'Victimized' Pinoy teachers in Maryland get legal aid

Philippine authorities in the United States have given legal assistance to more than 1,000 Filipino teachers in Maryland who are facing deportation, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Friday. The DFA also said the Philippine Embassy in the US is exploring for ways on how to help the Filipino teachers, whose work visas may no longer be renewed by the Prince George’s County Public School (PGCPS) system. Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Cuisia Jr. has made “written and personal appeals himself" to concerned officials on the matter, the DFA said. “The embassy is fully committed to the welfare of all overseas Filipino workers and shall continue to do its utmost to fulfill its mandate of protecting their rights abroad," the DFA said. Last Tuesday afternoon (Wednesday morning in Manila), some of the 1,044 Filipino teachers in Prince George’s County staged a rally outside the White House to draw attention to their plight, according to an Asian Journal report. The teachers had been recruited from the Philippines by the PGCPS system. But it illegally deducted H1-B fees from the teacher’s wages, which a US Department of Labor (DOL) investigation determined amounted to back pay of about $4,000 each. With the move of the DOL, the PGCPS system has threatened not to renew the Filipino teachers’ work visas. Now, the teachers stand to lose their jobs and will be forced to leave the US, or risk being undocumented immigrants. The Asian Journal report said many of these teachers were in the process of filing for green cards, purchased property in the US, and planned to build a future there. Teachers, advocates speak out “It’s a travesty that these victimized teachers who have successfully raised the standard of education in Prince George’s County are now unceremoniously dismissed without regard to their performance or seniority," said said Joanna Quiambao from Katarungan, a Filipino-American grassroots human rights organization. “How in the world can I go back to the Philippines in nine days? I have a car loan, doctors’ appointments, financial obligations, etc. My family is with me here, we cannot just pack our bags and go home," said Ms. Gumanoy, one of the hundreds of teachers affected. “We are pursuing all legal channels to appeal the decision, but because of the urgency of the situation, the teachers have been pushed to take to the streets and do what we do best: educate the public and authorities on the issue," added Carlo Parapara, president of the Pilipino Educator’s Network of Prince George’s County. — JE, GMA News