Former undocumented Pinoys now advocate for legal immigration

By Don Tagala, ABS-CBN North America Bureau

July 18, 2014

NEW YORK CITY, NY – Geuel Royce Penalosa came to the U.S. legally two weeks ago after a year and a half of waiting for his immigrant visa and more than 16 years after his mother left him in the Philippines to seek a better life abroad.

“Mahirap pero napakasaya. Siyempre free ka, dumating ka nang malinis, plantsado, magagawa mo lahat ng gusto mo,” Penalosa said.

His mother, Ressen Maranan, came to the U.S. legally on a tourist visa in 1997 but she overstayed her visa and became undocumented for about a decade.

“Namatay yung nanay ko, namatay yung tatay ko, hindi ko makauwi. Yung anak ko iniwanan ko sila nung five years old and 13 years old nung umuwi ako. Yung five years old naging 18 years old na,” Maranan said. “And then pag-nagkasama kayo, stranger kayo sa bawat isa. Malaking sakripisyo.”

But Maranan chose not to stay undocumented. She looked for an immigration lawyer and found ways to become documented.

She eventually received her green card via an employer’s 245-I immigrant petition a few years ago. She says she spent about $10,000 in immigration and lawyers fees.

“Ang mama ko pumasok siya dito undocumented pero hindi siya forever o nagpabaya na undocumented,” Geuel Royce said. “Gumawa siya ng ways para maging legal siya – maging documented siya dito sa New York.”

Maranan says she has mixed feelings when it comes to Filipino journalist-turned-immigration activist Jose Antonio Vargas’ plight as a high profile undocumented immigrant.

“Para sa akin yung ginagawa niya in a way makakatulong yon kung ibibigay ng immigration or ng U.S. government yung hinihiling niya. Makakatulong sa mga undocumented yun,” Maranan said. “Pero para naman sa mga documented na nag-hirap, nag-spend ng malaking pera, unfair naman na eto na lang isusubo na lang sa bibig.”

Former undocumented immigrant Josey Dimaliwat said, “Sa ‘kin hindi siya nakakatulong dahil parang rebellion yun. May paraan naman para makakuha ng legal status.”

Dimaliwat came to the U.S. with a business tourist visa in 1990.

She overstayed her visa and became undocumented for 11 years. She later found an employer who petitioned her for a temporary work visa as a nanny.

She later got her green card through a teaching job in New York that petitioned her as an immigrant.

“Matatalino nga tayo eh. So kailangan talaga natin na yun bang hanapin yung talagang legal way para magkaroon ng papel,” said Dimaliwat.

Ernesto Pamolarco Jr. came to the US in 2005 with only a two-week valid tourist visa, leaving behind a huge family in the Philippines.

Before his six-month visa extension expired, he changed his status to an F-1 student visa.

While studying in New York, he found an employer who petitioned him for an H1B temporary work visa.

He later filed a green card application through his son who became a U.S. citizen after having worked for the U.S. army.

In 2010, he was reunited with his whole family in New York.

“Maraming option, either pwede kayo mag F-1 visa, pwede kayo mag O-1 visa, pwede kayo mag H-1, investment visa,” Pamolarco said. “Maraming mga options. Dun lang sa mga options na yun, walang dahilan para manatili kang illegal dito sa America.”

You may contact Don Tagala at don_tagala@abs-cbn.com for more information.