Philippine Family Paperwork Simplified for Filipinos Abroad

Sheila
Sep 15, 2023
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I did not want to face it—that mountainous pile of paperwork that will remind me of my past. Yet no one else will be able to do it. You see, my brother suddenly died just before the worldwide quarantine. Before that, we were trying to finish paperwork to transfer properties of my late mom to ourselves. I was the only one left to finish our estate paperwork from abroad.

Core Family Situation

My parents were married in the Philippines and were blessed with two kids, me and my brother. Yet in a few years, our core family situation changed. My dad went to the USA and then, like other Filipinos abroad, family complications happened. My mom was left to raise us with the help with my aunt.

Jose Rizal, Philippine’s national hero, said: “Ang hindi marunong lumingon sa pinangalingan ay hindi makakarating sa paroroonan” It roughly translates to “he who does not know how to look where he came from will not reach his destiny.” I was forced to look back and face our complications. And they were truly complicated. For instance, I was not allowed to complete my dad’s death certificate even though I was his daughter. The California cremators who will fill in the form wanted ALL siblings to sign or get his estranged second wife to sign it. It was a good thing my dad’s newly signed Medical Directive empowered his friend, who was living with him, to do it. One complication averted.

Simplifying Paperwork to Move Forward

The process of inheriting properties or getting GSIS or SSS benefits in the Philippines is complicated especially for Filipinos abroad. Just getting a peso account required a lot of Philippine IDs and certifications. Pilipinas Info simplifies dealing with this paperwork by using our complicated family situation as an example. I will post an issue or question, tell how I dealt with it, then share information on how you can use it in your own situation. Subscribe for free so you’ll not miss a post. I will post my current series on this page so you’ll know what is next.