The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has expressed its concern over the proliferation of fake Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) certificates, saying it was a sign of an emerging human trafficking scheme.

Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco said that BI officers have encountered several instances of fake CFO Guidance and Counseling Program (GCP) certificates that were presented during immigration inspections.

“The GCP is a required pre-departure seminar conducted by the CFO aiming to equip Filipinos in intermarriages and bi-national relationships with adequate information on the realities of cultural and social realities overseas,” the BI said. 

“The certificates purport to show that holders have attended the GCP and therefore can leave for abroad.”

Recently, the BI intercepted a female victim bound for Pudong in China after she presented a fake CFO GCP certificate. The 29-year-old woman was traveling with her alleged Chinese husband.

Verification with the CFO revealed that the certificate was indeed fake.

“We believe that this is an emerging trafficking trend, victimizing Filipinas to possibly work in scam call centers, as mail-order brides, or as illegal surrogates,” said Tansingco. “Hence we are issuing a warning to Filipinos against this scheme,” he added.

The BI found out from those intercepted that they acquired their certificate through a fixer they met online.

“With the creation of the shared information system between the BI and the CFO, schemes like this will not be able to pass,” Tansingco said.