THE Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) expanded its migrant support programs in Eastern Europe amid the reported increase in Filipinos marrying nationals of Romania, Bulgaria, and Moldova.
Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority and the Department of Foreign Affairs showed that thousands of Filipinos depart annually as marriage migrants.
Europe indicated a “growing share of these unions,” the CFO said in a statement on Wednesday.
CFO Secretary Dante Ang II recently met Philippine Embassy officials in Bucharest to discuss cooperation and address migrant concerns in Romania, Bulgaria, and Moldova.
Philippine Ambassador to Romania Noel Servigon and Consul Iris Caranzo reported a steady increase in Filipino spouses residing in these three countries.
They also discussed trafficking and complaints from Filipino student interns in Bulgaria who entered the country under “misclassified” visa categories.
The CFO said Ang is committed to enhancing interagency coordination to address the issues raised by the embassy and ensure stronger protection mechanisms for Filipinos in the region.
CFO said marriage migration “remains a significant pathway for permanent relocation, particularly among Filipino women.” This is one of the reasons why the CFO needed to strengthen pre-departure orientation and post-arrival support systems.
The CFO, mandated under Batas Pambansa 79 to provide guidance to Filipinos leaving the country under family reunification or marriage visas, plays a critical role in processing and registering marriage migrants.
Through its pre-departure orientation seminar and guidance and counseling program, the CFO said it “equips migrants with essential information on cultural adaptation, legal rights, and protection mechanisms abroad.”
The CFO works closely with the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking to combat human trafficking through stricter counseling protocols, red-flagging of suspicious cases, and coordination with foreign posts.
The embassy shared a directory of Filipino organizations in its jurisdiction to support the CFO’s Linkapil Program, which channels donations from overseas Filipinos to development projects in the Philippines.