ShareThisPHL solon seeks American envoy’s support for TPS
MANILA (PhilAmPress) – Some 300,000 undocumented Filipinos in the United States are facing deportation, prompting the Philippine government to seek temporary extension of their stay in the US, citing humanitarian reasons.
Rep. Ben Evardone of Eastern Samar, vice chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations, made the revelation during his call to US Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg to support Manila’s request for a Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for the undocumented workers to stay their deportation.
Some groups in US the number of Filipinos in US needing help could go as high as 500,000.
In response, Malacanang said it is committed to ensuring protection for all overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), including some 300,000 Filipinos facing deportation in the United States.
Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. made the statement in a Palace media briefing after Evardone asked the US ambassador Goldberg to support the Philippine government’s request for a Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for the undocumented workers.
If granted, Evardone said that undocumented Filipinos in the US could help fast-track the country’s rebuilding efforts and economic recovery from the devastation caused by typhoon “Yolanda” through their monthly remittances to their families.
“Our government is ready to offer help to all Filipino nationals in other countries,” Coloma said in Filipino.
He also said that he will first have to verify the situation with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
The PCOO chief said that as soon as Malacanang receives such verification from the DFA, the media will be advised accordingly.
“But we are committed to the principle of extending protection to all Filipino nationals wherever they may be and that is the approach that we are taking here,” he added.
A TPS would defer the deportation of the Filipinos, thus enabling them to continue working in the US. However, it does not grant permanent resident status to aliens.
Evardone told Goldberg that the Filipinos in US needed to send remittances to their families in the Philippines who are still recovering from last year’s killer typhoon Yolanda. Several media like the Manila Times reported the Samar solon’s call on Mr. Goldberg and his request for the Filipinos in US.
“For humanitarian reasons, may I ask His Excellency to support and recommend to President [Barack] Obama the immediate approval of the Philippine government’s pending request for a Temporary Protected Status for undocumented Filipinos in the United States. Once the TPS designation is made, out-of-status Filipinos in the US could help fast-track our rebuilding efforts and economic recovery from the devastation of typhoon Yolanda through their monthly remittances to their respective families,” Evardone said in his letter.
A TPS would defer the deportation of these Filipinos, thus enabling them to continue working in the US. But it does not grant permanent resident status to aliens.
The Philippines’ request for TPS is pending before the Department of Homeland Security and has been endorsed to the DHS by Secretary of State John Kerry, several US senators and congressmen.
“Families in the Philippines, especially those left homeless by Typhoon Yolanda depend much on the remittances of these OFWs [overseas Filipino workers]. With an 18-month TPS, these undocumented Filipinos could infuse into our economy at least P2.64 billion per month should each of them send $200 monthly to their respective families, at an exchange rate of P44 to $1,” Evardone said.
The US had issued TPS designation in the past on undocumented individuals from Syria, Somalia, Haiti, Honduras and El Salvador which were in the same situation as the Filipinos are now.
The Philippines is expected to press for the TPS when US President Barack Obama visits the Philippines on April 28 and 29.