"The ASAWA Guide To Fil-West Relationships - 12th (2005) edition"

MARRIAGE IS THE BIGGEST DECISION YOU'LL EVER MAKE!

Don't rush into any relationship based on some rumors, myths, or legends you've encountered in the press or on the Internet. Don't "hope for the best" or fool yourself into thinking you can "make" a marriage work. The fact is that there are a lot of people out there who are ready to deceive you with half-truths and lies about relationships between Filipinas and western men.  Some will push you into relationships with Filipinas, while others will try to persuade you that such relationships can only end in heartbreak.

What you need are the hard facts and some objectivity.  That's what the "ASAWA Guide to Fil-West Relationships"  is all about. 

1.  Should you marry a Filipina? Learn why Filipinas can be the best wives for some men, but the worst for others.  Which category do you belong to?

2.  Do Filipinas really desire older men?  My statistical analysis of public and private polling data provides a surprising answer, and some interesting conclusions.

3.  Why aren't the people of the Philippines called Philipinos?  And why is it Philippines instead of Phillipines?  And why is it Filipino sometimes, and sometimes Filipina, and sometimes Pinay, and sometimes Pinoy?  I'll give you the answers!

4.  Is a prenuptial agreement a good idea?  Better think about this!  I'll give you some food for thought.


5.  Did the Philippines actually pass a law that makes "pen pal" relationships illegal?  There's a lot of confusion about this.  I'll explain what the law actually says, explain who it affects, and tell you what you can and cannot do.

6.  Should you marry her in the Philippines, or in your country?  There's a LOT of things to consider when making this decision, not the least of which is how long you two will be separated while doing immigration paperwork.  I cover the pros and cons of both approaches.

7.  How can "the living dead" prevent you from marrying the girl you love?  Hmmmm!

This is barely the tip of the iceberg.  With more than 300 over-sized pages, the Guide contains more than 70 articles on Fil-West relationships, as well as maps, essential phone numbers and addresses, Tagalog and Visayan glossaries, and much more.  Tons of information which can save you from reinventing the wheel.  In the seven years that I've operated the ASAWA website, I've exchanged thousands of emails with westerners and Filipinas alike, and there are few questions or situations I've not encountered when it comes to Fil-West relationships.  I've used this experience to write and compile dozens of articles I think are CRITICAL to any western man who's seriously considering a Filipina bride. 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

About The Author

Introduction

Disclaimers

Identity Crisis:  INS, BCIS, or USCIS?

 

PRE-RELATIONSHIP EDUCATION

 

The “Average” Fil-West Couple: A Composite

Philippines Trivia

Philippine History In A Nutshell

Religion

Philippines, Filipino, Pilipino – What’s In a Name?

A List of Famous Filipinas

The American Romance in the Philippines

So You Want to Marry a Filipina

So you STILL want to marry a Filipina

Heaven or Hell?

Welcome to Heaven!

Welcome to HELL!

Fact & Fiction about Filipina "Mail Order Brides"

Correspondence Services

Legal Concerns

Age Differences – Do They Matter?

The Attack on Feminism

Is There A Shortage Of MEN In The Philippines??

The Problem With "Submission"

Learning Through Hypotheticals

City vs. Province

Questions For HIM

Questions For HER

Suggested Books

Recommended Movies

 

COURTSHIP

 

Ka-Ching $$$$

Flying To The Philippines From The United States

Travel Information - Packing for your trip!

Hotels Recommended by ASAWA Forum Members

Security In The Philippines

Social Situations

Sex And Virginity

 

MARRIAGE AND IMMIGRATION

 

Making Your Intentions Known

Immigration Pointers

Proof Of Your Relationship

Marriage Applications

Procedures For IR-1 (Spouse) Visas

K-3 Visa News Release

Fiancée (K-1) Visas

An Introduction to the K1 Process

K1 items the Filipino fiancé must provide

K1 items the American Petitioner must gather

K1 items for "Special Cases". Uncommon and Rarely Required Documents

The Step-by-Step K1 Instructions to provide your Fiance

Seven "non-visa" ideas to consider before you leave the Philippines

The step-by-step things that that a K1 Filipina Fiance must do

The K1 Letter of Intent -- A template that you can use

The K1 Cover Letter Template - The Blueprint for your K1

K-1 Fiancé Visa Petition

The US BCIS - General Tips on Assembling Applications for Mailing

An Adjustment of Status Guide & Checklist

How to apply for a U.S. Social Security Number (SSN)

The Total Cost of the Immigration Process From Start to Finish

Why tourist visas are nearly impossible to get and DANGEROUS to use for marriage

Why Student F-1/M-1 Visas are not a good immigration method for Fiancés

Why H1-B Work Visas are not a good immigration method for Fiancés

 

 

 

RIR (Reduction in Recruitment) Health Visa

Why bringing extended family from the Philippines is not realistic

The Whole K3 Visa Process Overview for the Philippines (An Example)

K-1 “Milestone” Diary

St. Luke's Clinic Procedures

Prenuptials (“Prenups”)

Annulment

The Cost of a “Traditional” Wedding in the Philippines

Marriage: Where And How

“Dual” Ceremonies

Lured And Abandoned – A Cautionary Tale

Separate but Equal?

ITIN – The Taxpayer Identification Number

 

LIFETIME ISSUES

 

Homesickness

Transitioning from Filipina to Filipino-American

Superstitions

Dealing With Intolerance 1

Sources Of Conflict In Fil-West Marriages

Tampo

Financial Support Of Relatives In The Philippines

 

APPENDIX

 

Sample Forms and Documents

I-129F (front, or page 1)

I-129F (back, or page 2)

DS-156 (front, or page 1)

DS-156 (back, or page 2)

DS-157

325 A (Biographic Information)

NOA#1

NOA #2

CENOMAR

Local CENOMAR Certification

U.S. Embassy Checklist

CFO Stamp

CFO Certificate

Visa

AOS Letter # 1

AOS Letter #2

DS 3025

Request for Additional Information (I-485)

Information about the Philippines from the CIA World Fact Book

Map of the Philippines

Map of Luzon

Map of the Visayas & Palawan

Map of Mindanao

Map of Manila

Electricity

Currency

Philippine Holidays

Names And Naming Structures

Sending Money to the Philippines

Western Union

Mailed Payment

MoneyGram

U.K. MoneyGram

Standard ATM method

Credit Card

Sending Mail And Packages To The Philippines From The United States

Republic Act No 6955

The Family Code Of The Philippines (selected excerpts)

Terms and Acronyms

Income Requirements for Affidavit of Support

Immigration Phone Numbers & Addresses Associations for Filipino Expatriates

Philippine Area Codes & Calling Procedures

Tagalog- English, English-Tagalog

Visayan (Cebuano) – English, English-Visayan (Cebuano)

 

 

 

The Complete ASAWA Guide is available in 3 editions: CD, downloadable, and emailed.  All three versions are a PDF version of the Guide, readable with the free Adobe Acrobat Reader (5.0 or later), which is probably already on your computer (if not, it's easy to download and install at http://www.adobe.com/ ).  This document numbers about 350 pages.  Because this is an almost 8 meg document, if you are a dial-up user, you'd be best off buying the CD edition, which will be mailed to you.  If you have a fast connection (DSL or better), you can opt for either the download version, or, if your email provider allows an 8 meg attachment, the emailed version.  If you opt for the downloadable version, you'll emailed directions on where your edition is located on the internet and how to download it.  If you order the emailed version, you'll simply receive and email with the Guide attached as a pdf file. 

 

CD editions will arrive within about two weeks.  Downloadable and Email versions will be delivered within 48 hours.  The cost of the downloadable and email versions is $17.95.  S/H for the CD is $2.00 within the U.S. or Canada, which makes the total cost $19.95 for that version.  If you live outside North America, please contact me to inquire as to the shipping costs. Don't forget to give me your shipping address, please!

This is a very small monetary investment in your future, especially when you consider all the money you're eventually going to spend if you pursue a Fil-West relationship.  Correspondence services and/or international postage & long distance phone calls, plane tickets, immigration fees, wedding costs, etc. will cost you several thousands dollars.  This guide, based on my own personal experiences, and what I've learned from thousands of other Fil-West couples provides you with information that far exceeds its cost.  No one can promise you happiness.  But learning from the experience of myself and others is a prudent step in the right direction.   

 

Download Edition (download instructions emailed to you)

       
   
      

Emailed version (sent as an attachment)

CD version (sent via U.S. Postal Service)

In addition to Paypal, you may also purchase the Guide by sending a check or money order to the address below:

Bob Lingerfelt
P.O. Box 137
Sparta, WI 54656-0137

You'll normally receive your CD version of the Guide within one week of  payment and bound editions within 2 weeks.  Electronic Editions are normally available for download within 24 hours. 

Whether or not you elect to get the Guide, I wish you the very best in your pursuit of happiness! 


All original materials on this website (www.asawa.org, www.filipinawives.com) are copyrighted by the author, Bob Lingerfelt, 1997 -2007  with materials on file at the U.S. Copyright Office.  No reproduction is authorized, in any form, without express permission of the author.

Home 

Disclaimers

Introduction

FAQ

The ASAWA Guide

Correspondence Service Advice

Links

 

 

 

 

 

 

What is the #1 financial mistake of men who are new to Fil-West relationships?  They call the Philippines using their regular long distance carrier! 

Don't do it!  Please visit SpeedyPin, one of ASAWA's primary sponsors.  As most Fil-West couples already know, using a phone card can save you a lot  of money! 

 

Section I: Pre-Relationship Education

 

Fun Trivia About The Philippines

Philippine History In A Nutshell 

Religion

What's In A Name?

A List of Famous Filipinas

The American Romance

The "Average" Fil-West Couple

So You Want To Marry A Filipina

So You STILL Want To Marry…

Heaven Or Hell?

Mail Order Brides Fact & Fiction 

Correspondence Services

Legal Concerns

Age Differences

The Attack On Feminism

A Shortage Of Filipino Males?  

The Problem With Submission

City Vs. Province

Questions For Her

Questions For Him

Suggested Books

Midnight Sunshine, a novel

A Long Way to Go for a Date

Recommended Movies

 

Section II: Courtship

 

Your Travel Budget

Flying to the Philippines

What To Take To The Philippines

Travel Tips

Philippines Travel Guide

Ninoy Aquino Int'l Airport

Security In The Philippines

Recommended Hotels

Social Situations

Learning To Communicate

Sex And Virginity

The Visitor's Visa

 

Section III: 

Engagement/

Marriage                       

                      

Taking Your Relationship Public

Expenses

Prenuptials

Annulments

So You Want an Annulment?

Wedding Costs In The Philippines

Marriage - Where and How

A Filipina Abandoned

"Separate But Equal"?

 

Section IV:

Immigration

 

Immigration Pointers

Proof Of Your Relationship

The Marriage Application

Fiancée Visa (K-1)

Spousal Visa (IR-1)

K1 & K3 Procedures

Evidence of Non-Immigrant Status (SSN)

Employment Authorization for Immigrants

St. Luke's Clinic

Immigration Numbers And Addresses

Minimum Income Requirements

 

Section V: 

Lifetime Issues

 

Health And Dental Issues

Filipina Transitions

Superstitions

Dealing With Intolerance

Tampo

Financial Support Of Relatives  

Sources of Conflict

Appendix:

 

Immigration Forms

Statistics

CIA Fact Sheet On The Philippines 

Map Of The Philippines

Electricity

Currency

Holidays

Name Structure

How To Send Money

How To Send Mail And Packages

Republic Act No. 6955

Family Code Of The Philippines

Terms And Acronyms

Filipino Communities

 

Guest Articles:

 

John's Story

Maligaya Means It

You May Be  Married to a Filipina if…

Imee

Weddings in the Philippines

The TownHouse Hotel, Manila