NEW DELHI, India — Some Filipinas living with their Indian husbands suffer domestic violence throughout India, an inconvenient truth admitted by Philippine Ambassador to India Josel Ignacio.

During a press briefing on Friday, Ignacio revealed that most Filipinas living in India are with their Indian husbands.

“India is a vast country; it’s a subcontinent. But officially, our Filipino population here is about 1,500. The last official count the Indian government gave us was 1,547, as of February 2026. So that’s a fairly current figure. But it’s not a big number,” Ignacio told the DAILY TRIBUNE.

“Most of our fellow Filipinos here are women. Most of them are married to Indians,” he added.

Despite this, he said many Filipinas living in India are happy with their married lives.

“Well, given the profile that many of them are spouses, many of them are happy. We regularly gather with them and all that. But, of course, I think sometimes it’s unavoidable that, given the profile of Filipinos as spouses, you may encounter some domestic issues. But the embassy attends to these matters very well. We pay close attention and act immediately. But, you know, it’s not widespread,” he stressed.

He said part of the Philippine Embassy’s work in New Delhi is to locate Filipinos in India and interact with them to learn about their lives.

Many in southern part

“And we’re very happy interacting with them. We visit them. And they are spread out across India. Many are in the South. I mean, our fellow Filipinos are scattered across much of India,” Ignacio noted.

He added that a few Filipinos are also working in India, although most Filipinas remain married to Indians.

“There are also teachers, but they make up a very small proportion. Most of them are really spouses. There are also many managers, as well as chefs, among others,” he disclosed.

According to the report of the International Journal of Women’s Health Care, domestic violence in India is a complex and deeply rooted issue, shaped by a web of cultural traditions, economic disparities, and regional variations.

“While the problem is nationwide, its manifestations differ significantly across states, influenced by local customs, levels of gender equality, and enforcement of laws.”

“Understanding these regional nuances is critical to developing effective interventions that address the unique challenges faced by women in different parts of the country,” the group said in its report.

The report further stated that in the northern states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana and Rajasthan, domestic violence is often intertwined with deep-seated patriarchal norms and the oppressive practice of dowry.

“Here, the societal preference for sons has led to skewed sex ratios, reinforcing the idea that women are burdens rather than equals. The pressure to provide dowries, illegal yet still rampant, fuels harassment, with brides facing physical and emotional abuse if their families fail to meet demands,” it said.