Pinoys much appreciated in Alaska

I was in Alaska for an official visit upon the invitation of leading Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan, who is very happy with the presence of Filipinos in his state. The visit was coordinated by the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco (which has consular jurisdiction over Alaska) and the Asian American Pacific Coalition of Alaska (AAPICA) led by its president Jesse Vizcocho.

There are some 30,000 Filipino-Americans residing in Alaska according to 2017 state statistics, but the latest figure is probably closer to 35,000 — making Filipinos the biggest immigrant group in a land where the sun sets at midnight during certain times of the year.

Majority of Filipino-Americans are in Anchorage, the largest city where 40 percent of Alaskans reside. Among the industries where Filipino-Americans work include fisheries, tourism, the service sector, the medical industry and local government, among many others.

Joining us for the official visit are Consul General Henry Bensurto Jr. and members of the SF Consulate General, as well as Public Diplomacy officer Darell Artates and Minister Gunther Emil Sales of the Philippine Embassy in Washington, DC.

One of the activities was a visit to the Anchorage plant of Copper River Seafoods, a premier producer of Alaska seafood, which is also one of the biggest employers of Filipino-Americans in the state. As many as 900 Filipino-Americans are employed by the company.

Our kababayans, in fact, are very much appreciated in Anchorage because they are hardworking and industrious, some working as long as 16 hours a day but they are very well compensated, receiving as much as $11,000 a month, I’m told.

But it’s not only in Alaska where Filipinos and Filipino-Americans are sought after as employees and workers but all over the US because of their excellent work ethic, their reliability and their willingness to put in the extra mile. Plus, they have genuine malasakit or concern for their work and the company. They are the ones who generate a positive image of the Philippines and Filipinos.

President Duterte himself has acknowledged the contribution of overseas Filipino workers to the country, knowing full well that one of the three pillars of our foreign policy is the protection of the rights and promotion of the welfare of overseas Filipinos.

The fact is, every US legislator I meet only has high praises for members of the Filipino-American community in their respective district or state. Even former US President George W. Bush was appreciative of the Filipino-Americans working at the White House, even referring to them as the “secret ambassadors” from whom he got useful insights about Filipino culture.

Sen. Dan Sullivan, who tweeted that “Alaska is blessed with a strong Filipino community,” sums it up thus: “[t]he strength of the US-Filipino relationship for decades has been one of the core pillars of security and economic prosperity for the entire Asia-Pacific region. I think that is something that we, as Americans, as Filipino-Americans, should all take a lot of pride in.” * Photos courtesy of the Philippine Embassy in Washington, DC