Mike V

OP mentioned there were also witnesses at the ceremony.
 
For those familiar with Filipino culture, it's extremely strange to hear about a Filipino who does not have a single photo of their wedding ceremony. It is the norm to take selfies for activities as ordinary as eating at a fast food restaurant. Not even having a selfie of one's wedding (considered one of the most important events in a Filipino life) is so outside the cultural norm that the CO is right to ask questions. This on top of OP's other responses which don't inspire confidence in the legitimacy of the marriage certificate.

There is no divorce in the Philippines.  Your only way out is to petition for a civil annulment.  As they say (don't remember exactly, but you'll get the idea) $2K gets you a lawyer and maybe an annulment in 5 years.  $10K gets you a lawyer who went to law school with the judge, and you'll have your annulment in a year.
 
My step-daughter shed her loser almost 6 years ago and has been trying to get an annulment for 2-3 years.  It does not look good.  I'm planning to file an EB-2 for her in 1-1.5 years after she gets her masters in special ed. and a job in that field.

Obviously a lot more to this situation, I also assume the Father is not German as the VWP would be the simple and easy option.
 
The CO had of course access to all the info we do not so second guessing seems pointless.
 
Is there any reason you can not visit him?

A Filipino applicant who can't provide a single picture of their wedding? A rare Pokemon indeed, in a country where people take pictures of themselves almost 24/7.

Excellent!  You got off easy, I get stuck being dragged to the Seafood Market Jollibee which includes a whole SUV full of Filipino groceries for the drive back, a $400 adventure normally

After 2 years the Removal of Conditions requires evidence of a continuing marriage relationship.  This appears unlikely.
 
However there is an exception for domestic abuse.  I'd suggest you contact an immigration attorney to ensure that all bases are covered.
 
Above all, be safe.  It's a really sad story, but this is what can happen if you're not proactive:  https://globalnation.inquirer.net/178509/texas-man-killed-filipina-wife-stored-body-in-freezer-police

When I first met my wife, I started covering the living & college expenses for her kids, eventually 4 of them. 
 
My wife owned their house free & clear, so there was no rent or mortgage.
 
$100 per month per person covered covered their living expenses.
 
College expenses in the Philippines run about $100 per month, more for professional majors.
 
$300 a month + rent (if any) would appear to cover what they really need.

When I first met my wife, I started covering the living & college expenses for her kids, eventually 4 of them. 
 
My wife owned their house free & clear, so there was no rent or mortgage.
 
$100 per month per person covered covered their living expenses.
 
College expenses in the Philippines run about $100 per month, more for professional majors.
 
$300 a month + rent (if any) would appear to cover what they really need.

It's not just cultural; it's also a legal obligation (Philippine "Family Code") that extends to support of grand-parents/children and siblings as well as your own spouse & children.

Foreigners can't legally purchase or own land in the Philippines.  The "best" you can do is give them the money to buy their mango farm and then hope that you remain in the picture.
 
Thankfully my wife's extended Philippine family never asks for anything.  We contribute very occasionally to help with major events, e.g. funerals, but they've never asked.
 
Of the 3 adult step-children still there, two are in college (one in grad school) and progressing well.  It's a lot cheaper to put them through school there than here.
 
The 3rd one is becoming a bit of a bum, dropped out of college and is now trying to finagle his way to Canada on a student visa that is likely fraudulent.  I refused to be involved any further when I heard the details of what they were doing.  We should find out shortly if he will be studying in Canada, or if his visa application has been rejected with a ban on re-applying. 

Foreigners can't legally purchase or own land in the Philippines.  The "best" you can do is give them the money to buy their mango farm and then hope that you remain in the picture.
 
Thankfully my wife's extended Philippine family never asks for anything.  We contribute very occasionally to help with major events, e.g. funerals, but they've never asked.
 
Of the 3 adult step-children still there, two are in college (one in grad school) and progressing well.  It's a lot cheaper to put them through school there than here.
 
The 3rd one is becoming a bit of a bum, dropped out of college and is now trying to finagle his way to Canada on a student visa that is likely fraudulent.  I refused to be involved any further when I heard the details of what they were doing.  We should find out shortly if he will be studying in Canada, or if his visa application has been rejected with a ban on re-applying. 

Does anyone actually have suggestions in answer to my question?

Thank you!
 
At this point his plan would be to stay in Canada.  Most foreign graduates of that program remain in Canada as permanent residents.  His girlfriend (currently working as an au pair in Denmark) is a nutritionist and is also interested in Canadian opportunities.  Canada is seriously seeking immigrants, and unlike the U.S. they are not focused on people who will have $60K+ salaries.
 
Of the 3 children still in PH, this one dropped out of college and has no other clear path out of PH except to wait another 8+ years for his priority date to come up.  The other two will be much better positioned -- daughter already has her degree & first teaching job & is starting grad school (SPED, ESL).  Other brother (English major, trying to get him to focus on ESL) is a year behind her.  There are serious shortages of both SPED & ESL teachers in the U.S.
 
"Caregiver" isn't always the minimum wage job some think it is.  My wife has been working as a caregiver in a nursing home for 3+ years, earns $15.40 / hour with full benefits and lots of overtime.  But other than becoming a CNA & a lead caregiver (she's already both) there's no further career path.

Congrats! JFK seems to be a good choice.  My Filipina K-1 & 2 of her children came thru JFK 3.5 years ago.  It took about 45 minutes to process all 3 people, but it went smoothly.

One very nice thing about the U.S. is that there is no exit processing.  If you want to leave, you are free to go.

Has it been stated & documented by USCIS that "virtual marriage ... won't jeopardize your case"?

I'd wait if you can.  It's just one more form to fill out, 2 more fees (I-751 & biometrics), more (sometimes a year+) waiting, and  and yet another interview.
 

Not even that, schools can't require that you have one.  Similarly you can't be required to have SSN's to add your new dependents to your benefits (health, etc.).
 
K-1 spouses can get one immediately, but derived beneficiaries (the kids) have to wait until their employment authorizations arrive.
 
If you need one sooner to file your tax returns, you can append applications for temporary taxpayer ID's to your income tax filings.
 

If the embassy in the country of origin is not doing interviews due to COVID-19, there will be delays ... indefinitely.

Do what's best for your situation.
 
We did a K-1 because she had a 20-year-old son in danger of timing out.  Despite the best efforts of the embassy, he still timed out.  In total it took us 5 months for NOA2 and initial visit to Manila, another 3.5 months for approval.
 
It also would have been difficult for me to find the 2-3 weeks vacation needed to do the wedding in the Philippines.  That plus CR-1 would have added many months to the process.
 
On the other hand, my friend is doing a CR-1 with his Thai wife.  Due to COVID-19, the embassy has not been doing any interviews.  Travel will be an additional challenged once they eventually get to the interview.  If he had done a K-1, she might be here.
 
From what I've read the international travel situation isn't likely to improve until the 2nd quarter 2021.
 
That's silly  See above:  Do what's best for your situation.
 
Generally I would recommended CR-1, but that's not going to be the better choice for everyone.

Dubai has a U.S. pre-clearance facility, so your fiance would be officially in the U.S. as she leaves Dubai.
 

Actually, that is incorrect.  There are two exceptions to the "meet in person" requirement:
Meeting in person prior to the marriage is not allowed by local law or customs. The U.S. citizen is unable to travel (fear of flying won't work here, you need an excuse like poor health or rejection for a passport). Unfortunately it appears the poster doesn't qualify for either exception.

Do what's best for your situation.
 
We did a K-1 because she had a 20-year-old son in danger of timing out.  Despite the best efforts of the embassy, he still timed out.  In total it took us 5 months for NOA2 and initial visit to Manila, another 3.5 months for approval.
 
It also would have been difficult for me to find the 2-3 weeks vacation needed to do the wedding in the Philippines.  That plus CR-1 would have added many months to the process.
 
On the other hand, my friend is doing a CR-1 with his Thai wife.  Due to COVID-19, the embassy has not been doing any interviews.  Travel will be an additional challenged once they eventually get to the interview.  If he had done a K-1, she might be here.
 
From what I've read the international travel situation isn't likely to improve until the 2nd quarter 2021.
 
That's silly  See above:  Do what's best for your situation.
 
Generally I would recommended CR-1, but that's not going to be the better choice for everyone.

Do what's best for your situation.
 
We did a K-1 because she had a 20-year-old son in danger of timing out.  Despite the best efforts of the embassy, he still timed out.  In total it took us 5 months for NOA2 and initial visit to Manila, another 3.5 months for approval.
 
It also would have been difficult for me to find the 2-3 weeks vacation needed to do the wedding in the Philippines.  That plus CR-1 would have added many months to the process.
 
On the other hand, my friend is doing a CR-1 with his Thai wife.  Due to COVID-19, the embassy has not been doing any interviews.  Travel will be an additional challenged once they eventually get to the interview.  If he had done a K-1, she might be here.
 
From what I've read the international travel situation isn't likely to improve until the 2nd quarter 2021.
 
That's silly  See above:  Do what's best for your situation.
 
Generally I would recommended CR-1, but that's not going to be the better choice for everyone.

Do what's best for your situation.
 
We did a K-1 because she had a 20-year-old son in danger of timing out.  Despite the best efforts of the embassy, he still timed out.  In total it took us 5 months for NOA2 and initial visit to Manila, another 3.5 months for approval.
 
It also would have been difficult for me to find the 2-3 weeks vacation needed to do the wedding in the Philippines.  That plus CR-1 would have added many months to the process.
 
On the other hand, my friend is doing a CR-1 with his Thai wife.  Due to COVID-19, the embassy has not been doing any interviews.  Travel will be an additional challenged once they eventually get to the interview.  If he had done a K-1, she might be here.
 
From what I've read the international travel situation isn't likely to improve until the 2nd quarter 2021.
 
That's silly  See above:  Do what's best for your situation.
 
Generally I would recommended CR-1, but that's not going to be the better choice for everyone.