Phl vows to aid OFWs in distress, under TPS

MANILA, Philippines - The government is committed to protect the interest of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) regardless of their status, including those in distress and those in the United States who are not under temporary protective status (TPS).

“We are committed to protect all Filipinos wherever they may be, and that is the approach that we are taking here,” said Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. in a press briefing yesterday.

Coloma issued the statement following reports that around 3,000 undocumented Filipinos in America may face deportation, as the US government has not approved a Philippine request for TPS.

Diplomatic sources said the request is still under consideration, as issues for TPS designation are more complicated than what the people know.

“The government is ready to help all OFWs. We only need to verify the information and we have asked the DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs), as these issues are taken through diplomatic channels,” Coloma said.

Sources cited reports that Washington sees the Philippine situation as a bit complicated, as the economic situation in typhoon-affected areas is different from that of the entire country.

A TPS defers the deportation of Filipinos and allows them to work legally in the US. It does not grant permanent residence status to aliens.

The Philippines has asked the US government to place the country under TPS. On Dec. 13, Ambassador Jose Cuisia Jr. officially conveyed the request to the Department of Homeland Security through a diplomatic note sent to the US Department of State.

Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said placing the Philippines under TPS would allow eligible Filipinos to stay and work in the US and help in the recovery efforts for Yolanda-devastated communities in the Visayas.

It may take some time for the US authorities to evaluate the request. If approved, Filipinos can start filing their applications, which will be reviewed on a case-to-case basis.

The US has issued TPS for Syria, Somalia, Haiti, Honduras and El Salvador.

In a letter dated April 14, Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone asked US Ambassador Philip Goldberg to recommend to President Barack Obama the immediate approval of the Philippine request for TPS.

Evardone said once the TPS is issued, undocumented Filipinos in the US could help speed up the rehabilitation of Yolanda areas through monthly remittances for their families.

 â€œWith 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 families, at an exchange rate of P44,” he said.

Evardone said Filipinos abroad have been sending assistance since November last year.

“Families in the Philippines, particularly those left homeless by Yolanda, depend much on the remittances of these overseas Filipino workers,” he said.

In December 2013 alone, the OFWs’ personal remittances reached $2.4 billion, or 12.5 percent higher than the previous year, with the US as one of the major sources of remittances, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

Evardone thanked Goldberg for the assistance the US government and citizens have extended to the Philippines, especially in the aftermath of Yolanda.

At least 20 US senators have reportedly expressed support for the issuance of a TPS to the Philippines.

President Aquino vowed to bring up the TPS issue with Obama when the US leader visits the country on April 28.