FILIPINO WORLD WAR II VETERANS ‘FAIRNESS ACT’ GETS ANOTHER CHANCE IN U-S CONGRESS

The Asian American bloc in the United States House of Representatives led the filing of a bill to restore benefits to Filipino World War II veterans amid their protest over a key hurdle that has blocked many of them from receiving their share of an “equity compensation” fund.

Members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) re-filed the “Filipino Veterans Fairness Act” last April 9, the 71^st anniversary (not 70^th as I erroneously wrote in a previous post) of the Fall of Bataan.

But for some, that’s not enough as the clock keeps ticking on their grievances.

“We have waited and waited for action from President Obama,” complained 95-year-old Celestino Almeda, spokesman for the American Coalition of Filipino Veterans (ACFV), at a wreath-laying ceremony at the World War II National Memorial in Washington DC.

“It has been six months since Obama formed the inter-agency working group to solve our Filipino veterans’ recognition problems. It seems they are not working together. Nothing has happened,” he rued.

Almeda is only one of thousands of Filipino veterans here and in the Philippines whose claims (lump sum payments worth $15,000 for Filipino veterans who are now US citizens and $9,000 for non-citizens) were rejected because of the requirement  for multiple, collaborative evidence of their service during World War II.

 

To be eligible, current rule says they had to be in the “Missouri List” – 80 percent of its original records for the period 1912-1960 were burned in a fire in 1973. The proposed “Filipino Veterans Fairness Act” mandates the Department of Veterans Affairs to take into account alternative military documentation.

“A promise made must be a promise kept,” Rep. Jackie Speier (14^th Dist., CA) said (she 1^st sponsored the bill in 2011).

  “I am frankly embarrassed that we are still having this debate more than a half-century after Filipino veterans helped us win World War II. At the time, 66 countries supported the United States and all but one country’s soldiers received full veterans’ benefits,” she added, calling the Filipino veterans’ struggle as a “moral issue”.

“Filipino veterans defended our country with bravery, just like their American counterparts, and they deserve the status and benefits that they were promised over 65 years ago…we must act now and fulfill our promises while we still have time,” chimed Rep. Judy Chu (27th Dist., CA and CAPAC chairperson).

“Time is running out for Congress to fully recognize the service of the over 250,000 Filipinos who answered President Roosevelt’s call to defend democracy in the Pacific region during World War II. They fought valiantly along American forces and deserve to be treated as U.S. veterans with full benefits,” said Rep. Mike Honda (17th Dist., CA and CAPAC Chair Emeritus).

Said Guam Rep. And CAPAC vice chairperson Madeleine Bordallo, “On the anniversary of Bataan Day, we remember all those who lost their lives in the Fall of Bataan during World War II, including the Americans and Filipinos who fought side by side…As we reflect on this demonstration of the enduring friendship between the United States and the Philippines, we also take note that Filipino veterans have not received the benefits promised to them.”

“Filipino veterans who fought in World War II are American veterans and deserve to be treated fairly,” declared Sen. Brian Schatz of Hawaii.

(Our thanks to Consul Elmer Cato of the Philippine Embassy and Eric Lachica of the ACFV for these photos of the 71st Araw ng Kagitingan (Day of Valor) commemorating the Fall of Bataan at the World War II National Monument in Washington D.C. April 9, 2013) 

 “It is unacceptable for our country to deny them these benefits for their service. I call on my colleagues in Congress to join me in moving swiftly to pass this legislation so that we can finally fulfill the promise of equal rights for thousands of veterans across the country, and fully honor the men and women who served our country so bravely in a time of war.”

The other lawmakers who have committed support for the “Filipino Veterans Fairness Act” include Reps. Tulsi Gabbard (2nd Dist, HI), Barbara Lee (13th Dist., CA), Adam Schiff (28th Dist., CA), Eric Swalwell (15th Dist. CA) and American Samoa Rep. Eni Faleomavaega.

The ACFV said it has asked Pres. Obama to issue an executive order to the US Army to update their policies which the group asserts, unfairly excluded from their official 1948 roster the names of thousands of Filipino veterans who served with the US Armed Forces in the Far East (USAFFE).

They noted this change could be needed for their efforts to lobby Congress for passage of a bill that would grant visas to about 20,000 adult sons and daughters of Filipino-American World War II veterans that may also hinge on the US Army certification.

FIL-AMS MARCH IN AND OUT OF CONGRESS FOR IMMIGRATION REFORMS

Thousands of immigration rights protesters converged on Capitol Hill yesterday (April 10) including Filipino Americans urging lawmakers to pass a comprehensive immigration reform bill that would help re-unite families and provide a path to citizenship for about 11 million undocumented immigrants.

Judge David Valderrama, the first Fil-Am to be elected to a US state legislature (Maryland House of Delegates 1991-2003), led a delegation that met with staff members of Senators Ben Cardin and Barbara Mikulski. “We should not eliminate family visas in exchange for more high-skilled foreign workers,” he told them.

“That would undermine our cherished values of family unit,” Valderrama stressed, “America benefits when immigrant families come together. They work hard, pay taxes, buy homes and start job-creating businesses.”

(Photos courtesy of my good friend Bing Branigin who probably enjoyed the first streak of good Spring weather as much as the opportunity to push a worthy advocacy)

Various reports speculated that the so-called Gang of Eight, a bipartisan group of senators crafting the outlines of an immigration reform bill, was ready to present its proposals this week (the timetable appears to have been moved back to next week as Congress works on gun reforms). They allegedly included a ploy to swap certain family-based visa categories for an expansion of employment-based visa categories.

The Asian-American community has been spearheading the opposition to such a move.

“This issue directly affects our families and our communities,” declared Ed Navarra, chairman of the umbrella National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA).

Jon Melegrito wrote in an email they were guarding against political maneuvering during the debates that could compromise the intent of immigration reforms. “That’s why we are lobbying fervently now to put pressure on Congress to preserve family visas and prevent their elimination entirely,” he averred.

“Let’s take this opportunity to engage our political leaders and let them know how much we care about reuniting families,” Navarra added.

Members of the Fil-Am Migrant Heritage Commission (MHC) donned T-shirts that bore their message – “all human beings are legal” or “America is powered by immigrants”.

Yesterday’s rally was easily one of the largest immigration reform mobilizations in Washington, with participants coming from virtually every corner of the US. Organizers said tens of thousands of protesters from 30 states converged on the West Lawn of the US Congress to peacefully air their calls for action on immigration reform.

 

They were joined by sympathizers outside the capital, including Mexican immigrant Salvador Zamora who with about 20 others launched a hunger strike in Nevada to press for immigration reforms. He staged another hunger strike in 2011 that lasted 70 days. In New York, another group serenaded Sen. Chuck Schumer, a Democratic member of the “Gang of Eight”.

Immigration reform has gained impetus following last year’s elections, where both Democrats and Republicans have acknowledged the growing influence of Hispanic voters.

But the significant Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) presence in yesterday’s mobilization was intended to remind legislators that immigration reform was not solely a Latino issue.

“This reform is very critical to Asian Americans,” said Mee Moua, president of the Asian American Justice Center. “One out of every 11 undocumented immigrants is Asian, one out of every 10 DREAMer is Asian,” she revealed.

PH HEALTH CHIEF TO MEET FIL-AM DOCS TO TALK MEDICARE PORTABILITY, RH BILL & ‘ADOPTING’ PH HOSPITALS

Philippine Health Secretary Enrique Ona is visiting DC next week and will dialogue with Fil-Am physicians on various issues, including his views on US Medicare portability and a proposal for Fil-Ams to “adopt” some provincial hospitals back home.

Dr. Johnny Montero, who helped arrange the meeting, noted that Ona is a “mutual friend and colleague” (he completed his hospital residency in Brooklyn, NY in the mid-1960s and became a Fellow at the Lahey Clinic in Boston, MA. and St. Claire Hospital in New York City in the late 60s.). He has medical licenses from both the Philippines and Massachusetts, USA.

The “pulong-pulong” with Dr. Ona has been scheduled from 4 to 5:30 in the afternoon next Wednesday (April 17) at the Romulo Hall of the Philippine Embassy along Massachusetts Ave. NW (best to wait for the official announcement from the Embassy on the final schedule).

Dr. Hernan Reyes, a former president of the Society of Philippine Surgeons in America, said Ona also wanted to brief Fil-Am doctors on the current state of health care delivery in the Philippines, especially in depressed communities, the controversial Reproductive Health Law (which the Supreme Court placed on hold) as well as the landmark tobacco and alcohol excise tax bill, and implementation of the universal health insurance program that reportedly has 25 million beneficiaries today.

“Regardless of our politics, they are definitely worthwhile to support and I hope many more our Fil-Am physician colleagues including leaders of various Fil-Am organizations will support these programs,” Reyes said.

A native of Pagadian City (Zamboanga del Sur), he joined the Aquino Cabinet over two years ago.

While huge strides have been achieved – especially on universal health care – various groups have expressed concern that the Aquino administration has not been investing enough in health. The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), which prepares regular “country score cards”, noted that health expenditures in the Philippines represented only about a third of the median, and there were also gaps in spending for children’s health and immunization rates.

Although the 2012 health budget posted a nearly P10 billion (about $240 million) increase to P42.7 billion (about $1.04 billion) compared to the previous year, this was barely enough to cope with increased population and inflation, according to Dr. Geneve Rivera, secretary general of the Health Alliance for Democracy (HEAD).

They warned that the viability of PhilHealth – the universal health insurance program – could be seriously jeopardized if public hospitals are understaffed and under-funded. About 40 percent of the 1,800 hospitals in the Philippines are state owned or operated; half of all hospital beds are in government hospitals.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that countries devote at least 5 percent of GDP to health spending (in the US, it’s close to 18 percent, China 5.1 percent, Malaysia 4.4 percent, Myanmar 2 percent) which translates to about P440 billion (about $107 billion). The World Bank says that between 2008 and 2012 the Philippines spent the equivalent of 3.6 percent of GDP for health.

Every year, scores of Fil-Am health care practitioners travel back to the Philippines, spending their own money to provide free medical services for poor Filipinos. Occasionally they bring along used but still relatively advanced medical equipment that are donated to public hospitals.

The outline of the proposed adopt-a-hospital program was reportedly discussed earlier in Chicago and Ona is eager to implement it for Philippine hospitals.

Montero indicated that also attending next week’s meeting are proponents of the Medicare portability program who want the White House and US Congress to allow retired Fil-Ams to use their Medicare benefits in the Philippines.

ARE FILIPINO WWII VETERANS PAYING THE PRICE FOR DOUBTS IN U-S POST-WAR RECORDS?

The United States Army said that even under the best conditions recognizing Filipino guerillas at the end of World War II proved difficult, raising doubts about the accuracy of their records, and aging veterans here and in the Philippines appear to be paying the price for it today.

The Philippines and US mark the 70^th anniversary of the Fall of Bataan tomorrow (April 9). It is remembered as the “Araw ng Kagitingan” (Day of Valor) as 76,000 Filipino and American soldiers shared both the ignominy of defeat as well as the horrors of the 90-mile Death March.

But many were able to escape, melt into the mountains and launch one of the most potent guerilla campaigns in the Pacific War.

Today, thousands of aging Filipino World War II veterans are still fighting to get the benefits that were deprived by the 1946 Rescission Act. Many claims for benefits under the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation (FVEC) fund have been rejected because the US can’t or will not authenticate their service during World War II.

Last year, President Obama authorized the previously classified report “US Army Recognition of Philippine Guerillas” to be made public in the hopes those Filipino WWII veterans will find some document that could help them qualify for the benefit.

I’m not sure how helpful the report is for Filipino veterans – some advocates attest to it – but it offers an interesting snapshot of the US-run Philippine Commonwealth at the end of World War II.

After repeated acts of valor, members of the Philippine Scout, USAFFE forces and guerillas who fought under US military command for most of World War II settled back to a life in a nation devastated by conflict and years of brutal occupation.

Leaders from President Franklin D. Roosevelt to Gen. Douglas MacArthur promised to rebuild the country and pay back the heroic exploits of Filipino fighters. But much of that turned out to be hollow.

The US began the process of recognizing Filipino guerillas but faced immense challenges. “Under the most favorable reception the granting of guerilla recognition to deserving Filipinos would have been extremely difficult to accomplish,” the report admitted.

They were hobbled by insufficient manpower, the post-war politics leading up to the granting of Philippine independence in 1946, and corruption so insidious the report suggested some guerilla organizations acted more like the Mafia.

American officers were under significant pressure from repeated deadlines and suspicion that erstwhile Japanese collaborators had managed to get their names in the guerilla roster they were trying to build.

This was compounded by the fog of war. Most collaborators served with the Kempeitai, the Japanese equivalent of the German SS. But sometimes personal animosities and tactical exigencies bred disasters as when a suspected supporter of the Hukbalahap – perhaps the fiercest anti-Japanese fighting unit in Luzon – betrayed Lt. Col. Claude Thorp, allegedly because they refused to be placed under US military command.

“Throughout the rest of the Occupation a state of warfare existed between the Huks and the USAFFE guerillas with the Huks attempting to expand and the USAFFE guerillas attempting to contain them in Pampanga.” Thorp was captured on his way to negotiate a truce with Huk commanders and was executed by the Japanese in October 1942.

“As benefits flowed, the desire to receive such benefits prompted hundreds of thousands of Filipinos to seek recognition as guerillas. An additional reason for desiring recognition…was to cloak collaborationist activities. On the surface, the fact of recognition was prime facie evidence of loyalty to the Commonwealth and the United States and would be difficult to overcome in the People’s Court.”

“Highly placed” Filipinos in the government or the Philippine Army – former guerillas or not – “sought to use their personal positions to influence the recognition of personal friends or potentially politically powerful guerilla organizations.”

 

The Americans became so concerned with leaks that they allowed critical manpower shortages to fester rather than recruit additional Filipinos to fill the vacancies.

“In all fairness to these (Filipino) employees, the majority of whom were extremely loyal and devoted to their duties, it should be pointed out and not underemphasized that certain guerilla units have employed ruthless means in obtaining their ends and may have forced some employees to furnish the information desired under threat of violence to themselves or to their families.”

The report said some tried to bribe officers “ranging into hundreds of thousands of pesos, by extending such commercial advantages as lumber or mining concessions…furnishing investigating officers with their own homes, automobiles and women, or by throwing huge parties.”

When they couldn’t get what they wanted with honey, some tried intimidation. It became so serious the report said “many direct and indirect threats” were made against American officers and personnel.

And the alleged attempts to defraud were not limited to Filipinos.

“A number of former American military and naval officers who had served with guerillas or had been connected with them during the course of the Occupation and Liberation, now engaged in private business in the Philippines, have consistently submitted recommendations in favor of their own guerillas. In some cases, these recommendations have not been questioned…In other cases, certain individuals have consistently submitted recommendations which were later determined to have been not based upon facts.” 

“In spite of all care exercised a few units slipped through and received recognition.” Still by the time the process was completed, only about 10 percent of the nearly 1.3 million claims filed were actually approved.

All this appear to cast a question about the propriety of rejecting the claims of Filipino veterans on the ground that their names can’t be found in these “official” records.

AGENCY RESPONDS TO FIL-AM MISSIONERS’ COMPLAINT BUT QUESTIONS LINGER

The Commission for Filipinos Overseas (CFO) has shared – through Fil-Am veterans advocate and community leader Eric Lachica – the results of their investigation following a blog article we posted earlier this week “Fil-Am medical missioners question PRC fees for absent licenses”.

Evelyn Duriman, CFO medical mission coordinator, wrote this report for Eric, which we are posting “in toto”. 

“I wish to inform you that upon checking with Ms. Sarah Ducat of the International Affairs Division (IAD) of the Professional Regulation Commission, Dr. Simeon Sevandal and three other members of the Philippine Medical Association in Chicago (PMA in Chicago), applied for renewal of their Philippine licenses under Category F or Foreign Professionals under Presidential Decree No. 541 ‘Allowing Former Filipino Professionals to Practice their Respective Profession in the Philippines’.

“Under Category F, applicants are required to submit to the Registration and Licensing Division of the PRC the following documents along with the required renewal fees and other charges:

“Passport showing name, picture, citizenship and date of entry in the Philippines which must be within six (6) months before the filing of the application for renewal;

“Original and photocopy of the previously issued Professional Identification Card;

“Duly authenticated original and photocopy of the License/Certificate of Registration/Permit in the adopted country; and

“Four (4) Passport size ID pictures.

“I was also informed by Ms. Ducat  that while Dr. Sevandal and other members of the PMA in Chicago have been issued Special Temporary Permits (STP)  for them to be able to conduct their scheduled medical mission to Surigao City, their licenses were not renewed due to the non-submission of some required documents, i.e. passports and the proof of the date of entry in the Philippines.

“In order for the PRC to process and eventually release their licenses, kindly advise them to submit said documents.

“For further clarifications on the PRC licenses and STP, they may also directly communicate with the International Affairs Division of the PRC (copied to us) with the following contact details:

 “Atty. Teresita Manzala, Chairperson, Professional Regulation Commission, P. Paredes St., Sampaloc, Manila. Attention: International Affairs Division. Tel. No. (02)310-0019. E-mail: prc.iad@gmail.com

“Best regards, Evelyn Duriman, Project Management Division, Commission on Filipinos Overseas”

We thank Eric and CFO’s Mely Nicolas for looking into the Fil-Am medical missioners’ complaint.

In his report to Health Department Asst. Sec. Madeleine Valera, Dr. Sevandal had alluded to the apparent confusion from new rules being enforced by the PRC on volunteer Fil-Am doctors rendering free clinics for indigent Filipinos back home.

“I applied for license renewal in 2011 for the Vigan (Ilocos Sur) mission and applied again for this mission, costing me $160 yet I did not get my license due to the requirement just promulgated by the PRC that I should be a citizen,” Dr. Sevandal said.

“They did not refund me the amount I paid,” he added and revealed that three other doctors who accompanied him in a medical mission in Surigao City last January reported the same experience.

Ms. Duriman’s account did not explain why the PRC failed to refund the license fees paid by Dr. Sevandal for 2011 and 2012 or why this was never fully explained to him.  

One Fil-Am engineer said he wanted to renew his civil engineering license (as required by the new PRC rules) so he can volunteer his skills building school buildings in the Philippines but discovered the test isn’t offered online. That meant he had to take it when he visits the country, with no guarantee when he can work out his license renewal.

The Fil-Am professionals we’ve talked to say they understand (but not necessarily agree with) the rationale behind the PRC rules, that they’re meant to deter malpractice. But they lament that the government appeared woefully unprepared to carry out the mandate it’s imposed on itself.

A-P-I-A PROTEST SET VS CAPITOL HILL PLAN TO STOP SOME FAMILY IMMIGRANTS

Asian Americans are gearing up for a large immigration reform rally on Capitol Hill next week that will focus opposition on an alleged plan by lawmakers to eliminate family-based visa petitions by US citizens.

Various Fil-Am groups are already mobilizing for the rally scheduled on the West Lawn of US Capitol building from 3-6 PM on Wednesday, April 10.

Two groups – the umbrella National Federation of Filipino-American Associations (NaFFAA) and Washington-based Migrant Heritage Commission (MHC) are urging Filipinos to come out strong for the mass action organized by the Asian American Justice Center, among others.

Anxiety is sweeping the Asian American community because they place heavy premium on the ability to bring relatives to the US. A recent study by the Migrant Policy Institute (MPI) showed over 4 million people have approved petitions for legal permanent residence – mostly from family-based visa categories – but can’t come over because their priority dates have not become current.

Next to natives of Mexico, Filipinos have the longest waiting time that in some categories stretches to over 20 years.  The MPI estimates that based on current quota levels and assuming there are no new petitions filed, it will take the government 19 years to clear this backlog.

Some conservative senators now apparently believe the way to solve the backlog is stopping certain family petitions by American citizens altogether.

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, part of the so-called Gang of Eight bipartisan group crafting a proposed immigration reform bill in the Senate said “green cards” should be reserved for the “nuclear family”.

“This is not a family court we’re dealing with here. We’re dealing about an economic need,” he was quoted by the Associated Press. Some say this could eliminate visa categories for adult and married sons and daughters as well as siblings of American citizens.

In California, Asian American groups gathered in Los Angeles’“Filipinotown” to press demands Congress strengthen family reunification as part of a comprehensive immigration reform deal. 

“The immigrant community has made it clear that they want Congress to act on immigration reform now,” said Stewart Kwoh, executive director of the Asian Pacific American Legal Center.

“Our community calls on Congress to protect and affirm family unity in immigration reform legislation. Brothers, sister and adult married children are our family members and must continue to have a path to family reunification,” he stressed.

“We need immigration reform that reunites immigrant families, including LGBT families for the long-term social and economic vitality of our nation,” declared Rep. Judy Chu (27^th Dist, CA).

“Family is a cornerstone American value and our nation will be stronger if family unity is protected and strengthened in immigration reform legislation,” she argued.

“We have a historic opportunity to finally address the broken immigration system. For decades waiting has become synonymous with the word immigration to many Filipino families,” said Cynthia Buiza of the Filipino Migrant Center.

“Any immigration reform will not be complete without maintaining the integrity of the family immigration system. Let us put an end to the injustice of waiting,” she exhorted.

Advocates say Graham’s proposal would run counter to the fundamental premise of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 which prioritized families as well as skilled labor in extending residency.

They also see this as further proof that some lawmakers still don’t get why immigration reform is so important for many Americans.

FIL-AM MEDICAL MISSIONERS QUESTION P-R-C FEES FOR ABSENT LICENSES

The initial wave of medical missioners are beginning to return from the Philippines where authorities have started enforcing new guidelines – revised after an uproar from Fil-Am doctors – but as they are wont to say, the prognosis is not good.

One team of Chicago-based medical practitioners struck the apparent confusion over new rules by the Philippine Professional Regulatory Commission (PRC) requiring Balikbayan medical practitioners to renew their Philippine licenses so they can render free medical services for indigent Filipinos, mostly in the countrysides.

“I applied for license renewal in 2011 for the Vigan (Ilocos Sur) mission and applied again for this mission, costing me $160 yet I did not get my license due to the requirement just promulgated by the PRC that I should be a citizen,” Dr. Simeon Sevandal, president of the Philippine Medical Association in Chicago wrote Asst. Sec. of Health Madeleine Valera who oversees foreign medical missions in the Philippines.

“They did not refund me the amount I paid,” he complained.

This was apparently not an isolated incident. Sevandal revealed that three other doctors in his group also didn’t get their license renewals. “We had to pay for special permits because of this,” he added.

They conducted the free medical, surgical and dental mission in Surigao City and at least two other towns of Surigao del Norte last Jan. 21-25.

Their group included six surgeons, five OB-GYN specialists, four anesthesiologists, two psychiatrists, three general internists, three pediatricians, five family medicine practitioners, three dentists, 12 nurses, a pharmacist, nutritionist and an optometrist, among others.

Sevandal said they were assisted by other medical professionals from the Armed Forces, Department of Education, the Caraga Regional Hospital and the Gigaquit District Hospital.

All together he counted 79 medical volunteers, 54 of whom came from the US.

“We were able to attain our objectives but the follow-up of patients will be the problem,” Dr. Simeon Sevandal, president of the Philippine Medical Association in Chicago, wrote in an email shared with this blog.

“The deficiency lies in the local health clinics. We were informed by our patients in the outreach that they would not be able to get medicines for the chronic conditions especially for diabetes, hypertension, asthma etc.,” he explained.

He said they performed 43 major surgeries, 67 minor surgeries, 629 dental extractions, saw or treated over 5,000 patients, gave away 2,000 pairs of reading glasses and hundreds more of toothbrushes and toothpaste – luxuries for many in the province.

In the end, the medical missioners felt overwhelmed by the people’s needs. “Our group can not shoulder all the expenses and time needed to alleviate the condition of our people,” Sevandal lamented to Valera.

“Since we are paying for our license renewal and special permits to the PRC, this agency should share the money earned from this venture,” he proposed.

“You can just imagine the amount of money they were able to get from us for license renewal and special permits. I think we should ask congressmen who have pork barrel funds to share with local health clinics…If they are not willing to do this then they can pass a bill in Congress to allocate funds for these local health clinics,” Sevandal added.

Every year, dozens of Fil-Am medical groups from all over the US fan through the Philippines to treat indigent Filipinos, paying for their own tickets and accommodations while in the country. They are sometimes joined by American colleagues. Many bring donated supplies or used medical equipment from their hospitals.

Most of them say it’s their way of giving back to the mother country but some also added, authorities shouldn’t make it more difficult for them to pay their good fortune forward.

A ‘VERY, VERY IMPORTANT RELATIONSHIP’ AS INTERESTS CONVERGE

State Secretary John Kerry left no room for doubt about America’s affinity for the Philippines, describing it as a “very, very important” ally.

I guess in diplomatese that could translate to a “major, major friend” in the Asia-Pacific where the US is in the midst of a strategic “re-balance”. He wasn’t just buttering up to visiting Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario.

Some officials insist there’s a new dynamic in relations between the two longtime allies. The US and Philippines, Kerry averred, have a “very, very important relationship at this point”. He cited rising tensions over the South China Sea as well as the Philippine’s interest to join the 11-nation Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP).

“We agreed that as strategic partners, it is important for both our nations to further deepen our relations on all levels,” Del Rosario said after their closed-door meeting. “We agreed that our long shared history and profound common values serve as a firm basis for this.”

The US pivot to Asia has put the Philippines, which is widely perceived here as having repaired its reputation for abuse and corruption, in a new light for American policy-makers. Many say irritants have become fewer and the room for cooperation wider.

“I think they like what they see in the Philippines and want to encourage us, and help us to succeed,” one ranking diplomat explained to us.

The Philippines relies on the US security umbrella, including hand-me-down military hardware, to deter an increasingly aggressive China. At the same time, the US will need willing and reliable regional partners to expand its footprint in Asia.

On the table is the “rotation” of US forces to the Philippines, which is rapidly regaining its old role as a major logistics hub for the US military. The US Navy recently signed a contract with an American contractor working out of Subic, Zambales to re-supply and repair its ships. They are reportedly looking at empty warehouses in Cubi Point to pre-position materiel for disaster relief as well as the rapid deployment of state-side forces to Asia if the need arises.  

“Our ability to deter threats or provocation is an important part of cooperation,” Del Rosario declared. “In this context, we discussed our joint efforts to build the capacity of the Philippines to defend its territory and people. We also exchanged views on the implementation of our agreed policy of increased rotational presence and enhanced exercises.”

Also in town was Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who became the 3^rd Asian leader to meet with President Obama in his 2^nd term. The visit comes as the US Navy begins deployment of the 1^st of four littoral combat ships (LCS) in Singapore next week.

Those futuristic warships, seemingly tailor suited for waters in Southeast Asian archipelagic nations, are expected to sail in Philippines waters when the CARAT naval exercises get underway in a few months.

US Navy ships calling at Subic have noticeably increased; at least four in the last month alone, including the 7^th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge.

Philippine Navy chief Vice Admiral Jose Luis Alano is expected in DC this week. The 2^nd of the Hamilton-class all-weather patrol ships acquired from the US Coast Guard is scheduled to finally sail for Manila after months of training and refurbishing by her Filipino crew in North Carolina.

Also on the table is the Philippine interest to join the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) which aims to eliminate tariffs among the 11-nation trading bloc. The US, Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam are currently negotiating a regional free trade agreement. The last round of talks was held in Singapore last month, and the next, the17^th round is scheduled in Peru next month.

“The Foreign Secretary and I will talk about the important trade relationship, and particularly the TPP, which we both have interest in. And I look forward to having a very good conversation with him about that,” Kerry said.

Some impediments for the Philippines are its constitutional limits on foreign ownership, backward labor practices and intellectual property rights violations.

The US is reportedly backing the Philippines for TPP membership and at the same time nudging it to adopt reforms, including amending the Constitution and enacting new laws to ensure a “level playing field” for foreign investors and businesses in the country.

An official said they felt a “readiness to help” from their US counterparts on the Philippine’s TPP bid. Whether it’s helping the country stare down a powerful, menacing neighbor or opening the door to an exclusive economic club, there appears to be an unprecedented confluence of interests between the two longtime allies.

FIL-AMS ON BOTH SIDES OF SAME SEX MARRIAGE DEBATE AS SCOTUS ENDS HEARINGS

Same sex marriage is evidently one of the most divisive issues in America today. It’s drawn a line even for Filipinos here – and perhaps a sign of how deeply fractured they are, is the way Fil-Ams have emerged in the forefront of the debate for both sides.

The Wall Street Journal has noted how the crowds in front of the US Supreme Court, which wrapped up yesterday two days of hearings on California’s Proposition 8 and a challenge against the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), appeared larger than last year’s “Obamacare” hearings.

The High Tribunal isn’t expected to render a ruling until July.

The schism can be attributed to how people perceive the issue. Many supporters of same sex marriage see it as a civil rights issue with a primal impact on the guarantees of the US Constitution. Those opposed are convinced it is a moral issue.

Former Solicitor General Theodore Olson, arguing against Proposition 8, told the justices that marriage is a fundamental right of all Americans, regardless of gender.

The Baltimore Sun wrote Wednesday:  “The argument against Proposition 8 and the argument against DOMA both rely on the proposition that laws treating gays differently should be subject to "heightened scrutiny," given the history of discrimination against them and their inability to defend themselves through the political process. (The brief defending DOMA, hilariously argues that gays are in fact among the most politically powerful groups in America, the passage in the last 17 years of three dozen state laws banning gay marriage notwithstanding.)”

Only nine states – including Maryland – as well as the District of Columbia have legalized same sex marriage; 39 other states prohibit it either in their constitutions or by statute.

Interestingly, both cases reached the SCOTUS because incumbents refused to defend what are existing mandates – the California governor viewed Proposition 8 unconstitutional and President Obama ordered last year Attorney General Eric Holder not to support DOMA in the Supreme Court for the same reason.

Lesbian partners Jay Mercado and Shirley Tan have testified on Capitol Hill for same sex rights. They have twin sons and live in Pacifica, California. Mercado is an American citizen but Tan has been threatened with deportation back to the Philippines because she’s not recognized as Mercado’s legal spouse that could have paved the way for acquiring American citizenship.

Pulitzer-winning Filipino journalist Jose Antonio Vargas has tried to draw a parallel between the struggle for same sex rights and the campaign to fix the country’s broken immigration system. For young Fil-Ams, at least in the Metro DC region, those lines intersect frequently under the LGBT movement.

The same can be said of opponents of same sex marriage – where it hits the anti-abortion, pro-life movement. It is small wonder that Fil-Am opposition to same sex marriage is largely fueled by religious and cultural factors.

When the otherwise popular Filipino boxing champion and now-lawmaker Manny Pacquiao weighed in on gay marriage – anchoring his opposition to his interpretation of the Bible – it drew a quick rebuke from a young gay Fil-Am in California.

Though Filipinos are generally welcoming to LGBT couples, that has a limit and often it’s dictated by their understanding of Biblical prohibitions, flavored heavily by the cultural taboos they have carried across the Pacific.

One survey showed nearly 80 percent of respondents in the Philippines believe same sex marriage is “always wrong”. ABS-CBN’s Balitang America ran a poll last night that showed 71 percent of Filipinos saw same sex marriage as a sin.

Those who oppose same sex marriage, viewing the debate from a moral and ethical perspective, have invoked the classic church vs state argument as well.  Balitang America had featured Fr. Domeng Orimaco, a Filipino parish priest in Daly City, California who blamed President Obama for what he sees as an erosion of the institution of marriage.

Still, the political history of the United States has rarely favored the status quo.

Same sex marriage is divisive because it’s so complex and profound, and elicits such powerful emotions. I’ve tried litigating this at home and after a long, draining but inconclusive discussion, I vowed never to do it again. I’ll just wait for the SCOTUS decision.

ELIMINATING VISA BACKLOG A CHALLENGE FOR IMMIGRATION REFORMS

More than 4 million people have approved petitions for legal permanent residence in the United States but most can’t because their priority dates have not become current.

The Migrant Policy Institute (MPI) has published a brief, the first in a series timed with negotiations on Capitol Hill for a comprehensive immigration reform bill that explains the “line” for people who want to live and work lawfully in the United States.

In Going to the Back of the Line: A Primer on Lines, Visa Categories, and Wait Times they reveal the various ways of winning Legal Permanent Resident (LPR) status and eventually, American citizenship.

The Philippines remained the 4^th largest source of immigrants in 2012, according to the latest report from the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Immigration Statistics.

However, Filipinos comprise the 2^nd biggest bloc of immigrants (next only to Mexicans) who acquired US citizenship last year – suggesting the importance they put on becoming Americans as quickly as possible.

The DHS said over a million people were granted legal permanent status in 2012; more than half of them (53 percent) were already in the US when their applications were approved – refugees, temporary workers, students, relatives of US citizens and undocumented immigrants, among others.

The number of new Filipino LPRs grew minimally, from 57,011 in 2011 to 57,327 last year but still fewer than the 58,173 in 2010. Mexico, China and India topped the list.

While immigration was slightly down, naturalizations were up – 757,434 in 2012 compared to 694,193 the previous year. Mexico, the Philippines and India topped this list. The DHS noted a decades-old trend of Asians surpassing Europeans continued in part because more Asian immigrants choose to become American citizens.

This has contributed to building a huge backlog of petitions. The MPI report cited government statistics that showed 723,000 family-based visa petitions and 73,000 employment-based petitions were filed in Fiscal Year 2012.

For 2012, only 370,951 immigrant visas – for both family and employment based petitions – were available under quota limits imposed by Congress (the Immigration Act of 1990 sets an annual limit of between 416,000 and 675,000).

In addition, there are per-country limits equal to 7 percent of the total number of family-sponsored and employment preferences (25,967 per country last year).

“Nationals of countries with especially high levels of demand in certain family-based and employment-based visa categories (currently Mexico, the Philippines, China and India) face longer wait times because fewer visas are issued each year to these countries,” the MPI explained.

For Fil-Ams, the wait times are longest for those petitioning siblings (about 24 years – the longest among all the categories) and adult married children (about 20 years). Employer-based petitions for Filipino workers have a wait time of more than 6 years.

The State Department reported that as of November 2012, there were more than 4.4 million people whose visa petitions (97 percent of them family-based) have been approved but are waiting for the availability of those visas.

Based on current visa ceilings and assuming no new petitions are filed, the MPI estimates it will take the government 19 years to clear this backlog.

The MPI says the visa backlog could even be higher, and it’s uncertain whether some of them may be part of the 11 million estimated undocumented immigrants in the country. “This is a critical point because the impact of any new legalization program on the current backlog will undoubtedly depend on how many unauthorized immigrants are being double-counted,” they said.

The MPI suggested fixing this backlog is crucial to any immigration reform bill that would require undocumented immigrants to “go back the line”.

They added, if Congress and President Obama decide to pursue this path in immigration reforms, they will have to “contemplate adding additional visas in order to be meaningful”.

U-S TELLS TPP ASPIRANTS – YOU’VE GOT TO SHOW HOW MUCH YOU WANT IT

If you want it, you’ve got to work for it – that seemed to be the challenge hurled by acting United States Trade Representative Demetrios Marantis to the Philippines and other countries that have expressed the desire to join the 11-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

“Whether it’s China, whether it’s the Philippines, whether it’s Thailand, whether it’s Taiwan, it’s incumbent upon those economies to be able to convince the other TPP partners that they are capable of meeting the high standards that we’re negotiating,” he stressed at a press briefing yesterday (March 20) at the Foreign Press Center in Washington DC.

The Philippines’ top envoy in Washington revealed the country’s “road map” to gaining a coveted seat in the TPP which will virtually eliminate tariffs and other trade impediments among the partner nations.

TPP currently has 11 “partner nations” – Brunei, Chile, New Zealand, Singapore, Australia, Peru, the United States, Vietnam, Malaysia, Canada and Mexico. The 16th round of negotiations was held in Singapore last week.

Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia Jr. said the Philippine plan is anchored on three broad pillars of “stakeholder engagement in trade policy-making; trade policy research network and capacity-building; and enhanced interagency cooperation."

Marantis said the Philippines and other aspirants have to “demonstrate a willingness to meet the high standards that we’re negotiating in the TPP agreement."

For the Philippines, that would mean amending the 1987 Constitution to fully open the country to foreign investors, legislating improved labor protection laws and further curbing intellectual property piracy, among others. (Kindly see previous posts)

“One of the key challenges that we face,” Marantis explained, “is ensuring that our exporters and our workers and our manufacturers and our service providers are able to compete on a level playing field."

Although many of President Aquino’s key economic managers and advisers are keen on the TPP, he has been described as “waffling” on the benefits of joining the trade pact which many see as a springboard for larger economic collaboration in the Asia-Pacific region.

“We are not being invited yet. If we get invited, there are certain qualifications that must be done. The process is long,” the President said, referring to key structural and legal reforms needed for joining the TPP.

“The United States and the TPP, our partners don’t invite countries or economies to join – it’s the reverse,” Marantis averred.

“If an economy is interested in meeting the high standards of the TPP agreement, it needs to express that interest; that it’s capable of meeting the high standards that we’re negotiating."

“And the 11 TPP partners then decide by consensus whether or not to admit a new member.  That’s the process that was used with Malaysia when Malaysia decided to join, and that’s the process that was used with Canada and Mexico when they decided they wanted to join last year, and that’s the process that’s underway with Japan,” Marantis explained.

HAGEL LIEUTENANT TALKS TO AMERICA'S ASIAN ALLIES

A top Pentagon official discussed with Philippine leaders the mechanics of deploying more American troops in the country as part of the United States “rebalance” in Asia.

US Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton Carter was the most senior member of newly appointed Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel’s team to visit Manila this year. The Philippines was part of an Asian swing that also took him to treaty allies Japan and South Korea, and Indonesia.

He harped on the US-Philippine security alliance, reiterating the Obama administration’s commitment to help the Philippine military modernize its outdated weapons.

In talks with Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario and Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, he addressed concerns about the “sequester” that cuts into the Pentagon budget; the “rotation” of additional American forces under an expanded schedule of “Balikatan” joint training exercises; the emerging “security architecture” in Southeast Asia, especially amid growing fears of Chinese aggression in the South China Sea; as well as continuing cooperation in the war against Islamic terror groups, among others.

The Aquino administration earlier welcomed the deployment of additional US troops in the Philippines, notwithstanding protests from the Left. The Philippines and US have both a mutual defense pact and a Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) that govern the operations and conduct of US forces in the country.

The US has provided the Philippine Navy with two all-weather patrol ships, with a third being negotiated, that has vastly expanded its footprint in the South China Sea. It’s also financed the construction of an electronic Coast Watch system – a string of radars and sensors in southern Mindanao – that’s slowly being expanded to also look west towards the South China Sea. 

At the same time, the Philippines is seeking fighter jets, maritime patrol planes and fast attack boats from the US and other possible suppliers.

“We had a good discussion on intensifying our defense cooperation and the current challenges in the region,” Del Rosario said. “Dr. Carter reiterated the commitment of the US to work with us and support our efforts to strengthen our military and its ability to defend our country.”

He added, “This increased rotational presence will be crucial in allowing us to maximize our own investment in our defense.”

In Japan, Carter met with top defense officials to discuss the expansion of the US missile defense system, in the face of increasing threats from North Korea, but also that nation’s own headaches with China over a territorial dispute in the East China Sea and the re-location of the US Marines base in Futenma, Okinawa.

That move is widely reported to affect US plans to deploy forces in the Philippines, as the Marines are being asked to occupy a smaller, more isolated area of the island. According to some accounts, most assets will be pulled back to Guam but some may be re-positioned to Australia and the Philippines.

The US and Australia agreed in 2011 for the posting of up to 2,500 US Marines in Darwin. For the Philippines, they will rely heavily on their former naval base at Subic Bay, Zambales where a subsidiary of American shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries recently bought into South Korea’s Hanjin Heavy Industries (Philippines) to provide maintenance, repair and logistics services to the US Navy.

The website thediplomat.com said the US also plans to forward-deploy supplies for disaster relief and humanitarian assistance at the Subic Bay International Airport at Cubi Point, Zambales.

That appears to be acknowledgement of the Philippine’s strategic value – demonstrating it has something that another US logistic hub in the region (Singapore) does not – a world-class port with lot of available space.

Carter, who revealed he had great affection for President Aquino’s father – the martyred Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr. – describing him a “greatadvisor and mentor to students” at the MIT in Boston when  he was studying there, stressed that America had “deep and abiding security roots” in the Philippines.

The US and Philippines have had several recent senior-level engagements, including meetings between Presidents Obama and Aquino, and a historic “two-plus-two” meeting in Washington, DC last April.

“All of that has facilitated real progress across an array of issues not just on defense but on foreign policy,” Carter explained, “our main goal is to keep the momentum going.”