Statistics 

Early in the development of ASAWA website, I decided to include a series of polls to get an idea of where visitors were coming from and where they stood on certain issues.  My polling ended March 31st, 2001, after about 2 years of service.  I refer to this first round of polling, conducted at my website, as the Series I Polls.  The second series of polls (Series II) is ongoing, and was initiated at the start of 2002.  I have included some preliminary results on that polling also. 

Series I  (Completed):

How And Where Did You Get Married?

619 responses

Church wedding – Philippines: 22%

Civil wedding – Philippines: 22%

Civil wedding – Husband’s homeland: 21%

Church wedding – Husband’s homeland: 16%

Ceremonies in both countries: 12%

Married in “third-party” country: 4%

How Did You Meet Your Wife/Fiancée?

1,557 responses

Correspondence service – 22%

Referral by friend or relative – 17%

Military assignment/tour – 17%

Online (chat, homepage, etc.) – 16%

Other – 14%

Tourist in Philippines – 9%

What Is The PRIMARY Reason You Are Interested In A Filipina Wife?

1,005 responses

They are more traditional, family oriented – 42%

They are more beautiful, charismatic, or feminine – 33%

Age difference not important to Filipinas – 8%

Difficulty in establishing domestic relationships – 6%

They are less demanding partners – 4%

General recommendation of others w/Filipina wives – 4%

What Is The Age Difference Between You And Your Wife?

1,043 responses

I’m 11-20 years older – 25%

I’m 6-10 years older– 18%

I’m 1-5 years older – 17%

I’m more than 20 years older – 14%

I’m younger than my wife- 14%

Same age (within 12 months) – 10%

Where In The Philippines Is Your Wife/Fiancée From?

1,104 responses

Central Luzon or Southern Tagalog – 34%

Central or Eastern Visayas – 22%

Bicol or Western Visayas – 12%

Western or Northern Mindanao – 11%

Southern or Central Mindanao – 11%

Ilocos or Cagayan Valley – 8%

* note that the Visayas combine for a total of 33% of all responses

Series II (Ongoing – data accurate as of May 2002):

How Did You Meet Your Wife/Fiancée?

75 votes

Pen Pal (Correspondence) service – 35%

Internet Chat / Discussion Board / Forum – 25%

Introduced by friend or family member – 14%

Other – 13%

Result of military assignment/tour – 8%

Of The 5 Choices Below, What Do You Find MOST Attractive About Filipinas?

94 respondents

Devotion to husband and family – 61%

Personality / Social Skills – 15%

That certain "exotic" quality – 12%

Physical beauty – 9%

Strong religious faith – 4%

Where In The Philippines Is Your Wife/Fiancée From?

94 respondents

Visayas – 36%

Central/Southern Luzon – 26%

Northern Luzon – 13%

Northern or Western Mindanao – 13%

Southern or Eastern Mindanao – 13%

At Which Stage Did You & Your Current Fiancée/Wife Begin A Sexual Relationship?

54 respondents

“Wedding Planners”: You were formally engaged & discussing your future together – 44%

“Romantically involved”: You were in love, but a future together wasn't assured – 20%

“Husband and Wife”: You were married – 10%

“Friends”: The groundwork for a relationship was there, but you weren’t in love – 11%

“Marriage candidates”: Marriage seemed likely, but you were not engaged – 10%

Men: What Is The Age Difference Between You And Your Wife/Wife?

97 respondents

I am younger, or no more than 3 years older, than my wife/fiancée – 24%

I am 10-15 years older than my wife/fiancée – 23%

I am 4-9 years older than my wife/fiancée – 21%

I am more than 20 years older than my wife/fiancée – 19%

I am 16-20 years older than my wife/fiancée – 14%

What Type Of Ceremony Did You (Or Will You) Choose?

73 respondents

Religious ceremony, Philippines: 27%

Civil ceremony, husband's homeland: 26%

Civil ceremony, Philippines: 23%

Religious ceremony, husband's homeland: 16%

Civil/religious ceremony in "third party" country: 1%

If You And Your Asawa Have Different Religious Faiths, Which Do You Observe?

(I added the following guidance: 

1. Atheism or agnosticism may be considered "faiths" for the purpose of the poll.

2. The question should be understood to mean, "If you and your asawa began your marriage with different faiths, in what matter did you decide to worship?")

44 respondents

The husband has converted to the wife's faith: 20%

We each observe our own faiths, but worship together: 17%

We each observe our own faiths, and worship separately: 14%

We have not settled this question yet: 7%

The wife has converted to the husband's faith: 2%

Married Men, How Many $$ Do You Give To, Or Spend On, Family In The RP Annually?

34 respondents

More than $2,400 U.S.: 35%

$1,201-$1,800 U.S.: 24%

$1,801-$2,400 U.S.: 15%

Under $600 U.S.: 15%

$601-$1,200 U.S.: 12%

What Is Your Preferred Method Of Sending Money To RP?

76 respondents

Money is wired via Western Union/MoneyGram/similar service: 47%

Money is deposited into a bank here, withdrawn from a branch in RP: 28%

Individual in Philippines uses ATM/credit card for withdrawal: 18%

Other: 5%

Money (in the form of a money order, check, etc.) is mailed to RP: 1%

Were You Divorced Prior To Entering Into Your Current Relationship/Marriage?

66 respondents

No, I've never been married before – 47%

Yes. Current relationship began 3 years (or less) later – 30%

Yes. Current relationship began 4-9 years later – 21%

Yes. Current relationship began more than 15 years later – 1%

Yes. Current relationship began 10-15 years later – 0%

Fiancee Visa Petitioners: How Many Months Did It Take To Get Visa Approved?

18 respondents

2-4 months – 50%

5-8 months – 39%

14-19 months – 11%

9-13 months – 0%

Longer than 19 months – 0%

U.S. Spousal Visa Petitioners: How Many Months Did It Take To Get Visa Approved?

7 respondents

9-13 months – 43%

2-4 months (you should be buying lottery tickets) – 29%

5-8 months – 14%

14-19 months – 14%

Longer than 19 months – 0%