Honestly, I have a mixed feeling especially that we haven’t seen anything yet.
I hope that the federal government will be sympathetic to the guest workers and grant permanent residency especially to the long-term guest workers, to those who have children with special needs and to those who are married to FAS citizens.
I pray that it will be a redeeming moment for the CNMI guest workers for after all, the guest workers have been treated as second class citizens by the local government.
For one, it is because there is no unified organization that is asserting the workers’ rights and for another, their mindset has always been that the guest workers do not deserve to be treated as full citizens as long they’re accorded basic human rights and civil liberties.
This is a surprise especially for a place whose people boast of being devout Catholics.
So as I write today, I continue to ask the federal government to please give a favorable consideration to the guest workers of the CNMI. You know that it is a fair thing to do.
May the Lord bless our hearts with genuine compassion especially for those who have less in life.
IRENE N. TANTIADO
Savannakhet, Laos
