Philippine Embassy assists nearly 400 stranded Pinoy interns in US

The Philippine Embassy in Washington is providing assistance to hundreds of stranded Filipino interns and exchange visitors in the United States who have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sponsors of these Filipinos mainly from the hotel, resort and restaurant industries have prematurely terminated their training program as the hospitality sector in the US has been hit hard by the pandemic, the Philippine Embassy said in a statement.

"We have made representations with the visa sponsors, local placement agencies in the Philippines, and the US Department of State to help craft a concerted and considerate response to the J1 interns’ situation in the short- and medium-term," said Philippine Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez.

There were more than 2,000 active interns when the COVID-19 outbreaks began in the US, which has one of the highest cases of the deadly virus in the world.

US J1 visa holders are exchange visitors, or those participating in educational and cultural exchange programs.

Filipino J1 interns, the embassy said, were advised by their visa sponsors and by the Exchange Visitor Program Committee of the Philippines to return to the Philippines.

"There is a great risk associated with remaining in the United States during this challenging and unpredictable time without a source of income, support system, safe and stable accommodations, and medical insurance coverage," Romualdez said.

Prior to their departure from the Philippines, the interns were told that they should have contingency funds, but the embassy said many of them have asked the Philippine government's help in buying their tickets home, paying for their accommodations and sustaining their daily expenses while in the US.

However, the embassy said requests for government funding assistance, either for repatriation, welfare, or both, "are decided on a case-by-case basis" given the thousands of overseas Filipinos in distress who also require assistance and support, and the constraints on government resources.

But Romualdez assured that the Philippine government "is committed to finding long-term solutions to these issues and enhancing the protection of Filipino exchange visitors moving forward."

Since the crisis began, the embassy said it has attended to the concerns of nearly 400 J1 interns. Philippine Consulates General also monitor and assist the J1 interns located in their areas of jurisdiction.

Many Filipino community groups and individuals have also assisted stranded Filipino trainees by giving temporary shelter, and food, the embassy said.

Meanwhile, Romualdez said the State Department has allowed for the extension of programs and for sponsors to allow J1 interns to resume their internships and training once the situation in the normalizes or improves to a degree that the industries would be able to continue with the programs. —LBG, GMA News