Environmental migrants
A PROPOSED legislation that reflects the concern over the safety and welfare of “environmental migrants” is under consideration in the House of Representatives.
Authored by five congressmen, including a party-list representative, House Bill (HB) No. 10490 seeks to grant refugee status to so-called “environmental migrants.”
They are Reps. Edcel Lagman (Albay), Robert Ace Barbers (Surigao del Norte), Samuel Vezosa Jr. (Tutok to Win party-list), Zia Adiong (Lanao del Sur), and Pablo John Garcia (Cebu).
“Environmental migrants” are citizens of several Pacific Islands, including Vanuatu, that might go under water in the next decade because of rising sea levels.
The islands, with a population of some 65 million, also include Fiji and Kiribati.
In filing the bill, the five lawmakers, including a party-list representative “we come from the same Austronesian origins.”
Hence, the authors said, the Pacific islanders “are our distant relatives,” adding, “in our culture, we do what we can to protect our family.”
HB No. 10490 seeks to amend the country’s immigration law, which is Commonwealth Act No. 613.
The Philippine Immigration Act of 1940 grants refugee status to foreigners only for religious, political or racial reasons.
Certainly, the five solons are on the right track in filing HB No. 10490.
