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Set up a co-op. I can see small villages / communities doing the same to lower the cost per user. Like a lot of new tech, once it becomes more mainstream the cost will likely come down. I remember when satelliteTV started; you had to pay hundreds of dollars for the equipment and now if you sign a one or two year contract they give it to you for next to nothing and even occasionally for free.

You get a PSA (Philippines Statistics Authority) stamped copy and it’s filed with them to make your marriage legal in the Phils. Also need to fill out their application, which can be found on the consulate’s website. They request you file with the PSA within a year after your marriage. Also, I’ve read that a PSA stamped copy of the marriage certificate carries more weight with immigration when entering the country (especially if you’re traveling without your spouse). However, it’s not required. As noted in the reply from the BOI, either a certified marriage certificate and/or an apostilled one was all they mentioned in their reply to me.

This morning I received a reply from the legal department at the Philippines Consulate in San Francisco. Although they did not address my specific questions, I think their reply covered them all. Online marriages are legal. Re: Online / Proxy Marriage to a Filipino National Inbox PCGSF civil 10:00 AM (2 hours ago) to me Dear Sir, The online marriage is legal and binding and please find the checklist of requirement below for your reference. Thank you. CHECKLIST OF REQUIREMENTS - REPORT OF MARRIAGE (ROM) NOTE: INCOMPLETE DOCUMENTS WILL BE RETURNED TO THE SENDER 1 Report of Marriage Application Form All five (5) forms must be originally signed and notarized 2 Affidavit of Delayed Registration (Required if application is filed more than (1) year after the marriage. One (1) originally signed and notarized and four (4) photocopies of the notarized document 3 US Marriage License/Certificate (extended/long form indicating number of marriages contracted by both parties) One (1) original/certified true copy (CTC) or notarized copy and four (4) photocopies of the notarized document 4 For Online or Proxy Marriage One (1) original and four (4) photocopies of a notarized Affidavit of Explanation, stating that the marriage was held online and that the Filipino spouse was not in the U.S. at the time of marriage. 5 Proof of Filipino Citizenship of Bride/Groom (at the time of marriage) Five (5) photocopies of document showing proof of Filipino citizenship (e.g. US Naturalization Certificate and Dual Citizenship papers (Identification Certificate and Order of Approval), US Permanent Resident Card, Valid Visa or Work Permit) 6 Birth Certificates of Contracting Parties Five (5) photocopies of the birth certificate, issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), of the Filipino spouse and five (5) photocopies of the birth certificate of the foreign spouse 7 Valid IDs of Contracting Parties Five (5) photocopies of a valid photo ID of both bride and groom (e.g. passport, driver’s license or any government issued ID) 8 If the Filipino Citizen is a Widow/Widower Five (5) photocopies of PSA or foreign death certificate 9 If the Filipino Citizen is Annulled or Divorced PSA Marriage Certificate with Annotation of Annulment or Divorce OR PSA Advisory on Marriage with Annotation of Annulment or Divorce – Five (5) photocopies OR Judicial Recognition of Annulment (JRA) or Judicial Recognition of Divorce (JRD) - five (5) photocopies and Certificate of Finality – five (5) photocopies. (Note: JRD must be issued by a Philippine Court) 10 If Foreign Spouse was Previously Married or Widowed Foreign Divorce Decree/s / Death Certificate- Five (5) photocopies 11 Non-refundable Processing fee US$25.00 postal money order or cashier’s check payable to the Philippine Consulate General. Cash or personal checks will not be accepted. 12 Return envelope One (1) pre-paid self-addressed stamped legal size envelope: priority mail with tracking number. 13 Cover letter One (1) cover letter indicating request to report the marriage with contact information (telephone number, email address and permanent home address)

First I’ve heard of that one. I did just read you need their Bureau or Quarantine’s health pass app to enter and be tracked. https://www.onehealthpass.com.ph/ Maybe both are needed?

If the Philippine BOI will allow her to leave, then Thailand would be my suggestion as you don't need to lock yourself into a hotel room for the quarantine period. Under some new rules you would be able to travel to Phuket and roam around there freely. You must stay in a gov approved hotel and you can not leave Phuket (the entire province) for 2 weeks to travel to other domestic destination, but you're allowed to travel back out of the country at any time. So realistically you could meet her there, stay one night and fly together back to Manila the next day (but I'd stay at least a few days if not longer to enjoy Phuket). There are other travel restrictions and rules for entry; you can read about them here: https://www.thaiembassy.com/travel-to-thailand/no-quarantine-phuket-sandbox-plan Another reason for suggesting Phuket as there are non-stop flights to/from Manila. I don't know how much international travel experience your wife has, but for someone new to it, a non-stop flight is certainly the easiest......no connections to deal with nor risking her getting lost in an airport and missing her connection.

Quite true. Your original reply to the OP was absolutely correct.

Thanks for the info and I'll look into getting or at least starting the 13(a) process from the USA. From all I've read in the past, It seems the easiest route to get one. I've known the lady for about 5 -6 years (she's not the one you met me with in Cebu a few years ago, but she is also from there....something about those Cebuana's that keeps me coming back for more; more of what.....I don't know ). She's in her 30's, has a good government job, owns some properties and is well respected in her province. Lets just say over the past few years our friendship has grown significantly and we have become very very close; our marriage would be mutually beneficial in more ways than just allowing me come back this year. I really don't think the Phils will open for tourists until mid 2022 at the earliest. Due to my business here in the USA that would mean waiting until October / November 2022 before I could return. So I'll take your bet Tom and raise you 2 San Mig's!

Know might also be the answer.....as in who in immigration she knows; or could also be how many blue no's she needs to bribe someone, lol

GS - As it's based solely on my own personal experience I know what I'm about to say won't be proof to you, but it's more than enough proof for me (and likely for many others too) that the vaccines are working and I feel they should be mandated (as they likely will be). As a preface: my cousin "P" is 73 about 35-40 lbs overweight, has emphysema and mild arthritis; her daughter "J", my second cousin, 44 years old, in excellent health = right diet, worked out regularly, heavily into kayaking and jogging, not overweight, well toned. Her husband "M", 47, in excellent health also. My cousin had gotten two shots of the Pfizer vaccine in March / April; her daughter - unvaccinated (due to her age and her not really wanting it until it was fully FDA approved.....which it is now btw); her husband vaccinated, 2 shots of Moderna at the end of last year (he's an EMT, so got it early). I'm early 60's, not in good health - I smoke cigarettes, am about 20-25 lbs overweight and have some other health issues that would be considered "comorbidities". I got both shots of the Moderna vaccine back in April. In early August we had dinner together at my cousins house. Two days later my cousin called to say she wasn't feeling well and was coughing uncontrollably. Later that night J took her to a walk in clinic. Both tested positive for COVID, the next day J started showing flu like symptoms. I tested positive as well as M; within a day or so we all were sick. We were all prescribed Amoxicillin and OTC cold meds (NyQuil or similar). Because of our ages and comorbidities, my cousin and I were also prescribed Dexamethasone (a corticosteroid) and also told to take 2000 mgs of vitamin D and 500 mgs of vitamin C daily (the Dexa depletes vitamin D). We were all told that if the symptoms become worse or if there was no improvement within a week then go to the ER. Within a 3 days after taking the meds my P, M and I all felt improvement. J got worse and had to be hospitalized. So GS (or any other anti-vaxers), take it or leave (I really don't care), here is my proof: P, M and I = all vaccinated; yes, the Delta variant broke thru and infected us (by whom and where we have no idea); yes, we all got sick, but we RECOVERED and are all now doing well. J = unvaccinated; we buried her earlier this week.

Ok, now I'm totally confused (I know, nothing new, lol). After my above posts I decided to look into what you meant by getting a "PSA marriage certificate". My research led me to the Philippine Consulate in San Francisco, which would have jurisdiction over Utah marriages. Reading through the checklist of requirements for submitting a Report of Marriage it mentioned "For online or proxy marriage". So I decided to send an email to the legal department at the consulate. Here is the relevant part of that email: It is my understanding that due to the pandemic the rules for marrying a Filipino national have been relaxed somewhat. According to the Family Code of the Philippines, the couple and the official must be physically present in the same place and at the same time. Reading online it now appears that online video conferenced marriages are now allowed. Also, in reading through the checklist of requirements for submitting a Report of Marriage (ROM) to the consulate for the PSA, item 4 states: For Online or Proxy Marriage - One (1) original and four (4) photocopies of a notarized Affidavit of Explanation, stating that the marriage was held online and that the Filipino spouse was not in the U.S. at the time of marriage. Needless to say I'm somewhat confused as to the legality of online / proxy marriages. So my questions to you are: If the husband and wife must still be physically present and if the official who would solemnize the marriage can be in another location? Or ..... can all parties be in different locations (proxy marriage)...... Specifically, can my Filipino fiance be in the Philippines, the official be in the state of Utah (where video conferenced weddings are legal) and me be in my home state in the USA? Once I get a reply from them I'll update accordingly.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances and unless someone else beats me to it, I'll update you in early December as we are looking to do this at the end of November. Two weeks or so in Thailand first to get all the docs DHL'd to us .....aaaannnnnd of course to do what honeymooners do (stock tip = buy stock in Vitamin V, lol). It is all pending right now, still have a few travel related details to work out and the answer from BOI about surrendering my passport.

Thanks for the info OMW, I'll certainly look into her getting a CFO. Sent you a PM too. I've known the lady in question for about 5 years, she is in her early 30's, has a government job there, owns properties (land that her family farms plus land with a house on it) and has a 10 year old son. Early last year she got a passport as she had planned on attending a work related conference in Thailand, but it was cancelled due to the Covidorama; so she has never left the country before. Even though she's a little over 30 years old, her parents offered to write a letter (notarized) giving their permission for her to not only leave the country, but also giving their permission to marry me and their blessing on the marriage as well. The letter might seem superfluous, but we know how conservative Filipinos can be and how respectful they are to elder family members. Therefore it might carry some weight with an immigration official. The more paper you can put in front of them the better (especially blue notes, LOL, but I wouldn't do that nor would I ever suggest anyone else to do it).

According to "The Family Code of the Philippines" your friends wedding might not be considered legal. The Code (Executive Order 209) stipulates that the couple and the official who is solemnizing the marriage be physically together (in the same place at the same time). However, based on the reply I received I believe that immigration is allowing online weddings if the couple is together and the official is in a different place. This is likely based on pending legislation in the Philippines: In filing House BIll 7042, Kabayan Rep. Ron Salo proposed that the legal meaning of presence or personal appearance as an essential requisite for the validity of marriage be liberally construed to include virtual presence or presence through video conferencing, especially amid the coronavirus pandemic. This means that in a virtual marriage, the male and female spouses to be wed would be together in the same location but their presence before the solemnizing officer would be remote or virtual. You can read the full article here: https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1107498 Link to The Family Code of the Philippines: https://www.chanrobles.com/executiveorderno209.htm#.YTPCiNNKhpQ In my original email to the BOI / POD I did put forth the scenario that the couple were together and that only the official was in a different location. Although I mentioned the Family Code in my original post, perhaps it was not clear enough and I apologize for any confusion. To clear things up here is the relevant part of what I specifically asked the BOI /POD: The State of Utah recently passed legislation allowing weddings to take place via video conference. There are no State of Utah residency requirements, which therefore allows couples from anywhere in the world to get married. The weddings are performed by court officers / magistrates, they are fully legal and recognized as such in both in the USA and by many other countries. Both a digital and paper “Certified Marriage Certificate” is issued and an apostilled copy for international use can also be had. In order to comply with "The Family Code of the Philippines" my fiancé and I would meet in a country where she is allowed visa free or visa on arrival entry and, as mentioned above, the ceremony would be solemnized by a duly authorized official via video conference. After our marriage we would travel back to the Philippines together, wherein I pray I would be able to get a Balikbayen visa on arrival. Is what I proposed above allowed and would our marriage be recognized by the Bureau of Immigration as legal and valid? Would I then be able to return to my home in the Philippines?

In seeking ways to legally return to the Philippines this year I came across some info that some board members or readers who are engaged to be married might find useful, but it also raises some questions with regards to Filipinos marrying foreigners. In response to the pandemic beginning in January of 2020 Utah County (Provo, UT) in the State of Utah (USA) began allowing online weddings. They are done via video conference between the couple and an official from the Utah County Clerk's Office or anyone who is legally permitted to perform weddings in the State of Utah. There are no residency requirements and the process is fairly straightforward, simple and relatively inexpensive. The bride and groom don’t even have to be together in the same state or, in many cases, even in the same country. The marriages are fully legal in the USA and also recognized as being legal in most foreign countries as well. Apostilled marriage certificates, which are required by many countries, are available for an extra fee for international weddings. https://www.utahcounty.gov/Dept/ClerkAud/Marriage.html https://www.utahcounty.gov/Dept/ClerkAud/WebCeremonyFAQ.html The thought intrigued me so I looked into it more with regards to marriages between Filipino nationals and foreigners. Under the “Philippine Family Code” for a couple to get married they must be physically together at the time of the ceremony. Not being sure if the marriages would be recognized as legal in the Philippines and for entry into the Philippines, I sent an email to the Bureau of Immigration; they directed my question to the Port Operations Division (aka POD). Here was their reply: Good day Sir. Kindly be advised that under existing IATF guidelines, online marriage involving Filipinos/former Filipinos under RA6768 and an alien shall be allowed, subject to primary inspection and compliance with the requirements enumerated hereunder, to wit: 1. Authenticated and/or apostilled Marriage Contract; 2.Proof of citizenship of the Filipino/former Filipino spouse; 3.Pay a visa waiver fee at the airport; and 4. Surrender the alien's passport to the POD to be turned over to the Office of the Commissioner Please take note that the assessment of the sufficiency of travel documents in relation to the purpose of travel is conducted at the airport, upon primary inspection by the immigration officer. Thus, the final determination on whether or not a certain passenger is allowed to travel, rests entirely upon the Immigration Officer who will be conducting the immigration inspection. Thank you. VMCF Their reply raised a question about #4. The purpose of surrendering the alien’s passport and how long it would be held as well as how to get it back. I’m awaiting their reply and will update with their response. In addition, if a Filipino leaves the country and travels to a visa free, or visa on arrival country (like Costa Rica or Thailand), to meet and marry their prospective spouse, then when they both return together can the foreigner get a Balikbayan visa. I have not found a clear answer to this. According to RA6768: Section 2. Definition of Terms. - For purposes of this Act: (a) The term "balikbayan" shall mean a Filipino citizen who has been continuously out of the Philippines for a period of at least one (1) year, a Filipino overseas worker, or a former Filipino citizen and his family, as this term is defined hereunder, who had been naturalized in a foreign country and comes or returns to the Philippines; and (b) The term "family" shall mean the spouse and the children of the balikbayan who are not balikbayan in their own right traveling with the latter to the Philippines. https://lawphil.net/statutes/repacts/ra1989/ra_6768_1989.html Does anyone on the board know if a Filipino national only leaves the country for say 2 weeks, then when they return with their foreign spouse, would the spouse get a Balikbayan visa? Has anyone here done this?

Even when they eventually do away with the quarantine on arrival, me thinks the visa first policy will have a negative effect on tourism. I wonder how many people will book a flight, show up at the airport and be told they can’t check in because they don’t have a visa. Or worse, how many will slip thru the cracks and arrive in the Phils, then get turned around and sent back.