I have to say I admire those people who have the guts to do this, chat to someone online and fly into the unknown of the Philippines at whatever cost...
I never went through that process, met Marvie while we were working together in South America, and had worked with Filipino's since I was 17 (in fact when I was 20 spent 3 months on a ship in asia as the only brit with 15 filipino's and came home never wanting to eat rice or fish heads again!!!! I still shiver if I hear karaoke). So never was such a shock.