My thoughts was focused on the issues relating to the status of long term foreign workers quest for improve immigration status that is the very subject of a tool box talks elsewhere in the island at that time, Allow me to quote a few line of the first part of my United we Stand, divided we act;
“Our quest for a better status here in the CNMI is once again on top of our mind; forums, meetings and similar events are very much alive. Federalization and the residency status of long time guest workers is always on top of conversations at Sunday barbecue parties, beach meetings, birthday parties and other related gatherings. Some say “yes” to federalization, “no” to permanent residency” while others say “yes” to both federalization and permanent residency, whichever comes first.”
Tool box talks on Federalization came about when the group of professional foreign workers sees that there was indeed provision under the joint resolution that approved Covenant to establish Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in political union with United States (Covenant Act) is only for a period of time, meaning it is not permanent. Knowing that provisions, a signature campaign for long time foreign workers (ten years and above) was initiated by these professionals who started to pass around signatures advocating for improve status of long time foreign workers in the island and it was tuned as a massive campaign during the get together gatherings of a Multi-Sectoral Overseas Workers Movement party at Micro Beach Pavilion on the occasion of celebrating the success of clean-up drive activities of the said Sectoral group sometime in 2004. Since then, this group formed themselves as an organization of ten or more years in Saipan and gain identity to legalize their quest for improve status of long time foreign workers in the island. I was compelled to write the united we stand divided we act because some other foreign workers organization themselves like mushrooms that blooms on rainy days acting as if they started it all spearheading the same cause disregarding the effort of the group who did the research and began the campaign.
Six years ago (2010), the same tool box talks echoed and spearheading within the circle of the foreign workers population. The only thing that changes was that there are now a lot of personalities and/or groups behind of today’s tool box talks. I’ve wrote it before and I will paste it and I quote, “One group gathered to lay down their views on the issue of permanent residency, bringing with them a team of expert, lawyers, leaders of different organizations, leaders of other nationalities and local leaders of indigenous people. They are trying to convey the pros and cons of the permanent residency to long-time guest workers while patiently waiting for federalization to come. This group understands the current situation of long-time guest workers, who spent half of their lives without exiting only to find them leaving the island due to unsecured immigration status. A local leader says we are not against guest workers, especially those who had been here for more than 10 years. “We are in democratic islands; we respect everyone on the island because we belong to one community. Another group chooses to avoid the issue of permanent residency because of legal matters under the CNMI’s Constitution. They said that “anyone offering residency is trying to fool the workers with this scheme. They would likely offer residency as a ploy in exchange for workers’ support in delaying the federalization bill.” This group is discouraging guest workers from trusting people who conducted a meeting secretly, those not willing to state who they represent.”
The first group, who started this advocacy in 2004, is standing strong on their quest for secured and improve status of all foreign workers here in the island, a US Soil. They may be silent for the past days and months for a reason but they are vehemently watching as they see that the tree that they had planted six years ago is now grown up, the trunks and the branches are now strong and is about to bear fruits, (see the Secretary of the Interior’s Report, April 2010)
May 4, 2008 I did sent part 2 of United We Stand, Divide We Act emphasizing the long struggle of the group who started their quest for improve status addressing the dark days of their quest hoping that “there is light at the end of the tunnel. I categorically wrote, and I quote;
“Some individual anxiously watching, others simply ignore it because they don’t want to enter into a dark tunnel.
After 3 toughest years of struggle of this adamant movement, the anxious watching blunt group of individual saw the light at the end of the tunnel.”
These group or individual are now guarding the grown-up tree that were planted by the first group in 2004 because the tree that they planted six years ago is now about to bear fruits as if they were the one who planted it. They wanted to pick the first fruit to became ripe and claim credit to the fruit that is about to be ripe. Yes, the fruit is for everyone to pick but the roots, the trunks and leaves stay behind for those who planted it.
Nevertheless, in spite of the division of actions and different route of other group they are heading into one place, one dream, one goal and one voice and that is the improve status of all foreign workers in the CNMI.
Why I say that the fruit is for everyone? It has been proven that every foreign worker is now enjoying the product of meetings in a food chain along the middle road. Some say that meeting with a volunteer lawyer is against the interest of every foreign worker. To me, I don’t consider those meetings as secret because in has been done in public places. The fruit of those meetings is now a piece of paper that majority of us have it, it is now “the payong” protecting us. This payong was the fruit of our meeting with a volunteer lawyer together with a private practitioner lawyer of the first group of foreign workers who started it all. The fruit of these meetings secured everyone from being deported or sending us back home if without status and now with or without employer under P.L 110-229 of the CNRA we are secured until 2011. We ask for it, they gave it to us.
May 10, 2010, fellow Filipinos that comprises the majority of foreign workers in the island are anxiously waiting for the result of our national election for our future leaders, leaders who promised to develop and create more jobs and industries during their campaign back home for the benefit of a lot of us and or to our fellow Filipinos who had just graduated from college so as not to encourage them to work overseas.
May 10, 2010, the same is true, we, Filipinos and other nationals are also facing uncertainties while anxiously waiting for the results of the Department of the Interior (DOI) recommendation to the US Congress on the flight of foreign workers in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and that is our quest for improve status. Let us hope for the best, seek for the best interest of all foreign nationals in the island and let us work together, because together, we will succeed.
On May 16, 2010, let us again go out and join the activities of foreign nationals from Kilili Beach to American Memorial Park to call the US Congress attention for the speedy passage of the Department of the Interior recommendation to US Congress and support any of the first three recommendation and let us hope for the best and that the number one recommendation is the best. Come out and be counted, the transition date is fast approaching and is about to end soon, are you in? In the INA H-Visa or CW category? If not act now and be counted.
Why Foreign Workers Want Improve Status?
Firstly, we want security on our immigration status not fear of being illegal aliens. Obviously, we are facing a lot of difficulties due to economic downturn worldwide. We will be facing the same uncertainties after the transition period ends set by PL 110-229 comes November 2011 if actions of US Congress will be delayed for a reason. We are facing uncertainties even if we belong to the long term foreign nationals who may or may not qualify for H-Visas and or CW status. Granting improve status is one best solution that will protect us foreign national from leaving the island and will ceased to continue employment in the island.
Secondly, so that foreign nationals can plan ahead for the future of our family without being fear of leaving the island we called home for a decade because of unsecured immigration status. Foreign nationals are not just here to work and compete with the local workforce in terms of employment. Some of them if not all are entrepreneur in their own field of expertise who can run small business that will help boost the economy, collect more taxes and will create employment.
Thirdly, foreign workers are vulnerable for abuses and discrimination. We exhausted much of our talent and skills, spent half of our life here only to find out that we are the second choice in the employment status under the US and local laws of the department of labor of the CNMI. Lucky are those foreign nationals who had extra ordinary talent and skills that are not available to the US citizen workforce.
Foreign workers are not a treat to the local workforce because given the chance to an improve status, we can even share our talent and skills in our field of expertise to our local brothers and sisters because we are now belong to one community, one people and one nationality. We’ve learned to adopt local culture, some foreign nationals established own family and gave birth to the US Citizen children and that children called this beautiful island as their home. Sending their parents back home due to unsecured immigration status is the worst and difficult thing to do specially those foreign workers who by others means have special ties with the local people.
Why is it that they don’t want us to leave and gave us unique status before November 28, 2009? Maybe because foreign workers physical and professionalism as guest workers are of great importance in the island. This notion was proven when we were granted and protected to leave the island one at a time by means of an Umbrella Permit.
Carl James Alvarez M. a Ten year old 5th grader of Tanapag Elementary School says: “I am asking the US Congress to give my parents improve status because I wanted them to stay in Saipan while taking care of myself and my little brother and I wanted my mom to get jobs she need so if she has money she can buy us plenty toys. If I become a US Air Force Engineer someday or a professional Soccer Player of any United States Team, and if I am earning money I will support my Mom and Dad, and then I will ask them where they wanted to stay and live. But for now I wanted their passport change just like my passport because I wanted to stay here and because this place is peaceful and hardly has incidence unlike in the Philippines, plenty incidence in the news, plenty guns and goons (TFC).”
Young children can speak, why shouldn’t we? To all foreign workers, beginning May 10, 2010 onward, let us pray, hope and work for the best because together we will succeed. The United Group Leaders is advocating for the immediate passage of the Department of Interior’s recommendation before the transition period end on November 27, 2011, the end of Umbrella Permit affectivity unless the Homeland Security unveils their new rule for us. We are counting everyone to participate of our advocacy, On May 16, 2010, One Voice, One Movement and One Action, thank you.
CARLITO J. MARQUEZ
Puerto Rico, Saipan
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