Time to heal and unite  

I was at the grocery store the other day when I ran into one of our kababayans whom I have not seen in a long time. We talked about how things have been and inescapably, we talked about the results of last week’s Philippine presidential elections. She told me that she could not believe that Bongbong Marcos won, given the infamy of their family’s name. She said that the Philippine economic and political situation at the time of martial law were the reasons why she migrated to the US. For her, it is beyond comprehension that the Filipino people could actually bestow upon the Marcoses the same ultimate power that was stripped away from them more than 30 years ago. Before we parted, she expressed that she still hopes for a better future for the Filipino people and trust in their collective wisdom that their election of BBM as their president in the next six years is the right choice under the present circumstances.

Her story was not the first nor will be the last topic of conversations I heard from fellow kababayans here in the US. Even my American friends asked me what led to the election of BBM. Questions are rampant about what will happen to the ill-gotten wealth, the pending cases against the family, whether martial law will be reimposed, and how BBM will lead and bring this country together. I could offer no answers for those questions. How BBM and where he takes this country remains to be seen. What I could offer and what we should do is to give BBM a chance to prove his worth. As the people have spoken loudly and clearly manifested in his thunderous landslide win, it is time to heed that mandate. Let us heal and unite and hope that the incoming administration would place the people’s interest first before any personal agenda.

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As you may have heard in the news, COVID-19 pandemic has reared its ugly head again. Here in the US, cases have been steadily rising and there seems to be no way to predict when a downward trend is going to happen. As more communities have been impacted, USCIS offices may have changed their schedules and appointment procedures in the conduct of their business. If you have an appointment or you may want to make one, check with your local USCIS field office first and ask what their new protocols are.

In the same manner, if you wish to visit a Philippine consulate that has jurisdiction over your state, make sure you also call them in advance. I have clients who have to drive for so many hours in order to do business with the nearest Philippine consulate who has jurisdiction over their place of residence.

Speaking of COVID-19 protocols and how important it is to make sure you are following the latest guidelines, I have a friend who was so excited to meet his Filipina fiancée. He had been planning this trip to the Philippines for months on end --from saving money, booking plane tickets and hotel stays, down to the minute serials of his itinerary. On the day that he was supposed to fly out of New York, when he checked in at the airline desk, he was asked about his recent COVID-19 test. He showed his latest negative result but to his utter disbelief, he was denied boarding. His COVID-19 test was taken more 72 hours before check-in. The airline needs his latest negative test to be taken 48 hours before his flight. All those preparations went to naught and now he had to reschedule his flight, change his hotel accommodation and cough out more money for all those rebookings.

The only upside is that it was only himself who was affected. Imagine if he was traveling with his family or he was going to his own wedding or he had to go home for an emergency.