I am recording my dad's journey on getting his documents to apply for an immigrant visa. For now this is just the beginning. I don't know what will come out of this.
It has been awhile since I have asked my dad and mom if they want to come over to US to visit/live with me. The answer was ALWAYS a BIG "NO". It was their wishes and so I didn't pursue or force them. I want them to live happy as they have always told me that they are contented just living a simple life in the Philippines. This is 2012, FYI, they are still using palwa (frond of coconut) or twigs and wood to cook their food. I have tried to convinced them to use gasul or electric cook top but they refused because they think it might consume too much power, so they stick to palwa. That's how old school my parents are!
Now just recently in August 03, 2012, I received a bad news that my mother is super ill. I was so distraught! I was in Vegas at that time. I stay put and tried to calm myself down. I didn't want to show my husband that I was sad. I didn't want to ruin our vacation. I quickly turned the laptop and logged on to my bank account and sent money to my family so that they could send mom to hospital. Lil did I know she was already in the hospital at that moment.
I went to bed that night thinking and praying that everything should be alright.
When I woke up, tons of text messages from my family saying that mom declined all the necessary medical help. She signed a waiver that she want to die at home peacefully.
I didn't understand! I didn't believe at first that she was that sick. So I rung them up first thing in the morning even before I could use the bathroom. I was so anxious to hear the real story from my mother.
"Hello! anak (daughter) don't worry about me. I'll be alright." Mother said. "What happened? What all this news that you have signed a waiver that you don't want to be hospitalized?" I asked. I heard father grabbed the phone and ran out of the house. "Anak? here's the real story. The doctors have told us that there was no hope. They found that your mother has cervical cancer and stomach cancer. They could do the stomach surgery but it would not be of a big help due to her cervical cancer has metastasized throughout her organs. (My dad paused and cried). I don't want your mother to die." dad said. I was speechless and felt helpless at that moment. I didn't know exactly what to say to my dad. I can't hold or give him a hug or even tap his shoulder. I told my dad to be strong and just be there for my mother. I asked dad to hand the phone to my mother. "Hello anak! I will go home to the province and I should be alright. Don't worry about me." Although I know she is not. I just said "I love you mom." She just replied "OO" meaning YES. It was enough for me that she acknowledged it.
She went back to province after denying all medical help. Almost everyday I spoke to her on the phone. Providing my mom what she wants, what she like. Until one day just a month after the bad news on September 06, 2012, Mama passed away! I felt so bad, I blame myself for all of hese but then this is God's plan. I have no way of resurrecting mother's life. I cried almost everyday. Didn't even have a chance to go back to Philippines to see her due to financial difficulties and my vacation time left was not enough to leave the country. Then I realized, that my mother is no longer suffering in pain. She is in a much better place! I mumble myself and said Goodbye Mother this is not the end. We shall meet again!
I was so sorry for my father. He was married to her for over 53 years! that's how long they have been together. They made it through thick and thin. They were there for each other for that long. Truly, my father loves my mother so dearly!
It has now 2 months since my mother's passing. I told my dad if he wanted to go to BOHOL his native island where he was born to visit his long lost relative. He just said in shyness it is all up to me. Then I asked him if he wanted to come visit me here in US. Oddly enough, I got an indication that he wanted to only if I could afford for the expenses, he said.
So the following morning, I sent my brother to NSO to obtain dad's Live Birth only to get an "AFFIDAVIT OF NO LIVE BIRTH RECORDS". Philipine individual who was born on 1944 and under will have no Live Birth Cert. due to it was destroyed during World War II. It might apply to some and may not to many.
So I called LCR (Local Civil Register) myself in Inabanga, Bohol to ask them question what are needed to obtain if a person found no Birth Certificate.
I was told that dad needed to obtain his baptismal record where he was baptized. This is one of the requirements for applying for Live Birth Late Registration.
REQUIREMENTS OF NO LIVE BIRTH.
If this would help I would list them in bullet list:
- Marriage Certificate
- Baptismal Record
- Voters Affidavit
- School Records
- SS/GSIS account
- Bank Account
- Any other ID that would identify him.
(Take note, this is a case to case basis. So my dad's requirements might not be the same as yours or others.)
At this moment, Nov 13, 2012 in the Philippines. My brother Roger who accompany my dad in Bohol just texted me that they were able to obtain the baptismal records and that they have already filed my dad's Live Birth. They were told it would take 10 days from NSO to deliver the records to Local LCR in Inabanga Bohol and from there, they will mail it directly to my dad's address.
It is already looks promising. I know my dad's Marriage Certificate has typographical error and I will worry about that later. I will take this one thing at a time. That's it for now and I will update you guys next. God Bless!
NEED HELP FOR FIANCE/E IMMIGRANT VISA OR MARRIAGE VISA?
