PH Consulate Hosts Public Forum on DACA with Atty. Tancinco

From left:  Atty. Lourdes Tancisco and Consul General Henry S. Bensurto, Jr. serve as resource speakers.

20 September 2017 SAN FRANCISCO -   The Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco hosted an immigration forum on the rescission of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) on September 15 at the Philippine Center’s Social Hall. The activity is part of the Consulate’s Bayani 2.0 Speakers’ Forum series which taps into the expertise of local Filipino experts and advocates, or “heroes,” to Spark, Connect, and Empower the Filipino community through information campaigns on critical issues that impact the community and the daily lives of Filipinos.                         

Atty. Lourdes Tancinco, noted advocate of immigrant and veterans rights in the Bay Area, was invited as guest speaker, while Consul General Henry S. Bensurto, Jr. served as moderator and fellow resource person.

At the forum, Atty. Tancinco gave a background on DACA, and discussed the implications of its rescission.  She also talked about possible legal recourses for DACA recipients, and reminded Filipinos of their constitutional rights and recommended course action should they find themselves in the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) police.

Meanwhile, Consul General Bensurto reiterated that Philippine Government is closely monitoring the situation, and that Secretary Cayetano personally instructed all U.S. Foreign Service Posts to extend appropriate and necessary assistance to those who may need it, all within the boundaries of Post’s mandate and with full respect to the domestic policies of the U.S. Government.  He also encouraged the Filipino community to continue advocating for immigrant rights, and emphasized the power in collective action as a driver of legislative action.  Finally, he reaffirmed the Consulate’s openness and willingness to partner with individuals and organizations who advocate for the welfare of Filipinos. 

The event was attended by representatives from non-government organizations and advocacy groups, members of the Filipino community, and the press.  It was also livestreamed on social media, and may be viewed at the Consulate’s official Facebook account. END

For more information, visit www.sanfranciscopcg.dfa.gov.ph/ www.philippinessanfrancisco.org or https://www.facebook.com/PHinSF/.