Manila Tread for English Speakers - join here!

[Martin1]

Hi all. We are just in the process of putting our package together. Do we get the medical done right away, or wait until it is requested? We have tried to call the number for the doctors listed in Davao, but they don't seem to work. Any replies are very appreciated.

 

[gig-gig]

We are assuming that because she is a single mother, with no father listed, and no history of ever having a father, that it will suffice with the Visa process. My step daughter is 11.

My wife went to a lawyer. I might be wrong, but I think it cost around 20 000 php...so around $500 cdn. The lawyer made application to the courts. The father (step sons), to the best of our knowledge, moved to the United States. Since the courts need to do due diligence, letters have been sent to his last known address, to give him the opportunity to appear in defence of his parental rights. The case comes up on May 14. Whether he has received these notices isn't known, until then.

Hi Martin,

I'd been reading posts on this as I am on a similar situation. I see that you are successful on your application as I see your timeline that your family has landed already. I have a son and he is illegitimate too and included on our application. We already submitted an affidavit with my history with the bio-father and CIC with a letter from the lawyer stating Philippine law re:custody of illegitimate child is that of the mother. We haven't heard back from CIC since then. Will you please let me know what steps you took and what documents you submitted? This custody thingy you applied to Philippine court, how long did it take? TIA.

 

[gig-gig]

I do have experience with that. The only difference is my name was on the birth cert and I signed a paternity acknowledgement in the Philippines. CEM made us do a DNA test which showed the results that we already knew that she was not my daughter. The whole DNA process was a joke since I told them she was not mine but I choose to take responsibility for her.

All that aside, the Canadian government will respect the laws in the Philippines on custody. I was nervous too and hired a lawyer in Manila, apparently one of the best for family law, and he wrote a report on the custody laws stating cases that proves that in the Philippines any child under 7 who is born not to married parents, even if the father is around, that the mother has sole custody. Its in their legal system and my lawyer said he has never actually heard of the Canadian Embassy actually making anyone go through the court system. He cost me about $1500 to do this. He quoted me for the entire court route to be around $20,000 and 12 - 16 months. If she was not married, you will be fine. CEM will ask for a letter stating the relationship details of the biological father and her. After I handed in the letter and my lawyers case law, I never heard anything about it again.

Hi Auditt,
I'm in the same situation, have an illegitimate child and I was raising my child alone. My child is now 11. I wrote an affidavit with the history of my relationship with the bio-father and excerpts from Philippine law re:custody of illegitimate child is that of the mother. Plus, we submitted a report too from a lawyer on custody laws of Philippines. Haven't heard back from CEM and I'm worried. How did it work for you? What documents you submitted? Appreciate your help. Thanks.

 

[gig-gig]

Hi - Hoping to hear from someone with specific experience in navigating channels of child custody in the Philippines.

The scenario: We have applied (JAN 2014) for spousal PRV for my Filipina wife & her 6-year-old son. I have been approved as sponsor. When we submitted the application we did not include the form IMM5604 (a release from the non-accompanying parent) because we were told by the Philippines social services (DSWD) and a lawyer that my wife has de facto sole custody of the child because the biological father is not named on the birth certificate (hate the label but for all intents & purposes the boy is "illegitimate" in the law's eyes).

We made a note in the "child custody" section of the application to this effect and included a sworn affidavit from my wife as to everything she has done as sole provider for the boy. I'm a bit concerned now that this may not be sufficient, that CIC may require a court issued judgement of custody in lieu of form IMM5604. Such a judgement could also take quite a while -- or this is where I'm hoping someone may have real Philippines experience??!! (The easy thing would surely be to have the bio-dad complete the 5604 form and return it to us to send to the Manila VO. But my wife isn't sure she can find the guy, doesn't really want to speak to him, and isn't sure he would cooperate. She put this clown behind her 5 years ago & has done an amazing job raising "our son" that for me the psycho-emotional fallout of trying to find the guy is a course of action that is just not worth it.)

I am actually working on a project in Europe right now, so I can't reach the call centre from here, but this forum is often a better knowledge source anyway imo. I don't want to wait to get a letter much later this year from the VO saying that they require IMM5604 or a judgement of custody for the application to proceed....and then it taking who knows how many more months for a solution to that! Sooooo, anyone with any real experience in this out there who can weigh in? Thanks!

Hi Gumper,

Was hoping you can help me on this. I am on the same situation. Had a child (illegitimate) with my ex and raised my child on my own. We submitted sworn affidavit of my history with the bio-father and a letter from the lawyer stating Philippine laws re:child custody of illegitimate child. We do not want to go to the courts neither as much as possible as that will take a long time. Was your application successful? Can you share with me what you did and what docs you provided the Manila VO? Thanks in advance. Appreciate your help.

 

[RAM-B]

Hi Gumper,

Was hoping you can help me on this. I am on the same situation. Had a child (illegitimate) with my ex and raised my child on my own. We submitted sworn affidavit of my history with the bio-father and a letter from the lawyer stating Philippine laws re:child custody of illegitimate child. We do not want to go to the courts neither as much as possible as that will take a long time. Was your application successful? Can you share with me what you did and what docs you provided the Manila VO? Thanks in advance. Appreciate your help.

Hello, Any News on your side if your illegitimate child was approved? Thank you!

 

[red.kaede]

Hello, I am also looking for English speakers or non Filipinos being processed in Manila!

Our timeline is:
6/22 Recieved in Sydney
8/30 AOR
9/14 SA and medical request
9/28 visa transfer email

PA is South American but we applied from Japan.

 

[StephanH]

Our file will probably be sent from CPC-Mississauga to IRCC-Manila...This thread died or what?

 

[ajblythe27]

Hi. I applied my minor child a canadian passport here in philippines Do you know how many days to process?

 

[primaryrehab]

Your most welcome....I am really confused on the CFO departure requirement. My wife has a letter from CEM saying she needs to complete PDOS from the CFO which has daily seminars with 40 slots available and they will give her a certificate enabling her to leave . On the CFO website they talk about PDOS as above and aslo Guidance Counceling seminar and there is only 15 slots available Tuesdays and Fridays and must be by an appointment, On completion there is also a certificate. Which one is needed to be completed? The one the embassy is talking about or GCS as per the CFO site. Have you completed yours yet if so which one?

Thanks
Chris.

It seems like there might be some confusion regarding the departure requirement from the CFO (Commission on Filipinos Overseas). From what I understand, your wife has received a letter from CEM stating she needs to complete the Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar (PDOS) from the CFO. However, there's also mention of a Guidance Counseling Seminar (GCS) on the CFO website.
To clarify, the PDOS is a mandatory seminar for Filipinos leaving the country for the first time to settle abroad. It covers various topics such as settlement concerns, employment guidelines, rights and obligations, and cultural differences.
On the other hand, the Guidance Counseling Seminar (GCS) seems to be another program offered by the CFO, potentially focusing on providing guidance and support to individuals leaving the country.
Given the specific requirement mentioned by the embassy for completing PDOS, it's advisable to prioritize attending the PDOS sessions as per their instructions. However, it wouldn't hurt to also inquire with the CFO directly to confirm if GCS is also necessary or if it's an alternative program.
If you're seeking counseling Surrey services, you can explore options through websites like Primary Rehab, which may offer relevant resources or referrals for counseling services in the area.