Business, employment opportunities await them in PH, DOLE assures

About 271,000 undocumented Filipinos in the United States (US), who face deportation in the wake of President-elect Donald Trump’s planned crackdown on illegal immigrants, have been assured of livelihood and employment assistance once they return home to the Philippines.

Labor and Employment Secretary Silvestre Bello III said the Filipino illegal immigrants or the so-called tago nang tago (TNT) need not fear deportation since the government is ready to provide assistance.

“We have already established a mechanism for the business and employment opportunities (for the affected OFWs),” Bello said.

He, however, pointed out they should not wait to be deported since they will be blacklisted by the US government.

“It is probably better if they voluntarily come home… they could also act for the legalization of their stay there,” Bello said.

DOLE gave the assurance after Trump said in a television interview that he is prepared to deport at least 2 to 3 million illegal immigrants with existing criminal records.

Bello said he is confident only a few OFWs will be affected by Trump’s latest “protectionist” pronouncement.

“We have very minimal illegal OFWs in the US. Most of our OFWs there are documented and are legal, especially our seafarers,” Bello said.

Based from the 2013 stock estimate from the Commission on Filipino Overseas (CFO), there are currently 3.5 million Filipinos in the US. Most or 3.1 million of them are permanent migrants. Around 130,000 are OFWs, while the remaining 271,000 are in the US with irregular status.

CFO defines irregulars as Filipinos who are not properly documented, without valid residences, or who may be overstaying in a foreign country.

DEPORTATION WORRIES

Sen. Cynthia Villar downplayed the effects of Trump’s plan to deport millions of illegal immigrants, which needless to say would involve Filipinos.

“They are not all OFWs, there are citizens or dual citizens of the US [and Philippines]. So they will be there, they are not illegal. They have their families there,” noted Villar at the 6th OFW and Family Summit at the World Trade Center in Pasay City. Villar is director of the Villar SIPAG which organized the annual summit.

“So actually, Trump’s win will have no effect on the Filipinos there,” she said.

Asked about the existence and possible fate of undocumented Filipinos in the US, the lady lawmaker said it’s not a huge number to begin with.

“Konti lang yun (It’s a small number), I think. Mahigpit na sila sa US, matagal na (The US has been very strict on those for a long time now). It’s the Mexicans who comprise most of the illegal immigrants there. They’re just across the border,” she pointed out.

NO EFFECT

While DOLE is readying assistance for 271,000 Filipino illegal immigrants in the US, outgoing DFA spokesman and Assistant Secretary Charles Jose said the planned deportation has no effect on Pinoys since they have legal residency or citizenship status in America. He said Filipinos in the US “pay their taxes and generally obey American laws.”

Jose said Trump’s threat should be put into the right context.

“For years, the US government has had in place a system where US authorities deport illegal immigrants in a timely and orderly fashion,” the DFA official said.

Jose, who is the incoming Ambassador to Malaysia, added that the deportation “occasionally included Filipinos arrested because of immigration irregularities and criminal violations.”

Nevertheless, Jose noted that a vast majority of Filipinos residing in the US are legal immigrants.

“As such, we presently do not expect President-elect Trump’s immigration pronouncements to have a calamitous impact on the Filipino community there,” he said. (With reports from Ellson A. Quismorio and Raymund F. Antonio)

Source:
courtesy of MANILA BULLETIN

by Samuel P. Medenilla

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