HELP! Super BS for the CFO Certificate for marriage in PI!

[We Are The Art 46]

Do you understand that my wife has to travel by buss for 2 hours to get to san carlos city.. then take a ferry to get to the next island.. then take another bus for 4 hours to get to cebu...?? Last time i was in cebu.. i almost got robbed by a taxi driver the first day i arrived..... Would you ever take a risk... losing your loved one... over some stupid cfo certificate??? There are many robbers and rappiest in the philipines... for god sakes.. they dont even have security on the bus rides... you can fall asleep and have your money.. phone .. purse. Even your virginity stolen.. in a blink of an eye.. no joke... Im really having a hard time with this... And i especially dont trust cebu enough for her to stay overnight in a hotel... sombody might hit on her or rape her in the hotel... Does anybody know the number to cfo manager?

I camt renew her old passport because she lost it... and in order to replace it they need a cfo cert.

I swear man... philipines.. requires a certificate for everything... If i learn how to wipe my butt in the philipines they probobly give me a certificate for that... doodooFO certificate... I know the first thing the philipines going to run out of.. INK for wasting it on bogus certificates.

Thats rediculous.. thats like me living in california.. having to go all the way to new york to take a 3 hour training class.. just to get my driverslicense.

I call straight up shinanigans! Goverments waisting there money on bogus classes.. that i bet nobody.. even cares about...

SMH

[dave01 16]

Okay so heres the situation.. My wife is trying to apply for a new passport cause she lost it and plus shes ttrying to add her new married name to the passport. We had all the docs ready the nbi and aff of los and all that Then the agency told us we need a CFO certificate..

and im like "what the heck is a CFO certificate" The philipines has too many rules and too much paperwork i swear!!

I found out she has to take a senimar class from 2 to 5pm in either manila or cebu and its first com first serve.

WEll my wife unfortunatly she has no car and she does not work and she is raising my step daugther by herself and she lives nowhere near cebu or manila. She lives in the provence surrounded by grass. Now! She lives in the negros and the clossest place would be cebu but she would have to go on massive bus rides and boat rides to get to cebu and she has to make it there before 2pm and its a first come first serve.. she has nobody she can go with and she knows nobody in cebu.

I am worried out of my mind!!! Theres no way she can leave our dauugther and or better yet take her with her... It is far to dangerous and im worried about her traveling all that way by herself. My job also does not allow me to just up and leave to the philipines when i want... Next time i see her ill be there maybe in july or aug. But She needs her passport for the cr1 visa.

This is redicoulous.. she can travel as far as BAcolod which is a major city but she still lives 3 hours away from that.. Cebu is wayyyy father and she has to either take a plane or a boat!

Sombody please help! I need CFO

I've read the posts that others have made and would like to add my thoughts. I would suspect that your wife lives among family where she's at. She could easily ask a brother, sister or another family member to accompany her to Cebu. The CFO is non negotiable, she will not renew her passport or leave the country without it. If you think this is stressful wait until you actually start the visa process, she is going to be making a lot of trips for this and that. Cebu like Manila isn't all that hard to navigate and with a little common sense doesn't have to be dangerous or a negative experience. I've lived here for many years now and have been to both Manila and Cebu many time with no problems. If you don't want her to make the long trip by buss and fastcraft make sure she has enough money for airfare for herself and someone to accompany her. Make sure she has all the paperwork required when she goes and you may find out that it isn't such a bad thing. She may even enjoy the trip and a day or two away from the every day grind. I realize that you had a bad experience when you were here but remember that she is from here and the things that you worry about probably are a bit overblown, I doubt she will have any problems.

[Tahoma 2,292]

...she could always get her new passport in her maiden name in Bacolod. She could change her passport to her married name once she gets to the U.S.

I camt renew her old passport because she lost it... and in order to replace it they need a cfo cert.

I'm pretty sure she can get a replacement passport in her maiden name without having a CFO certificate. Have you checked into it?

[Jon and Krissy 452]

Do you understand that my wife has to travel by buss for 2 hours to get to san carlos city.. then take a ferry to get to the next island.. then take another bus for 4 hours to get to cebu...?? Last time i was in cebu.. i almost got robbed by a taxi driver the first day i arrived..... Would you ever take a risk... losing your loved one... over some stupid cfo certificate??? There are many robbers and rappiest in the philipines... for god sakes.. they dont even have security on the bus rides... you can fall asleep and have your money.. phone .. purse. Even your virginity stolen.. in a blink of an eye.. no joke... Im really having a hard time with this... And i especially dont trust cebu enough for her to stay overnight in a hotel... sombody might hit on her or rape her in the hotel... Does anybody know the number to cfo manager?

I camt renew her old passport because she lost it... and in order to replace it they need a cfo cert.

I swear man... philipines.. requires a certificate for everything... If i learn how to wipe my butt in the philipines they probobly give me a certificate for that... doodooFO certificate... I know the first thing the philipines going to run out of.. INK for wasting it on bogus certificates.

Thats rediculous.. thats like me living in california.. having to go all the way to new york to take a 3 hour training class.. just to get my driverslicense.

I call straight up shinanigans! Goverments waisting there money on bogus classes.. that i bet nobody.. even cares about...

Dude - take a chill pill. Yeah it's a pain, but there's no way out of it. Want to know how long it took my wife to get to Cebu from where she lived in Eastern Samar? About 12 hours of actual travel time, with waiting for the 2 vans and a ferry to boot, so perhaps 15 hours all told.

If this is stressing you out, wait until you get to the visa process. If you don't calm down, you'll have a heart attack.

Upthread, a nice lady offered to accompany your wife. You might want to take her up in it.

By the way, you are MASSIVELY over exaggerating the dangers in Cebu etc. I mean, really? I've walked around Cebu City all hours of the day and night, and I've never felt in any danger. The Philippines feels, by in large, safer than most of this country. I think you're being a 'trifle' paranoid, to be honest.

Edited March 2, 2013 by Jon and Sol

[biaobiao 40]

Dude - take a chill pill. Yeah it's a pain, but there's no way out of it. Want to know how long it took my wife to get to Cebu from where she lived in Eastern Samar? About 12 hours of actual travel time, with waiting for the 2 vans and a ferry to boot, so perhaps 15 hours all told.

If this is stressing you out, wait until you get to the visa process. If you don't calm down, you'll have a heart attack.

Upthread, a nice lady offered to accompany your wife. You might want to take her up in it.

By the way, you are MASSIVELY over exaggerating the dangers in Cebu etc. I mean, really? I've walked around Cebu City all hours of the day and night, and I've never felt in any danger. The Philippines feels, by in large, safer than most of this country. I think you're being a 'trifle' paranoid, to be honest.

YOU ARE SO RIGHT MY FRIEND.. OP is exagerating at maximum level...

i agree.. cebu is not that bad.. let her take a plane to cebu if there is any.. then ahve her comeback same day... just make sure she is early.. make her ride airport taxi.. let her note the taxi numbers and all info about her location.. if not..

ask for POLICE ESCORT if you are really that paranoid

[let-it-be 36]

Do you understand that my wife has to travel by buss for 2 hours to get to san carlos city.. then take a ferry to get to the next island.. then take another bus for 4 hours to get to cebu...?? Last time i was in cebu.. i almost got robbed by a taxi driver the first day i arrived..... Would you ever take a risk... losing your loved one... over some stupid cfo certificate??? There are many robbers and rappiest in the philipines... for god sakes.. they dont even have security on the bus rides... you can fall asleep and have your money.. phone .. purse. Even your virginity stolen.. in a blink of an eye.. no joke... Im really having a hard time with this... And i especially dont trust cebu enough for her to stay overnight in a hotel... sombody might hit on her or rape her in the hotel... Does anybody know the number to cfo manager?

I camt renew her old passport because she lost it... and in order to replace it they need a cfo cert.

I swear man... philipines.. requires a certificate for everything... If i learn how to wipe my butt in the philipines they probobly give me a certificate for that... doodooFO certificate... I know the first thing the philipines going to run out of.. INK for wasting it on bogus certificates.

Thats rediculous.. thats like me living in california.. having to go all the way to new york to take a 3 hour training class.. just to get my driverslicense.

I call straight up shinanigans! Goverments waisting there money on bogus classes.. that i bet nobody.. even cares about...

OP, I agree with everyone else. It is not really a big deal to go to Cebu or Manila. You can even have someone ( a relative) accompany her for this trip. I suggest she fly to Cebu or Manila & stay in a pension house or a hotel the day before she attends the CFO seminar. Book her a room in a pension house or a hotel for 1 night. She only needs to bring original documents & photocopies, photos of you , her & her family etc. They apparently are asking some Filipinas to show pictures. lol. Check the CFO link that a member has already provided. Print out the location map. When riding a taxi, to make sure the meter is ON. . The rest of us girls that went through the process are from the province too & we managed to do it alone in getting to Manila of Cebu. Your girl needs to wear big girl pants now.

[sjr09 155]

I'm pretty sure she can get a replacement passport in her maiden name without having a CFO certificate. Have you checked into it?

My wife did.

[Tahoma 2,292]

My wife did.

Scott...Thanks for posting your experience.

[sjr09 155]

By the way, my wife Chinook is from Bacolod. Chinook has traveled to Cebu and back by bus. She's also flown there and back. It's really not dangerous at all. The flight from Bacolod to Cebu takes less than an hour.

I do agree both my wife and I 'alone' at times have done it . Takes only an hour from Tacloban to Manila by plane.

By the way my wife is from Baliran, by Tocloban.....Go Visayas

Scott...Thanks for posting your experience.

No problem...

[Darnell 8,478]

well, relax a bit, aye? She doesn't need to go to the next seminar, but she does need to go soon (I say within 3 weeks) .

CFO seminar is required prior to her getting on the plane anyway - she can't leave the RoP without it, even with a CR-1 visa stamp in her passport from the Manila IV office.

[dave01 16]

I'm pretty sure she can get a replacement passport in her maiden name without having a CFO certificate. Have you checked into it?

Yes she can get her passport renewed in her maiden name without the CFO, but she WILL NOT leave the country without the CFO even if she has the visa in her new passport

[Tahoma 2,292]

Yes she can get her passport renewed in her maiden name without the CFO, but she WILL NOT leave the country without the CFO even if she has the visa in her new passport

Dave...Thanks for your reply. Scott says the same thing...she can get her passport replaced without a CFO certificate as long as the replacement passport is in her maiden name.

Of course, like you said, she'll still need to attend the CFO seminar and have a CFO stamp in her passport before she flies to the U.S. I just thought it may simplify things for her and for her fiancé if she could get a replacement passport locally in Negros. Then, when she goes to Manila to attend the CFO seminar, the medical, and her interview, her fiancé can accompany her.

[dave01 16]

Dave...Thanks for your reply. Scott says the same thing...she can get her passport replaced without a CFO certificate as long as the replacement passport is in her maiden name.

Of course, like you said, she'll still need to attend the CFO seminar and have a CFO stamp in her passport before she flies to the U.S. I just thought it may simplify things for her and for her fiancé if she could get a replacement passport locally in Negros. Then, when she goes to Manila to attend the CFO seminar, the medical, and her interview, her fiancé can accompany her.

The only thing that really sucks is that you cannot have your interview and get the CFO done in 1 trip unless your willing to stay in manila for awhile. After the interview you have to wait for delivery of your passport with visa before you can get the CFO sticker. If you do the CFO before you have the visa you have to go back for the sticker after the visa is issued. Either way it's a real headache unless you live in Manila

[Tahoma 2,292]

The only thing that really sucks is that you cannot have your interview and get the CFO done in 1 trip unless your willing to stay in manila for awhile. After the interview you have to wait for delivery of your passport with visa before you can get the CFO sticker. If you do the CFO before you have the visa you have to go back for the sticker after the visa is issued. Either way it's a real headache unless you live in Manila

Yeah, you're right...it's a headache to go back for the CFO sticker. I'm thinking that if the OP accompanies his fiancée to Manila for the medical, the CFO seminar, and the interview, then she may be more confident in returning to Manila by herself after she gets her visa.

Since she would have some experience under her belt by that time, she could get her CFO sticker and to fly to the U.S. by herself. On the other hand, maybe the OP could wait for her to get her visa and then accompany her back to Manila and to the U.S.

[actob99 156]

Wow, great help you're getting here, take it.... I ranted too over the BS of the CFO, its all a crock. But you need it so find a way to make it happen.. I just got to Manila from

My wifes province for a visit, 45 minute banca boat ride and then a 12 hour bus ride.... It sucks but it's life....