Leon Guerrero requests Biden to include PH in Guam-CNMI visa waiver program
Guam Gov. Lourdes A. Leon Guerrero and Guam Lt. Gov. Joshua F. Tenorio have requested U.S. President Joseph R. Biden to include the Philippines in the Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program as an item agenda at the Trilateral Leaders’ Summit on April 11, 2024.
“We both recognize the invaluable contributions made by Filipinos to our communities, which are vital in strengthening our diverse cultural tapestry and our ties with the broader Pacific region,” said Leon Guerrero and Tenorio in a letter to Biden on Monday.
The first Trilateral Leaders’ Summit of the Philippines, Japan, and the United States will discuss expanded security and economic cooperation. Biden will host Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Japan Prime Minister Kishida Fumio at the White House for the summit.
Leon Guerrero and Tenorio noted that in U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s recent trip to the Philippines, he and Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo underscored the importance of their shared priorities for economic growth and cooperation.
They said expanding the Guam-CNMI visa waiver program by including the Philippines would support these efforts.
Leon Guerrero and Tenorio said this is timely as they met with a CNMI delegation consisting of lawmakers from the Senate and House of Representatives earlier this month to discuss a variety of shared interests, which included adding the Philippines to the Guam-CNMI visa waiver program.
Rep. Edwin K. Propst (D-Saipan) said yesterday that they are grateful for the strong working relationship they have with the leaders of Guam and look forward to their next meetings which include tackling affordable travel and shipping between the islands.
Propst said Guam and CNMI administrations have been working hard to include the Philippines in the Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program.
He noted that Guam Visitors Bureau president Carl Gutierrez has also been lobbying and working hard for this as well.
Gov. Arnold I. Palacios previously stated he supports Guam Delegate James C. Moylan’s (R-Guam) efforts to include the Philippines in the existing Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program.
Under the Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program, citizens from member countries can enter Guam and the CNMI without the pre-approved U.S. visa.
Guam, which has a large Filipino community, has a close relationship with the Philippines. The 2020 Census reports that the Filipino community comprises 29.1% of Guam’s population.
Leon Guerrero and Tenorio pointed out that the economy of the Philippines has been rapidly growing.
They said removing the visa requirement for Filipinos who wish to travel to Guam and the CNMI would stimulate tourism, considering the spending of Filipino travelers exceeds that of individuals of Guam’s primary markets.
They said this would bolster Guam and the CNMI’s economic recovery efforts after the decline in tourism due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Typhoon Mawar.
Leon Guerrero and Tenorio said it would also align with the Biden administration’s commitment to strengthening regional cooperation, security, and inclusivity in the Indo-Pacific.
They said the Guam Army National Guard can further strengthen its relationship with the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
The two top government officials moted that expanding the visa waiver program to include the Philippines will produce a controlled situation due to geography, Guam’s and CNMI’s closed port, and limited overstays.
They said to address any concerns, the Guam government is willing to push resources and support to ensure the success and supervision of a pilot program if needed.
Leon Guerrero and Tenorio said pilot programs have proven successful.
For example, they said, the U.S. first launched pilot programs to waive visa requirements for Taiwan and South Korea, which have been made permanent.
Lourdes A. Leon Guerrero
