There's a 100% chance she will NOT get a US tourist visa next year. Not even a remote chance. They want someone who owns property, has money, can prove a real job with regular pay, has children or a husband in the Philippines, and strong ties to her country. She has none of that. Her tourist visa interview will literally take two minutes; they won't even ask her anything since she has nothing to submit, and they'll stamp her a no. Don't make a tourist visa visit the goal. She could come on a K-1 visa, but there's a 0% chance she comes as a tourist.

It's not culture shock; you're right. Back in 2018 the BSP (the central bank) had banks offer “basic deposit accounts” for exactly her situation. It's ₱100 or less to open, no maintaining balance, and usually just one valid ID. Proof of income isn't required. What probably happened is the branch got nervous about “source of funds” (anti-money-laundering stuff) when she said she gets paid cash from a temp job with no paperwork. BDO branches are known for being picky about this. The easiest fix is a digital bank account. GoTyme is probably the simplest: she can do it in the app or at one of their kiosks in Robinsons malls in about five minutes and get a debit card on the spot. Maya, SeaBank, Tonik and GSave inside GCash also work. They're all BSP-licensed and PDIC-insured up to ₱1M, and all she needs is a phone and a government ID. The money lives on her phone, so her family can't see it or touch it. I'd still get her a regular bank account too, since a normal bank statement looks better for the visa later. Try Landbank, BPI or PNB, or just a different BDO branch, and ask for a “basic deposit account” by name. She should bring her ID, school ID/proof of enrollment, a barangay certificate and her TIN (tax ID number) if she has one. If the school she subs at will give her a certificate of employment, that basically ends the source-of-funds problem. On the form, “employment – teaching” or “allowance” is fine. As for the visa, since I've been through it: the interview usually takes a few minutes, and they often don't look at documents at all. What matters is whether she has strong reasons to come back to the Philippines, like a stable job or finished studies. Savings matter less than people think. Honestly, her odds get a lot better once she graduates and has steady work. They'll see a US boyfriend as a risk, but she should never hide it; lying is far worse. And don't drop a big chunk of money in right before she applies. Officers see “show money” all the time, and it hurts more than it helps. Small, regular deposits over time look normal. If you're paying for the trip, that's fine; she can just say so. Also check interview wait times in Manila early, because they can be long. Good luck!

Sounds like BS. Even kids can open an account at BDO.

You don't need an income to open a bank account there. A minimum deposit ‘may’ be required when opening. And she can open a digital bank account with zero income.

Sounds a bit odd. Aren't teachers government employees with a special government ID that comes with perks?

She can open an account at any bank in the Philippines. She qualifies for a savings account. She just needs to show a government ID. That's it, nothing complicated.

Something similar happened to me as a balikbayan (returning Filipino). I tried to open an account at BDO Escolta, and they wanted me to open it at the Blumentritt branch, right near where I was born. I had all my IDs and documents, and they still sent me somewhere else to apply. Really weird bank, BDO.