Terms, Disclaimers & Privacy

What this site is — and isn't

Viva Filipino publishes practical, general information for Filipino families living between the Philippines and the US, drawn from lived experience and research. By using the site you agree to these terms.

Nothing here is professional advice. Not medical, not legal, not financial, not tax, not immigration advice — even when a page discusses those topics, and even when an answer comes from a licensed professional. Content is written for a general audience, not for your situation. Reading it, or writing to us, creates no physician–patient, attorney–client, or any other professional relationship with us or with any contributor. For decisions that matter, consult a professional licensed where you (or your parent, or your property) actually are.

Numbers are estimates with a date on them

Calculators, cost figures, provider fees, and exchange rates are good-faith estimates based on the assumptions shown, each carrying an "as of" date. Prices, laws, and provider terms change without telling us. Verify current figures before acting — especially before moving money, signing anything, or making care arrangements.

Sample content is labeled and is not real

Pages marked "sample" or "example" — property listings, events, example letters — were written by us to show how a section works. The properties, events, people, and prices in them are invented. Don't book them, attend them, or rely on them; the label on the page says so too.

Rentals, listings, and events: we introduce, we don't broker

Real property listings and events are provided by their owners and organizers. We talk to submitters and publish at our discretion, but we are not a party to any transaction, we do not hold funds, we cannot verify ownership or guarantee anyone's conduct, and we make no promise about any property, event, stay, or sale. Verify who you're dealing with, confirm details with the organizer or owner directly, and never pay in a way you can't recover if something turns out to be wrong.

Expert columns

Contributors to "Ask an Expert" columns provide their own licence details, which we publish so you can check them with the issuing body yourself. Credentials are as provided and as of the date checked; we don't monitor anyone's ongoing standing. Contributors' answers are their own general commentary, not advice to you, and any commercial relationship between a contributor and this site is disclosed on the pages where they appear.

Letters and things you send us

If you send a question or a reply, you're giving us permission to edit it for length and clarity and to publish it — credited the way you asked (first name and city, or anonymous). We never publish your email address, full name, or contact details, and we don't publish identifying details about the family members you describe. We confirm with you before a letter runs, and we'll take one down if you ask. Don't send confidential or time-sensitive emergencies — this is a column with a human reading an inbox, not a hotline.

Links, providers, and money

We link to third-party sites (government agencies, remittance providers, contributors' practices). We don't control them and aren't responsible for them. Where a link is an affiliate link — meaning we may earn a commission if you use it — it is marked as such on the page. Provider names and trademarks belong to their owners; comparisons here are our independent, dated estimates and imply no endorsement in either direction.

Corrections and takedowns

Got something wrong, or want content about you removed? Email hello@vivafilipino.com. We correct factual errors, note material updates on the page, and honor reasonable takedown requests for letters and personal details.

Privacy, short version

We collect what you give us: an email address if you subscribe (stored with our email provider, Buttondown, and used only to send you the newsletter — unsubscribe anytime, every email has the link), and whatever you choose to write to us. We don't sell data or run ads. If analytics are enabled they are privacy-oriented and cookieless (Plausible or Cloudflare Web Analytics); we don't track you across the web.

Cookies

This site sets no tracking, advertising, or analytics cookies — which is why you don't see a cookie banner here. Our host (Cloudflare) may set a strictly necessary cookie to keep the site secure and available, and that's it. If you click an affiliate link, the destination company may set its own cookies on its own site under its own policy. Should we ever add anything that genuinely requires consent, we'll ask for it properly rather than burying it.

Liability

The site is provided as-is. To the fullest extent the law allows, Viva Filipino and its contributors aren't liable for losses arising from reliance on the site's content or from dealings between users and third parties (owners, organizers, providers, professionals). Some jurisdictions limit these disclaimers, so parts may not apply to you.

Changes

We'll update this page as the site grows and bump the date above. Questions about any of it: hello@vivafilipino.com.