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Pinoy Spouses Of Foreigners Required To Attend Counseling Before Getting Passports

By on July 18, 2012

Filipino spouses or partners of foreign nationals are now required to attend a Guidance and Counseling Program (GCP) by the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) in Manila or Cebu before they can get their passports.

The reminder came from the Philippine Embassy in Washington, as it cited the Department of Foreign Affairs’ (DFA) recent order on the matter.

“Under Department Orders No. 11-97, No. 15-89, and No. 28-94 of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Filipino spouses and other partners of foreign nationals are required to attend the guidance and counseling program as a pre-requisite to the issuance of passports,” the embassy said.

“The objective is to enable the spouses/partners make informed decisions and prepare them for the realities of cross-cultural marriages,” it added.

The embassy also said the number of attendees per session is limited, and the participants will be accommodated strictly on a first-come, first-served basis.

Only those with complete GCP requirements will be considered. A guidance and counseling certificate will be issued to those who complete the program.

This certificate will be presented to Philippine immigration authorities at the airport on the day of departure.

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