Save Cultural Exchange for Filipino Participants

The Commission on Filipinos Overseas has just released a letter instructing a complete halt of the participation of Filipinos to the U.S. Exchange Visitor Program: 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ierkayu23ikldl9/Notice%20to%20agencies_Moratorium%20Philippines.pdf?dl=0 

As they mention, a group of Filipino interns in the U.S. were affected negatively by the global pandemic when their employers closed for business.  When the exchange visitors turned to the Philippine government for assistance, the Philippine government's response was to shut down the entire Exchange Visitor Program to the U.S.A.

This drastic measure affects Filipino nationals who were hoping to participate in high school exchange, Summer Work/Travel, as interns, trainees, camp counselors, teachers, Au Pairs and several other categories.

If you care deeply about the program’s mission of cultural understanding, and the overwhelmingly positive experience we see J1 Exchange Visitor Program participants having in the U.S. each day, we need YOUR help. The exchange visitors who were in the U.S. faced a situation that turned out negatively, and they are justified in their disappointment. But, almost everyone in our world is facing disappointment and loss due to this virus, because no one could have predicted this situation. The exchange community is working to develop new policies and participant safeguards to avoid experiences like those of the interns affected by the pandemic. A complete ban on the J1 program is NOT the answer.

Act today to convince the Commission to reconsider this overreaching move. The only voices they are hearing right now are the negative experiences of the interns whose jobs were canceled due to the pandemic.  Your voice must be heard.

Please complete the form below, which will automatically send an email to the Commission on Filipinos Overseas, the Embassy of the Philippines in the U.S.A., and the U.S. Embassy in Manila (see above email).

Thank you for your support of the J1 Exchange Visitor Program.

Your email will look like this.