I am happily married to a woman from the Philippines. This blog was created to help others successfully navigate the world of Filipina Dating.

Medical Exam for Immigration–Philippines (St Luke’s)

Your wife/fiancée will have to do a medical exam at St. Luke’s towards the end of the spousal or fiancée visa process. Governments require this to ensure people don’t come into the country with contagious diseases, addictions or other health problems that would endanger or burden the public.

Helpful tips for the visa medical exam process:

Here’s what she will need to bring:

2 copies of her online registration form
2 copies of her embassy appointment letter
4 2×2 passport/visa photos (color photo with no earrings, etc)
Her passport and 1 copy of the biographical data page of her passport (the page that has the picture, number, etc).
1 ballpoint pen
Peso equivalent of about $335

Note: Please check out the St Luke’s website to make sure my information is still accurate.

St Luke's Ermita Extension — St Luke’s Ermita Extension

*The exams for those wanting to go to the USA happen at St. Luke’s Medical Center Extension Clinic in ERMITA. Be sure your wife/fiancée knows this because she may think she is supposed to go to the main hospital or one of the other extensions. Note: you can do the exam for some other countries at other locations—just check out the website for more info.

*It is advisable for her to register online and print two copies of her online registration (the website will give you this option once you are registered). This cuts back on the paperwork she has to do once she gets inside the building and it can help her get processed a little more quickly.

*Arrange for her to stay in a Manila hotel for at least two days. I’d recommend booking a room for her at the Casa Bocobo Hotel starting the night before the interview. The prices are reasonable, the hotel is nice (air conditioning, warm shower, wifi, etc.), and it is located literally right down the street from the medical clinic—she can just walk there. She can probably get by with one of their “petite” rooms (the least expensive) if she’s by herself. But all the rooms are reasonably priced. Note: the hotel may require to see a copy of your I.D. and credit card if you pay online. You may need to call them and work that out if she will be going without you.

*Applicants are met on a first come, first serve basis, which is why it is advisable to be there early (registering online doesn’t change this, but those who have registered online may get served a little more quickly once inside). This is why I recommend staying the night before in Manila. People actually start lining up around 3:00 a.m. outside the building. The guards start giving numbers and allowing people in the building at 5:00 a.m. or before. Tell her to get up and be at St. Luke’s a little before 4:00 a.m. (maybe around 3:45). This will give her a good place in line but only about an hour-long wait outside.

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*The guard will ask for the two copies of both the online registration form and appointment letter as well as the copy of the passport upon entering the building. Go ahead and get these ready once the line starts moving. He will give her a number as she goes in. Later they will ask for one copy of the 2×2 pictures at the time of payment.

*She may also want to bring a light jacket. They keep the building very well air-conditioned. It’s also a good idea to bring a book (or a tablet) to have something to do during the waiting periods.

*I won’t give you a play-by-play of the medical exam, but she’ll be going up and down to different floors and spend most of her time waiting for her name/number to be called. She’ll be in there at least 7-8 hours. The staff are pretty organized, efficient, and professional, but they are dealing with an enormous volume of people.

*Advise your wife/fiancee to schedule her appointment when she is not having her menstrual period. If she goes there during her menstruation it will interfere with some aspects of the exam. While on the subject, she should also remember the last day of her most recent period–they will ask her this.

*Check the local (Philippine) holidays to make sure the clinic is open on both consecutive days you want for the exam.

*Some applicants have to get a tuberculosis (sputum) test if they see something abnormal on the x-ray. This will require some follow-up tests/appointments and your fiance/spouse will have to spend more time in Manila (several more days). Those who are coming to Manila from a provincial area may want to prepare in advance for this possibility (bringing more clothes, not booking a round-trip ticket, etc.). She will not be cleared medically until she test negative for tuberculosis. Some applicants have to keep coming back for weeks/months to get re-tested if they have a severe case of TB.

*If the x-ray is clear then she’ll just have to go back the next day for vaccinations—the final step. That’s why I said it is usually a two-day process. Only in rare cases is everything finished in one day. The second day may only take 2-3 hours if all she’s doing is vaccinations. Note: the intercom is weak when they are calling her on day 2 so she’ll have to listen carefully.

*If you (the foreign fiance/spouse) happen to go with her just keep in mind you will not be allowed inside the medical clinic. You can get in line and lead her to the door, but after that you’ll need to go back to the hotel (or mall, or wherever else you’d like). This is another reason to check in at a hotel that is close.

*Lastly I should add something about Ermita/Manila for those who aren’t familiar with it. It is dirty, polluted, noisy and crowded as are many parts of this city. I wouldn’t really classify it as “dangerous,” but one should always be on her guard against snatchers, pickpockets, and other petty criminals. One of the snatchers’ favorite methods is to grab a purse while riding on the back of a motorcycle. Always be vigilant and street smart.

I hope this is helpful. The medical exam isn’t too bad if you are prepared (which includes being prepared for all the waiting).

See Also: The US Embassy Interview

RECOMMENDED: REMITLY

Free vs Paying Filipina Dating Penpal Websites

You may wonder if you should spend the money for a Filipina dating/penpal website that has membership fees or just stick with a free one. I’ll give you my opinion on this, but I’ll be upfront about something: I make a commission if you join one of the websites I mention on this blog (there’s really only one I fully endorse now, but you get the point). You probably already know that, but I just want to put it out there.

I do know of couples who have met through different free dating websites. But my personal experience with them wasn’t so great. I mainly saw two problems:

1. Free websites were usually packed with ads, and sometimes the web designers would place the ads in such a way that you’d accidentally click them when trying to navigate the website. I understand that “free” websites still have to make money, but I found this frustrating.

2. More importantly, the free sites I used were not managed as well as the paid membership sites and had a lot more scammers. One of the main reasons I started this blog years ago was to help us good guys avoid being conned or scammed. But some websites just aren’t very helpful as far as getting rid of those who are not sincere.

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Maybe there are exceptions to what I am describing, but I’m a little skeptical (the adage about getting what you pay for comes to mind).

This is why I’d recommend investing in a paid membership website if you are really serious about corresponding with marriage-minded women from the Philippines. I have chosen to specifically promote the Christian Filipina dating website because I believe the owner really wants to provide all his members (guys and girls) with a great experience. I also appreciate that the website has several helpful blog posts for helping the members.

Fortunately I married my beautiful Filipina bride and haven’t had to use any form of dating/penpal website in quite some time. But I’ve shared my honest opinion based on past experience.

Filipina Beauty

I’m not the only Western guy to notice the exceptional beauty of the women here in the Philippines. Most first-time visitors comment on how pretty the girls are (both men and women).

Here’s what’s interesting: Filipino culture tends to prize features we’d associate with Caucasians. White skin, a pointed nose, and blue eyes are considered handsome or beautiful characteristics. Some of this goes back to the period in which the Spaniards ruled. Children of Spanish colonizers certainly had certain social/economic advantages, so “whiter is better” kind of got imprinted in the culture.

I don’t think this preference is purely based on cultural baggage from the Spanish era. Maybe it also has to do with Western media and the desire to look more like international actors and actresses.

For better or worse, people in the Philippines admire light skin. Filipinos spend millions on products designed to whiten their skin (first-time visitors to the country may be surprised by the marketing of “skin whitening” lotions). Many of the popular tv and movie stars are half Filipino/half Caucasian.

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Most Filipino men I’ve talked to tend to prefer women with fair complexions (called mestizas). Women with darker complexions (morenas) are often not considered as beautiful. There are exceptions to this rule, but I’m speaking in very general terms to make a point.

Here’s where this gets interesting for Western men: the woman you consider beautiful may be looked upon as completely “average” by the standards here in the Philippines. I love the look of a “classic” Filipina beauty: dark skin, dark hair, dark eyes, and a petite figure. Most foreigners I meet also seem to choose morenas.

This is where a Western man is in a win-win situation as far as physical attraction goes. He admires the women of the Philippines who may not be appreciated by her fellow countrymen. She is attracted to his pointed nose and other Caucasian features.

I think this is an overlooked aspect of “Fil-West” relationships. Philippine women are often just considering all their options and responding to those who most appreciate their unique attractiveness.