The A.B. Won Pat International Airport in Tamuning, Guam on March 27, 2025.
Photo by Frank San Nicolas/The Guam Daily Post
HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — In a bid to boost visitor arrival numbers and further diversify the local tourism industry, Delegate James Moylan has urged the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to reconsider the inclusion of the Philippines in the Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program.
“I believe that the Philippines meets the key security and immigration standards of the program and would be a valuable addition that strengthens diplomatic, economic, and cultural ties between our nations,” Moylan wrote in a letter Friday to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program allows citizens of designated countries to visit for business or tourism for up to 90 days without obtaining a visa.
In the past, the Department of Homeland Security has cited the Philippines’ historically high rate of visa overstays for denial in the waiver program.
“I understand that the Department evaluates each country’s eligibility with great care and diligence. I respectfully encourage your Departments to work closely with the appropriate agencies and the government of the Philippines to determine the feasibility of its inclusion and to support any steps needed to meet the program’s requirements,” Moylan wrote.
In a news release Friday Moylan said, “this would be a game-changer for the Guam Visitor’s Bureau and a critical boost for our struggling tourism industry.”
“Including the Philippines in the visa waiver program would help revitalize Guam’s economy, bolster our local infrastructure and restore momentum for small businesses that rely on a steady flow of visitors to survive,” he added.
Guam Visitors Bureau President Régine Biscoe Lee said in the Moylan release that, “Guam’s relationship with the Philippines extends far beyond tourism. It is rooted in shared history, faith and strong cultural ties.”
She said including the Philippines strengthens these connections while removing barriers to travel and economic exchange.
Former GVB President Carl T.C. Gutierrez had long pushed for the inclusion of the Philippines, and had at one time secured the support of members of the Philippine Congress.
A resolution was introduced in the Philippine Senate in August 2023 “urging the (Philippine) Department of Foreign Affairs to undertake a concerted effort to request the President of the United States of America to include the Republic of the Philippines in the United States Department of Homeland Security Guam-CNMI visa waiver program.”
The resolution noted that the Philippines’ nonimmigrant B-visa refusal rate in the U.S. had improved to 11.59% for Fiscal Year 2022, compared to 32.49% for Fiscal Year 2020.
