By Delegate Joel Toribiong
Horizon news staff

Is Republic of Palau a truly sovereign and independent nation as it ought to be? This is a question that I have been deliberating with myself for the past 13 years since the inception of Palau’s independence. I finally arrived at a conclusion that Palau is not genuinely independent for the fact that we are still being exploited by foreigners. It is a form of colonialism in disguise that we are clueless about and it will continue to weaken the fabrics of our Palauan society, and we must deal with it now or it will eventually reach a point where we will all become a minority race in our own land. I am compelled to voice out this concern because we cannot afford to let it develop into a social crisis and potentially lead to civil unrest which we do not want to occur in Palau.
The government frequently talks about economic growth of the nation which is very optimistic and growing each year. Who is benefiting from the so called economic growth? The reality is that ordinary Palauans are struggling to make ends meet. It is appalling to observe couples both working for the government who needs to find extra sources of income to support their family. If there is indeed such economic gains as suggested, then it is exclusively enjoyed by the privileged few and foreigners residing in Palau. There is a need to change this economic outlook to permit Palauans to take charge of their destiny and most of all, to benefit and prosper with their economic growth.
Unemployment of Palauans is greater than ever. Many citizens and especially the youth are without jobs and we are incapable of helping them because of the fact that all available jobs are being usurped by foreign workers. There are laws in place that are suppose to safeguard employment tailored for Palauans but the bureaucrats in charge of labor are not willing to take that extra effort to help their fellow Palauans. It seems that they are more susceptible to the protection of foreign workers and less emphasis on Palauan workers. This position is perhaps one of the main elements that have contributed to unemployment of Palauans.
Lack of immigration law enforcement is foreseen as one contributing factor for unemployment of Palauan citizens. There are persistent cases of over-staying and illegal transfer of employees from one employer to another and yet nothing is done by immigration authority and labor bureaucrats to address this problem. Obviously, we have laws prohibiting foreign workers to retain their families here in Palau if they do not earn $15,000.00 or more, yet numerous foreign workers who do not meet these criteria are still allowed to work in Palau. Most of them have stayed in Palau exceeding the time limit that they are suppose to be in Palau by law.
Essential health and educational employment and services are being denied from Palauans because they are being afforded to foreigners. Palau national Hospital is perhaps the sole government agency that employs the most foreign workers. Why isn’t there any aggressive effort to recruit able Palauans here in Palau and abroad to take these occupations at our National Hospital? Cost of health services is escalating because health service is provided to foreigners at a subsidized rate. Teaching professions in our educational system are being taken away by foreigners while we are retiring good teachers and not attempting to entice able Palauans abroad to come back home and help our school system.
Even our sports facilities which we spent millions of dollars to build but now being exploited by the foreigners while the rest of the Palauan population is being denied access to the uses of these sports facilities.
It is no secret that foreigners are taking over retail establishments of Palau that is supposedly reserved for Palauan citizens. Front businesses are springing at every corner of downtown Koror while we are turning a blind on this very dangerous business approach. Let us beware that once these foreigners are allowed to govern Palau’s economy, they will certainly use the power of the dollar to dictate our society to conform to their greed and interest, and Palauans will slowly succumb to the will of foreigners and Palaun culture and identity will become lost forever. Is this the future of Palau that we are visioning?
I am extremely concerned because we are embarking on the exact route that will lead to our demise. The Dollar Diplomacy is one classice example of foreigners exercising their wills and whims on us through their wealth. The reality is that foreigners had assumed the role of the Olbiil Era Kelulau by dictating how the so called stimulus granted to Palau is spent. They do not care about our Constitution and the way our system of government operates as long as they achieve what they desire even at the expense of our tradition, culture, and sovereignty.
I am especially appalled at people in high places in the government who are aiding and abetting in this quest to undermine Palauans in their own country. The expatriate lawyers who are interpreting our laws to suit their prospectus when we all know full well that it is contradictory to our ways of life and that was not the true intent of the law. They are setting precedents that will legally and socially change that way we are. The best example of this situation is again the nonresident workers dependents law as prescribed by RPPL 6-3. This Public law specifically prohibits any nonresident worker to have any dependent unless he or she makes $15,000.00 yearly salary. However, the Attorney General’s Office have issued an opinion contradicting RPPL 6-3 and therefore, allow nonresident workers earning less than the amount specified bylaw to bring their families to Palau. Foreign Investment Board laws and regulations are also being misstated to accommodate foreigners. For instance, a nonresident hired to work for a Palauan employer can be fired or terminated by his employer, yet continue to stay in Palau and create his own company through FIB doing the same work he was performing for his Palauan employer. Nonresidents are able to do this because expatriate Attorneys interpretation of FIB rules and regulations. I am troubled with the notion that Palau spends over 4 million dollars to hire these Attorneys for services that they are suppose to perform for Palauans, but it seems that they are here working for foreigners and their own interest.
I envision this problem at a standpoint of ordinary Palauans who are struggling to survive in their own country. It is indeed the invasion of foreigners that is the true cause of this controversy. This invasion of foreigners is a complex and complicated issue that we all need to address and come up with solution that is beneficial to ethnic Palauans. I might appear to be forthright or extreme on my solution to the problem, but that is how most of Palauans see it Palauan citizens need to rise and call for a fair and equitable orderliness and good governance of our country, and our leaders to be held accountable for our welfare and to consider Palauans above all others. After all, it is our Palau and it is us who will chart and determine our own destiny.