Congresswoman Bordallo Speaks Out In Favor of
Philippine Visa Waiver at House Small Business Committee Hearing

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – November 20, 2003 – Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Bordallo raised the issue of adding the Philippines to the State Department Visa Waiver Program at today’s Small Business Committee Hearing. The meeting focused largely on the impact of post-September 11th immigration policies, their effectiveness and their effect on business.

“With a population of 84 million and a strong regional connection to Guam, increasing the number of Filipino visitors would be a pragmatic solution to both increasing and diversifying our island’s visitor base,” said Bordallo. “A large minority of residents on Guam, 26.3% to be exact, are of Filipino descent. Many have been waiting years for family members to obtain visas to visit them.”

In response to Congresswoman Bordallo’s questioning the logic of trying to improve cultural interaction and commerce with the Philippines, panel member Palma R. Yanni, President of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, responded to the idea of including the Philippines in the Visa Waiver program as and “excellent suggestion that would help your [Guam’s] economy.”

U.S. Chamber of Commerce Vice President Randall K. Johnson suggested the possibility that a trusted travel pilot program could be implemented on Guam. Such a program would allow a traveler that has been approved once for a visa to Guam to enter a streamlined process for expediting future visa approvals.

“I believe that national security is of utmost importance,” said Bordallo. “However, the policies implemented in the wake of September 11th have not proven to be more effective than prior policies. It is time to look at new technologies that would protect our borders, but simultaneously allow for a much more efficient visa policy conducive to economic growth.”

Visa backlogs from the Philippines currently date back to applications submitted in 1995.

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Contact: Neil Weare in Washington, D.C., at (202) 225-1188 or Joaquin Perez in Guam at (671) 477-4272.