RIGHTS OF OFWs in Extremis

By Atty. Elpidio Peria

Tags: philippine constitution,RIGHTS OF OFWs in Extremis,philippine constitution

The past few weeks should bring home the realization to all of us that we have become an OFW nation, as indeed we already are, many years back, what with US$18.763 billion remittances in 2010, exceeding even the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) forecast of US$18 billion.

The Asian Development Bank did a study in 2008 and found out that OFW remittances in that year constituted around 12% of the country's GDP, making foreign remittances the “single most important source of foreign exchange to the economy and a significant source of income for recipient families.”

Annulment costs and conjugal properties

By Katrina Legarda

Tags: philippine constitution,Annulment costs and conjugal properties,philippine constitution

Hello, I answer a letter from the mailbox this week. Here goes.

Good pm Madam Katrina Legarda, before I'll start my queries I just want you to know that I admire your strong personality and intelligence. To start with, I’m planning to file for an annulment case with my husband; we separated 6 yrs. ago as in we're not living together anymore. My big problem is the huge fee for filing it because I don't have enough money for that. May I know the approximate standard cost for an annulment case, from the beginning until the case is finish? Secondly, what if he don't want to cooperate with the case is there a possibility that the said case will take a long period of time? How long usually this kind of case last? In the case of our properties what if he doesn’t want to give me my share? Hoping for your reply. Thank you so much.

Annulment

Tags: philippine constitution,Annulment,philippine constitution

So what is annulment??. Picture marraige as a contract, a binding agreement between two people, preferably and in most jurisdictions, between a man and a woman. Just like most contracts, it could be valid, voidable, or void. It is valid if all its components are present, ie, consent, object, and consummation (or euphemistcially delivery as in a contract of sale). In a marriage, of course, consent is the “I do” in the bringing together of a man and a woman in matrimony, holy or otherwise. The object of course is the union of the parties which in the eyes of the law makes them “one”.

Annulments in the Philippines on the Rise

Tags: philippine constitution,Annulments in the Philippines,philippine constitution

There appears to be a 40% increase in the number of annulment cases filed between 2004-2010 from 4,520 to 8,282. This was the gist of a report submitted by the Office of the Solicitor General to the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP). The Philippine Bishops have likewise noted that more and more annulment cases are being granted because the Office of the Solicitor General does not have enough authority to contest and appeal the annulment cases that have been granted by the trial courts. (Manila Bulletin, 27 March 2011) (Although this may not be accurate legally). That the Solicitor General has been reporting to the Catholic hierarchy should be concern enough. What ever happened to the separation of Church and State??? Could this be the carrot following in the “condoms” of the Reproductive Health Bill??

Divorce in the Philippines

Tags: philippine constitution,Divorce in the Philippines,philippine constitution

A look back at Philippine history would show that the idea of divorce was not alien to Philippine culture. From a legal standpoint, absolute divorce was allowed in the Philippines during the Japanese occupation and during pre-colonization by Spain when both men and women were allowed to obtain divorce on the grounds of infidelity, childlessness, and failure to fulfill marital obligations. Spain put a damper on these liberties when women rights were diffused through the stringent dictates of the Catholic hierarchy.

DOING BUSINESS AND INVESTING IN THE PHILIPPINES

Tags: philippine constitution,DOING BUSINESS AND INVESTING IN THE PHILIPPINES,philippine constitution

The world is shrinking and people live in a global village where diversity, innovation, and strategic presence are the collective mantra of the Information Age. Trade and regulatory barriers have been broken and an increasing number of companies are looking beyond their borders towards richer markets in the developing world. The year 2000 heralded to not a few the Pacific century, and fittingly so with the emergence of China as an economic powerhouse rivaling the long standing pre-eminence of the United States, Japan, and Europe.

Getting a Marriage visa or Spousal Visa for the United States

Tags: philippine constitution,Getting a Marriage visa or Spousal Visa for the United States,philippine constitution

Getting a marriage visa might not be too difficult if you are familiar with the spousal visa processing system. Actually, only very few are completely knowledgeable about the ins and outs of the system. Ordinary citizens are sometimes forced to acquire expensive help from immigration lawyers. Fortunately, you can now get more affordable assistance from EasyMarriageVisa.com.

GETTING YOUR SPOUSE A U.S. VISA

Tags: philippine constitution,GETTING YOUR SPOUSE A U.S. VISA,philippine constitution

LEGAL BRIEF by Atty Susan V. Perez, svplaw@aol.com | SAN DIEGO, 10/30/09 — I’ve been receiving a lot of inquiries whether legal permanent residents or greencard holders can sponsor their spouses to live or stay in the United States. Most of these inquiries involve a foreign national who is in the U.S. on a tourist visa and had met a legal permanent resident who offered him or her marriage. They want to know if the foreign national can stay in the U.S if they get married. While a legal permanent resident can sponsor or petition his or her foreign national spouse, this does not give the foreign national spouse the status of an immediate relative. Therefore, the foreign spouse cannot stay in the U.S. while waiting for the legal permanent resident spouse to become a U.S. citizen.

How to Apply a Chinese Tourist Visa

Tags: philippine constitution,How to Apply a Chinese Tourist Visa,philippine constitution

Documents Requirements:

A valid passport for at least six months from the date of travel with at least one entire unused page
A completed visa application form can be obtained from the Chinese Embassy or Consulate in your country or be downloaded from the official website of the Chinese Embassy in your country.
Two 2" X 2 (inch)" passport photos (either white& black or color) should be affixed to the visa application form

How to apply for a Fiance Visa

By Rachel Immig

Tags: philippine constitution,How to apply for a Fiance Visa,philippine constitution

A Fiance Visa, also known as the K-1 Visa, allows the foreign fiance or fiancee of a U.S. citizen to enter the United States and marry the US citizen within 90 days. After marriage, the spouse can apply for an adjustment of status to permanent residence.

The Fiance Visa application process is a multi-stage process that needs a lot of organizing and tracking of different forms.

How to Apply for a K1 US Visa inside the Philippines

By: Michael Farrell

Tags: philippine constitution,How to Apply for a K1 US Visa inside the Philippines,philippine constitution

A Filipino that is engaged to an American citizen may enter the United States using a K1 US Visa or popularly generally known as the fiancée visa. This can be a sort of visa issued to a non-American who's engaged to become married to an American citizen.

A K1 Visa Philippines is really a non-immigrant visa towards the US permitting the holder to marry an American citizen inside 90 days upon arriving while in the United States. The visa can be a single-entry visa which suggests that a Filipino who leaves the United States devoid of marrying his fiancée is just not allowed to re-enter the nation. She should file for yet another visa if she wishes to go back again to the United States. You will find however needs to become met through the Filipino and her American fiancée.

How to Apply for an Australian Visa

Tags: philippine constitution,How to apply for an Australian visa,philippine constitution

I am not a visa officer, nor am I migration agent. I am in no way affiliated with the Australian Embassy Manila nor with the Australian government. This post comes from my experience with preparing and submitting visa applications for family members and for myself. Also note that this entry pertains to my experience in applying for an Australian tourist visa in October 2006. The Australian immigration update their forms every 3 months. I will try to answer your questions the best way that I can, but bear in mind that a lot has changed since 2006. If you ask a question I’ve already answered in the post, I will ignore you.

How to File a Criminal Case in the Philippines

Tags: philippine constitution,How to File a Criminal Case in the Philippines,philippine constitution

If you are a victim of crime or felony in the Philippines, it is wise to report the crime or felony with the barangay and police authorities. Thereafter, you must secure a barangay blotter and police blotter or report so that you may use them as evidences. If you sustained injuries, go to a government hospital to have yourself checked out. The medical report of said hospital will be very useful to prove your physical injuries. In addition, ask someone to take photographs of your injuries as proof.

How to Get a Philippines Marriage Visa

Tags: philippine constitution,How to Get a Philippines Marriage Visa,philippine constitution

Marriage outside of the United States with a non-U.S. citizen can bring many problems later on when you want to bring your wife or husband home with you. You will need to file a marriage visa petition on behalf of your spouse before he or she will be allowed to come to the United States to be with you. The Philippines marriage visa is a complicated process but with EasyMarriageVisa.com you can get a marriage visa much more quickly and easily.

KILLING FIELDS, WARLORDISM, ELECTION FEVER, AND THE RULE OF LAW

Tags: philippine constitution,KILLING FIELDS, WARLORDISM, ELECTION FEVER, AND THE RULE OF LAW,philippine constitution

57 people dead, including women, lawyers, and journalists just because a group of people wanted to file a certificate of candidacy. Elections hasn’t started yet. Naturally, the international community is appalled. It is reminiscent of Cambodia and the Khmer Rouge, only this time it is not a matter of clashing ideologies but unmitigated greed—for power, money, and more power and money. In the Philippines, running for public office is an investment. A candidate has to recoup his capital. How does he do it then? Corruption. How does he profit? More corruption. And when he or his family can no longer run for public office (generally allowed 3 terms of 3 years each), he so casually resorts to murder and violence.

OF ANNULMENT SCAMS AND GAY MARRIAGES

Tags: philippine constitution,OF ANNULMENT SCAMS AND GAY MARRIAGES,philippine constitution

Lately, we have noticed a proliferation of search hits on annulment scams in the Philippines and the recent decision of the Philippine Supreme Court which allegedly did not allow the annulment of a marriage where the husband was gay. Just like anything else on the web, a piece of information must be filtered like coffee before it is swallowedr. I was on the plane from Los Angeles with my daughter after spending the Christmas holidays in recession-stricken America when I struck a conversation with an American on board the connecting flight to Manila from Japan.

Politicizing the Office of the Ombudsman

Tags: philippine constitution,Politicizing the Office of the Ombudsman,philippine constitution

The concept of an Ombudsman in the 1986 Philippine Consititution was a novel idea and grew out of the concerns against the cronyism, graft, and corruption of the Marcos era. The Ombudsman was intended to be the cintizenry’s champion against graft and corruption. The first Ombudsmen appointed were elderly lawyers with unblemished records in government or the private sector. In recent years, however, realizing perhaps the utility of the Office of the Ombudsman in forcing nasty political foes to tow the line, the President of the Philippines has seen fit to appoint politically savvy Ombudsmen.