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Courthouse wedding or civil wedding in Manila

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User444:
I just picked up my marriage license from Taguig and they told me to go to Pasig to join the raffle to get a judge to perform the ceremony. I heard in Quezon City that it can take up to 2 months before you can be married because there are so many civil weddings. I called Makati and Pasig City Halls today and they said "Come in to the office and we'll explain things." The Makati City Hall had a pdf on their website that said if the mayor does the wedding, it's free, but if a judge does it, it's 300 pesos. I just want a quick solution. Are there areas in Metro Manila where you don't have to enter a raffle but just apply for a date and the mayor or judge can perform the ceremony?

medic3500:
Just got married a month ago in Quezon City. Was a piece of cake. Went to our Councillor of choice for our district at QC City hall. Took birth certificates for both of us, divorce decree for me and the final annulment award for her. also I had to go to the US Embassy and get a statement stating I am divorced and allowed to get married simple enough just showed my divorce decree at embassy at my appointed time. Took 15 mins and $50. Filled out the information document with the assistance of the councillor's secretary who was very helpful. Paid 8000 piso which covers all fees associated with the marriage including location and solemnizing officer. This office did all the paper work filling out and typing documents and filing with appropriate dept after the brief ceremony and obtain two certified copies of the final marriage license. There was a 10 day wait that was required from the time of filling out the original documents and actually getting married. We though it was a piece of cake. I shake my head when I hear about all of these other horror stories that people go through and we did not have to attend any type of classes that people talk about. Literally was a piece of cake.

Steve & Myrlita:

--- Quote from: medic3500 on September 04, 2018, 11:00:10 AM ---Just got married a month ago in Quezon City. Was a piece of cake. Went to our Councillor of choice for our district at QC City hall. Took birth certificates for both of us, divorce decree for me and the final annulment award for her. also I had to go to the US Embassy and get a statement stating I am divorced and allowed to get married simple enough just showed my divorce decree at embassy at my appointed time. Took 15 mins and $50. Filled out the information document with the assistance of the Councillor's secretary who was very helpful. Paid 8000 pesos which covers all fees associated with the marriage including location and solemnizing officer. This office did all the paper work filling out and typing documents and filing with appropriate dept after the brief ceremony and obtain two certified copies of the final marriage license. There was a 10 day wait that was required from the time of filling out the original documents and actually getting married. We though it was a piece of cake. I shake my head when I hear about all of these other horror stories that people go through and we did not have to attend any type of classes that people talk about. Literally was a piece of cake.

--- End quote ---
Your experience supports the fact that every jurisdiction has their own rules thus nothing is standard. Here in Bacolod, Myrlita & I had to attend class. Get this, at the time, I was 49 and Myrlita was 53. They did show us respect and valued our input for the other couple's benefit. That was 11 years ago.

User444:
Thanks guys. Yes, I did attend the family planning class and paid $50 for the document at the embassy. Applied for the marriage license last month. It took 5.5 hours. We had to go to a family planning class. It was in Tagalog so I didn't get anything from it. There were 25 couples. Just me and a Korean guy were the foreigners. On the roster, you had to write down how many kids you have. 20% already had kids. They didn't need that class! I waited 10 days and now have my license. I'm trying to figure out how to get an officer to solemnize the certificate. I don't want to travel to every city hall to check on their requirements. Makati said to email them at om@makati.gov.PH with my letter of intent and my marriage license but I haven't heard anything back from them yet.

User444:
8,000 pesos seems kinda steep. Our marriage license was 270 p and I read that the mayor will perform it for free or the judge will do it for 300 p.

I went to the Pasig City Hall today. What a total waste of time. On the pasig.gov.ph website, it shows that Mayor Bobby Eusebio is the mayor. On the Contact Us page, it shows that his wife, Maribel Eusebio, is the mayor. He became mayor in 2016 and they haven't updated the Contact Us page??? I did send them a message on that page and of course, no reply was ever received. When I applied for my license at Taguig City Hall, they said to go to Pasig City Hall to add my name to the raffle. Ok. There are plenty of pictures on their website of civil weddings performed by the mayor. So I called them on Monday. How do I schedule a wedding at the mayor's office? The lady on the phone transferred me to the civil registrar's office and she said it would be better if I came into the office.

Hello!!! Telephones were invented for communicating with with people that are in different locations so I don't have to be in the same room as you. Oh well, I thought. This is the Philippines. I'll try it their way. I go to the civil registrar's office today and ask an employee "How do I schedule a wedding with the mayor's office?" I already have my marriage license. I just need a solemnizing officer to sign it. He asks me where my fiance is. She is at work. He said that I can talk to the judge because they also handle civil weddings. Ok.

I walk over to the Court. But I'm wearing shorts. The city hall is ok with shorts but the court is not. The securtiy guard does not let me in. I walk around to a market and buy some sweatpants for $4. I go back to the Court and they let me in. I go to the office of the court clerk on the 8th floor and show them my license. They ask me where my fiance is. She is at work. They look at it and say that I need a document from the US Embassy called Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage. The US embassy only provides the Affidavit in Lieu of Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage. I showed her the document. She says that will not work. On the Embassy's website it says "The Philippine government has generally accepted this affidavit as satisfying the requirement to certify the U.S. citizen’s eligibility to marry in the Philippines." Taguig City Hall accepted it. But Pasig's court does not. I asked her if any American has ever married in Pasig in the past 10 years and she said that she's not aware of anyone. Wow. The marriage license says it's valid anywhere in the Philippines. Except for the Pasig courthouse. I leave and go back to the city hall and to the mayor's office.

I go to the window and there is a lady in front of me being helped. She is finished so I take a step forward and the employee behind the window goes and sits down. She pulls out her phone and starts playing a game or something. Another male employee is sitting there with his phone out. I'm waiting and this other lady is exiting the office and asks me what I need. How to schedule a wedding with the mayor's office?It's 1:25 PM and she tells me to wait 30 minutes because the lady who handles this is out at lunch. I wait and she never comes back from lunch so I ask another person at the window. She asks me where my fiance is. She is at work. She says the mayor is really busy and doesn't have time this month. I told her I just want to put my name in the raffle or sign up for a wedding schedule. She said that in October he may be free. I said Great! I'll be here in October. Then she said, Um, but maybe not. Have you talked to the civil registrar's office? Yes, I told her. I've already been there. She wants to go with me, so we head downstairs.

She talks to a lady in the office and they said they also follow the court's requirements. If you're both Filipino, you're good, but if your embassy doesn't provide you with a document, Pasig doesn't honor it. And Taguig uses the same judges so they won't honor it either. But Taguig City Hall saw that we were an American/Filipina couple and told us to go to Pasig! They said to try Makati or try a pastor. Wow. What a total waste of 4 hours. Never go to Pasig for help. 

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