Dateline Philadelphia, PA, March 10, 2008

A Filipino mail-order bride was beaten and thrown inside their house like a doll. She was left alone in the forest to die. Her husband threatened her to be murdered by killers for hire. She was brought back to the Philippines supposedly for a vacation and then coerced to sign an annulment of their marriage contract. She was forced to leave their hotel in the Philippines and called as stupid all the time. She was prohibited to leave the house and use the telephone. These were the brutal ways Mila (not her real name) experienced at the hands of her American husband of six months.

The Filipino bride called the Police Department numerous times, but, when the Police arrived, she, out of fear, would tell them that her husband loves her very much.

She is the eldest of five brothers and sisters who live with their mother in Cainta, Rizal, Philippines. Both of their parents came from the Province of Leyte but their father died while they were still young. After graduating from high school, Ms. Mila worked as a temporary sales clerk in a mall. She was laid off after six months of work, and, then rehired as a new employee (a practice by Filipino employers to evade giving workers fringe benefits). Later, she left for Singapore as an overseas-contract worker.

She met her husband via the Internet and he visited her in the Philippines three times. She came to the United States on a fiancé's visa, and they were married six months ago. 

The husband claimed that he is a very intelligent man who holds four degrees, with $98,000 in student loans as proof.  He was a school teacher by profession and is on disability leave of absence due to a nervous breakdown.

They went to the Philippines in January 2008, but when they arrived in the Philippines, her husband told her that he found one smart Filipina nursing student to replace her. Her husband told her to sign an annulment of their marriage contract, which she refused to sign. She proceeded to the United States Embassy to seek for advice and she was told by the Embassy personnel to return to the United States immediately because nothing good would happen to her if she stayed in the Philippines.

Ms. Mila met Linda Limcaco on their flight back to the U.S. and she related her sad experience to Linda. Ms. Linda advised her to leave her husband before he kills her. When Ms. Mila’s husband arrived from the Philippines, she was told that they were no longer married. She then contacted Linda Limcaco who paid for her plane ticket and arranged for an apartment in Philadelphia where she now lives. She hopes to find a job in Philadelphia soon.

Linda Limcaco has helped children in the Philippines and in the United States. She helped also several Filipinos who were new arrivals in the Philadelphia and South New Jersey metropolitan areas. She helped them either in finding jobs or a place to live.

Ms. Linda is the president of the Philippine Nurses Association of Pennsylvania and New Jersey (PNAPANJ).  She is also the current NaFFAA New Jersey State vice chairwoman of the Board of Directors with Gwen De Vera, State chairman, and Atty. Jose Teodoro "JT" Mallonga, NaFFAA Region 1 chairman. Ms. Linda is vigorously trying to find a Family Court lawyer who can help in Mila’s divorce and allow her to stay in the country. # # #

Editor's Notes: Readers who may want to help Mila can contact Ernesto Gange, a former member of the Board of Trustees of the Pearl S. Buck Foundation. He is also the NaFFAA FILVOTE chairman of Pennsylvania. He may be reached at (267) 229-4267 or by e-mail: Ernesto1gange@aol.com