PH congressman meets with Filipino community on Saipan

Dozens of the Filipino community members on Saipan met with the Philippine Congressman Rodante Marcoleta last Friday evening at the Koblerville Gymnasium.

Former United Filipino Organization president Marcelo V. Masilungan addressed his concerns regarding the absence of consular services, labor attaché, and legal means that caused hardship for Filipinos on Saipan.

“Actually, this is the meeting that I’ve been requesting to the Philippine Consulate in Agana, Guam every time they come and visit CNMI, but the promise they told us is starting next year, because there’s no budget. But I think they’re going to review that because I reported that conversation. Because you know, we have so many concerns. We have so many problems. We don’t have a consulate office, we don’t have an honorary consul, we don’t have labor attaché, we don’t have legal means,” he said.

Masilungan emphasized the urgency of addressing these issues to ensure the well-being of Filipinos in the CNMI.

Masilungan then encouraged the Filipino community to speak up and ask questions to the visiting congressman who is running for Philippine senator as well.

Marcoleta expressed his gratitude in meeting with his kababayans—or countrymen—and shared that it was his first time to be on Saipan.

The processing of papers of Filipino contract workers that have to be coursed through Washington, D.C., and to have a program for the undocumented Filipinos on the island were among the concerns raised during the meet-and-greet. Coral Coast Foundation Corp. director Eleanor Alinas, who organized the meet-and-greet explained to Marcoleta that the CNMI is composed of three main islands Saipan, Rota, and Tinian and she said that Filipinos on the other two islands are requesting for him to visit them too.

Marcoleta concluded the meet-and-greet by saying that all the concerns gathered will be relayed as soon as possible to Arnel Ignacio, who is the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration administrator.