House approves bill providing additional requirements to foreigners wanting to marry Filipino women

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MANILA — The House of Representatives has approved on second reading a measure providing for additional requirements for male foreigners desiring to marry Filipino women.

The House Committee on Revision of Laws, chaired by Rep. Marlyn L. Primicias-Agabas (6th District, Pangasinan), sponsored for plenary approval House Bill 4828, which substituted House Bill 2387 authored by Rep. Gwendolyn F. Garcia (3rd District, Cebu).

“The bill shall protect Filipino women against exploitation of foreigners who marry without evident means to support a family,” Primicias-Agabas said.

Garcia said some of the foreigners coming to the country in order to marry Filipino women are vagabonds or social and moral derelicts in their own country.

“The real motive for marriage is only to take advantage and exploit our women by making them work for the family and worse, by sending them to prostitution and other degrading and dehumanizing occupations,” Garcia said.

“The exploitation of our Filipino women, through the so-called mail-order or pen-pal, Facebook, website made, and other internet made marriages, has not only caused untold miseries and suffering to our Filipino women but it has also brought dishonor and disgrace to the Filipino womanhood,” Garcia added.

Under the measure, the prospective foreign husband shall provide a certificate of good moral character and a certificate that he has a gainful trade, business, employment or other lawful source of income to be issued by his country’s diplomatic or consular official, in addition to the usual certificate of legal capacity.

The measure amends Article 21 of Executive Order 209, otherwise known as the Family Code of the Philippines.

Other co-authors are Reps. Henry S. Oaminal (2nd District, Misamis Occidental), Ibarra M. Gutierrez III (Party List, Akbayan), Nicasio M. Aliping, Jr. (Lone District, Baguio City), Rodel M.

Batocabe (Party List, Ako Bicol), Silvestre H. Bello III (Party List 1 BAP), Al Francis C. Bichara (2nd District, Albay), Arthur R. Defensor, Jr. (3rd District, Iloilo), Evelina G. Escudero (1st District, Sorsogon), Elisa T. Kho (2nd District, Masbate) and Roman T.

Romulo (Lone District, Pasig City).