Sixty-four-year-old Arsenio Dimaculangan has been waiting for his visa for the past 10 years. His father, a World War II veteran has been granted US citizenship and has petitioned him.
An overseas Filipino worker (OFW) in the UAE, Dimaculangan returned to the Philippines after receiving word that the visa petition was being processed. To date however, he has yet to receive official word.
With business magnate Donald Trump having won the just concluded US presidential race, Dimaculangan is concerned the petition might not be approved considering that the new president had in his campaign trail expressed a strong position against immigrants.
American dream
Hundreds of thousands of Filipinos have their sights trained on getting to the US and live the American dream. With the Trump presidency, does America remain their coveted land of milk and honey?
Filipinos in the UAE, while having mixed reactions about what lies ahead for the Philippines under a Trump administration, are almost unanimous in saying that the new US president’s strong position against immigrants and foreign labor were mere campaign rhetorics.
End of the day, they said, the businessman in him would prevail and see the economic value of it all. “In politics,” said community leader, Wafa Qasimieh, “candidates always throw words during the campaign.”
“But after election, I’m sure everything will go back to normal. We are hoping for the best between our country the US,” she added.
Said lawyer Barney Almazar, “While Duterte and Trump share a bombastic and out-of-control rhetoric style, Duterte’s words have been backed with actions; Trump’s words are, at least for the moment, only words.”
Ana Alicante, a public relations specialist, expressed confidence Trump will change his mind. “I think now that he has won, he will revisit his statements and, considering he’s a businessman, will know the possible implications should he not reverse his stance,” she said.
Nerza del Rosario-Manalastas, a business development officer, said she thinks Trump’s pronouncements were directed at illegals. “I know of Filipinos who voted for Trump because they believe that being tough on migration would benefit them,” she said.
Restaurateur Adlene Uy-Panis agrees, saying: “Actually what my relatives (in the states) said is favor naman daw si Trump sa mga immigrants; ang ayaw niya ay ang illegal immigrants.”
Panis said she actually has pending offers to open restaurants in the US.
Arlene Pulido, a manager at a UAE law firm, said she thinks Trump will soften his stance regarding Filipino migration. “He should because he cannot deny the fact that Filipinos have been their partners and contributed in any shapes or forms for the success of his country,” she said.
Joy Caasi, Google Street View photographer, said she also thinks Trump will change his mind. “His winning the election, just as with our current president, was unexpected. I strongly believe that he has plans for the Filipino community.”
An Al Barsha store manager, Layn Jalando-on said she doesn’t think Trump would stand pat on his ground about immigration issues. “Siguro hindi naman talaga itutuloy yun,” she said. “Baka naman mapagusapan pa yun.”
Decided
But while there were those confident of a turn around, there are also Filipinos who think otherwise. “I doubt kung magbabago ang stand ni Trump,” said Mark Russel Cordero a nursing coordinator.
Crezyl Boado, private nurse at Emirates Hills, said: “Hindi na magbabago yun kasi ang tingin ko kay Donald Trump decided na siya.”
Mosh Lafuente, a professional photographer, for one, said he doesn’t have an American dream and has no plans of migrating to the states, “but I guess, whatever he decides is up to him; I know he only wants what is best for his country and I respect that.”
What to expect
Reduction of Pinoy TNT in the US, in line with Trump’s plan to crack down on undocumented foreigners, and tightening rules on the issuance of visas to discourage immigrants from illegally entering the US in search of jobs.
• Weakening of Philippine BPOs, as Trump prioritizes the jobs, wages and security of the American people. The BPO sector is 10 percent of the country’s GDP, generating 1.2 million jobs and $22 billion in revenue in 2015.
• Better care for our veterans, in line with Trump’s plan to reform “the visa system to ensure veterans are at the front of the line for health services.”
• Lower remittance. The US accounts for around a third of annual overseas to the Philippines, and a large proportion of these funds comes from TNTs. Their deportation from the US would hurt the Philippine economy.
• A hope for better world economy. George T. Barcelon, president of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), said:“As of now, the stock market responded negatively, but as promised, he wants to make America great again.”
