Nicole D., Senior AI Language Quality Engineer
According to the United Nations Network on Migration in the Philippines, the Philippines is one of the top origin countries for migrants worldwide, with around 5.4 million emigrants in 2019, to say nothing of our 2.3 million–strong Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) as of the same year. This explains the constant demand for the translation of proof of contact files. Proof of contact means exactly that—evidence of correspondence between a couple that proves their relationship, from messages on Facebook Messenger to texts and even handwritten letters, for purposes of immigration.
Luckily, the average Filipino couple has no problems supplying enough proof of their contact. By a cultural metric this time, the Philippines is also a world leader in the daily volume of texts—short message services or SMSs—exchanged, having been called the “texting capital of the world” since the 1990s. The country has eventually been named the “social media capital of the world” as well with our ever-online presence on various social media, including their messaging platforms to which our obsessive texting tendencies have spilled over (perhaps, I’d argue, to a greater extent, as you could go all out on the likes of Facebook Messenger within your data’s capacity instead of buying “mobile load” as was done in the texting era). Although Canadian immigration, the most common application of proof of contact requests received by Lexcode, requires a maximum of 10 pages, we’ve had some clients send us 30-pagers (whether they defied the requirement as a strategy to increase their chances of success or simply got carried away by nostalgia, I’ll never know). Another of Canada’s requirements is that proof of contact must be translated into either English or French.
Ah, another Filipino characteristic applies here, you may be thinking. As Filipinos are satisfactory speakers of English, one of our two official languages, why request professional translation and editing for proof of contact files at all?
While I’d say about 50% of the words in proof of contact files are in English—expressions like “I love you” feature prominently in our lexicon, after all—the very way these words are used or even interspersed with Filipino or whatever Philippine language was used makes translation a challenge. I’ve read somewhere that Filipinos have one of the highest rates of code-switching, even among bilingual countries. Code-switching in proof of contact files mostly facilitates translation, even making it feel less of a task, but its simplicity can be deceptive. Having been an editor (and self-proclaimed casual linguist) for nearly five years now, I can tell a mindful translation from a not-so-mindful one, whether done by a human or a machine. For example, one might think that I’m home na straightforwardly translates to “I’m home already,” but I’d slightly tweak it. Native English speakers would probably drop “already” and just say, “I’m home.” I wouldn’t count it as an error per se, but I do see the honest intention of capturing the Filipino clitic na, which means “already,” used for emphasis or to denote the realization of an expected state or outcome.
Moreover, we take for granted many of the Filipino expressions we utter daily until we’re somehow prompted to translate them. If you sprung the question of how to translate eme or petmalu lodi to a random passerby, what would they say? Any LLM may have learned to nail translations of more common slang over the years, but I doubt it can match the sheer agility with which new terms and expressions permeate into the Filipino’s cultural consciousness, especially combined with our storming of the Internet. There’s also the matter of subculture-specific vocabulary, spelling mutations, shortcuts that are the heritage of our keypad texting era, and other linguistic features that could throw off even the most learned LLM or person.
Thus, immigration seekers must spare no chance to get a certified translation of their proof of contact. Leaving this task to the care of professionals with over a decade of experience and regularly handling these files would also save them time for other requirements. Who knows? An expertly translated proof of contact may make the difference in an immigration application. It may be the key to successfully living abroad with loved ones. If you would like to request translation and editing for proof of contact, get in touch with us at X.
May 15, 2025
I Couldn’t Code, So I Designed My Way In: How I Found My Place in Tech Through Creativity
Veronica R.
Explore This Article
May 15, 2025
Why Desktop Publishing Matters: Ensuring Your Translated Documents Look Perfect Every Time
LC D.
Explore This Article
May 15, 2025
Choosing the Right Interpretation Service: How eQQui Ensures a Smooth Multilingual Event Experience
Beatrix A.
Explore This Article
