Filipinos are always quite the liabilities they consistently are -- even to the Roman Catholic Church. The Catholic Bishop Conference of the Philippines is trying to account for all delegates of the World Youth Day (WYD) pilgrimage recently concluded in Spain. The Spanish government had reportedly relaxed visa issuance requirements for Filipino travelers to Spain in consideration of the event.
The Church is now fearing possible damage to the trust the Spanish government had given it in allowing Filipinos to enter its borders...
If they do not return, one consequence is that it might hurt the local Church’s relations with the Spanish embassy in Manila, [Fr. Conegondo Garganta, executive secretary of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on the Youth] said. “It would be our image that would be damaged,” he added.
During the World Youth Day celebrations held in Germany in 2005 and in Canada in 2002, some Filipino delegates did not return home.
Not surprisingly, Filipinos are generally considered by many governments of wealthy nations to be high-risk temporary visitors. Visa requirements for Filipinos wishing to travel to these countries are often difficult to meet or take a long time to process.
Indeed, officials of the Spanish embassy in Manila already anticipated the risks associated with this act of good faith...
[Garganta] said that even before releasing the delegates’ visas, the Spanish embassy had asked the commission how many it expected would not return.
“How many percent do you think will stay?” Garganta quoted embassy officials as saying.
“Ideally, we do not want to put a number because we promised that this is a Church event (but) based on past experience, one percent,” Garganta said.
Garganta said the embassy gave a bigger estimate.
Many Filipinos who are legitimate travelers have to suffer the inconvenience of draconian visa procedures as a result of their compatriots' long tradition of abuse of trust.
Not a surprise rather a known fact. They came from a country who has a rotten economy, anal system and with no opportunity at all. If they give visas to the poor 100% will leave, of course, without marketable skills they are then a burden to the country of their destination. Presumeably the TNT have skills to boot; ontheotherhand, they are in violation of the host country's laws thus criminals and worstof by living in the shadow. Still, they take a chance -world recession or not- because they know it's better on the other side of the fence. An dami n'yan sa 'tate tinatago pa ng simbahan at m'nga kanilang adbokado na nang hihingi ng limos na amnestia -hala, bira, parada! To a desperadong Pilipino there is no such thing as Hiya.
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