Filipino woman returns home with Chinese husband, wife intercepted for showing 'forged CFO cert'

In a press release issued on Monday, the Philippine Bureau of Immigration (BI) expressed concern over the proliferation of forged Philippine Overseas Commission (CFO) certificates.

Tansingco Norman, chief of the Philippine Immigration Bureau, said: Immigration officials have become aware of several cases of falsifying CFOs and showing guidance and consultation program (GCP) certificates during immigration checks.

GCP is a mandatory pre-departure workshop conducted by CFOs to provide Filipinos in marriage and multinational relationships with adequate information about the cultural and social realities abroad.

The certificate indicates that the holder has participated in GCP and can therefore travel abroad.

On June 16, officials at Terminal 1 of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) stopped a Filipino woman on her way to China to present a forged CFO-GCP certificate, Tansingco reports said.

She could have gone to Shanghai with her Chinese husband.

"We believe this is an emerging human trafficking trend, and Filipinos may become victims of fraudulent work, mail order brides, illegal surrogate mothers, and therefore issue a warning to Filipinos," Tansingco said."