcia said.

I seem to recall reading this sometime in the recent past.

I like the bit about "these undesirable foreigners" a phrase that could so easily be plucked from the mouth of someone in the UK.

Madam Garcia is well-known for her dislike of foreigners and, whilst she was Cebu's Governor, whenever one was arrested and accused of a crime, she had them paraded before the press in her office. She also supports the view that foreigners should be presumed guilty until proven innocent.

In reality, however, her proposals - if enacted - will simply mean that more and more foreigner-Filipina weddings will take place offshore, in Hong Kong or Singapore, where the requirements for marriage are very similar to those in the UK, US and elsewhere in the modern world. This could have a consequent effect on the whole wedding business here and the losers will be the resorts and hotels - not forgetting wedding planners, florists, caterers etc., etc.

I agree with Mark. This is "grandstanding" by Gwendolen Garcia, who is a member of the minority. I doubt if it will become law, but, if it does, more marriages will take place overseas.

I am surprised that she has had nothing to say about the US Embassy issuing visas for same sex fiancées.

Garcia and others in the Erap-Enrile-Binay grouping depend on stirring up the same sort of anti-foreigner sentiments that the BNP and to some extent UKIP depend on in the UK. They may well win the 2016 Presidential elections because the Liberals lack a convincing candidate. Mar Roxas, who is Aquino's "heir apparent", lacks the necessary common touch and did not shine in the aftermath of the super-typhoon.

It is this political uncertainty that accounts for the Philippines having the second lowest level of FDI in ASEAN despite an apparently vigorous economy - foreign corporations fear a Binay government.

Just adds to our general love of politicians and there controlling agendas

I wouldn't describe it as being xenophobic but rather nationalistic which the Estrada-Enrille-Binay camp of politics errs towards. Garcia, however, is more forthright in her dislike of foreigners and it should be noted that, in the immediate aftermath of the super typhoon, it was foreigners living in Cebu City - and south of there - who paid for, collected and delivered emergency aid (mostly food but some clothing too) to the northern affected part of the province, in particular Bantayan and Malapascua islands, making several trips DAYS before any government aid was sent. But they did it quietly and without fuss or publicity-seeking. When Garcia visited the area, she took members of the press with her so that she could (wrongly) claim that hers was the first aid to be delivered (in fact, Cebu City's Mayor Rama delivered aid long before Garcia!).

I don't think we should make the comparison; the Philippines has been invaded and colonised by the Spanish the Americans and the Japanese and it's no wonder that Filipinos are cautious about foreigners and foreign influences. If the Filipinos see an agenda where there is none, it is because sometimes there was one.

Compared to the other nations in East and Southeast Asia that I have visited - Japan, Korea, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore, I would say that the Filipinos are notably more welcoming to foreigners.

Seventy years ago our parents and grandparents were calling American servicemen in Britain, "Overpaid, oversexed, and over here" because they were attracting English girls. And what are we doing in the Philippines? Racing off with pretty young women, perhaps?

A very valid point you make.

I also add to this thread by saying, do we know of any nation that isnt nationalistic bordering on xenophobic to some degree? I havent come across one yet.

People from the UK are known as "Comeovers" in the Isle of Man and not meant in the friendliest way either.

And the Scousers hate the Mancs and the Jocks hate the Sassenachs. Same the world over.

Not forgetting our little invasion either

Once Manila fell to British troops, the churches and government offices were ransacked, valuables were taken and historical documents such as Augustinian records, government documents and even the copper plates for the grand 18th-century Murillo Velarde map of the Philippines were ransacked along with the naval stores at the Cavite Naval Yard, the paintings in the Governor General’s Palace, the contents of Intramuros churches and the possessions of most wealthy houses. Rape, homicide and vandalism also rampaged through the city in what is known as the first "Rape of Manila". The British demanded a ransom of four million dollars from the Spanish government to stop the plundering of the city, to which Archbishop Rojo agreed in order to avoid further destruction

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_occupation_of_Manila

I agree, Andrew, but for one thing: Malaysia has in recent years gone out of its way to be more foreigner-friendly and especially under its present government. Foreigners settling there can buy and own real property and operate businesses just as Malaysians: the 60-40 rule, or anything like it, isn't applied. The country is particularly popular with retirees from Australasia and Europe but less so with Americans due to it being a Muslim state - but that has more to do with American prejudices than anything else.

Well yeah.

BTW I was married to one.

I just schools without AC would have very good ventilation and have enough fans for the students during the summer heat.

Gwendolyn Garcia.might consider the funds which are sent to ROP every month/year by the wives of all us 'undesirable husbands' !

However, if she really wants to help the women of her country (and some men too) then putting right the appalling, so called 'annuity of marriage laws' better known in every other country in the world as 'divorce' (except Vatican City, where last year they raised the age of marriage from 12, yes 12, to 18).

My wife's cousin is on her second incompetent, money grabbing abogado (lawyer) in her 3 year attempt to get an 'annulment / divorce'.


(Just to clarify: the RC church permits annulment, however, the so called annulment in ROP is not recognised by The c¡Church, thus a person with a 'government annulment' cannot re-marry in The Church. If the marriage was genuinely an annulment - that is void from the start- then The Church would permit re-marriage)

Absolutely right, and well said.

Gwendolyn Garcia is just grandstanding, of course. If she really wanted to do something about the exploitation of Filipinas, she could do something about the flood "entertainers" working in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Canada etc. as "dancers" and "singers"

I have a friend who is the Philippine Consul in one of those places and he just did do something. Co-ordinating efforts by the police in both countries, he organised a raid on a brothel, and moved a couple of dozen Filipinas to safe houses. He says its just the tip of the iceberg, and he is not confident that the girls who have been rescued will give evidence...

Takes time to get those big tarps printed with your political face all over them.. I know a lot of stuff in the background about Gwen if anyone wants to know can PM but I won't say anything in public as we know how petty they can be.

Facts here - Is that i find more Filipina's seek out foreign husbands than guys go looking! Even married I still get at least 6 women a month approach me on Facebook. Maybe they should just ban Facebook and do the world a favour! Also lets not forget that Gwen got booted from her Governor seat,in another country it would have seen her career finished.

That woman tried to sell me a nightclub for 1 1/2 million peso,,,,,She didnt even own it.