CFO notes increase in Filipino marriage migrants since 2022

The Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) reported an increase in intercultural marriages between Filipinos and other nationalities since 2022.

At a public briefing on Tuesday, CFO Secretary Romulo Arugay said there had been almost 6,500 registered marriage migrants since 2022.

“Sa totoo po ay mataas na po ang antas ng marriage migrants since 2007, at naantala lang po noong nagkaroon ng pandemya,” he shared.

(In truth, there has already been a high number of marriage migrants since 2007 and was only delayed when the pandemic hit.)

From 1989 to 2022, CFO data suggested that the majority or 32.2% of registered intercultural marriages were rooted from personal introductions.

This was followed by 22.2% introduced through place of work, while 20.7% were introduced as penpals referred by relatives.

The United States of America was hailed the top destination for Filipino marriage migrants with a total of 261, 272 migrants, followed by Japan with 128,280 migrants and Australia with 44,340 migrants.

The CFO has committed to assisting Filipino marriage migrants by helping them in processing their documents and providing them with counselling and seminars to prepare for the change in culture after marriage.

“Yung mga pros and cons ay tatalakayin [sa] one-on-one guidance and counselling program ng aming councilor… Ngayon after that, [ka]pag nakita nila na okay naman ang naging usapan nila, bibigyan na natin sila ng digitalized certificate na she or he underwent yung masusing guidance counselling program dahil po, pagka hindi siya dumaan sa ganon, maaantala ang kaniyang biyahe at mabubump off po siya sa immigration,” said Arugay.

(The pros and cons will be discussed [in the] one-on-one guidance and counselling program of our councilor… Now after that, when they see that their conversations were okay, they will give a digitalized certificate that she or he underwent the rigorous guidance counselling program because if he didn’t go through that, their travel may get delayed and they may get bumped off by the immigration.) — RSJ, GMA Integrated News