WASHINGTONG DC – The commitment of US President Obama to push for the passage of a comprehensive immigration reform has gained a positive response from the Filipino community

“We are heartened by President Obama’s strong statement today to keep his promise to make immigration reform a reality this year. We commend the president for asserting the urgent need for federal action in order to fix a broken system that is tearing families apart,” said National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) National Chair, Greg Macabenta.

In a major policy speech at American University, Obama reiterated his commitment to comprehensive immigration reform that addresses backlogs for family members, and called on Congress to act on this pressing issue this year.

Obama also recognizes the pain felt by families because of long waiting periods and prolonged separation.

“Filipinos have the longest waiting time for petitions to be approved and are thus adversely affected by protracted delays in visa processing,” Macabenta said.

However, Macabenta pointed out that it is not only the family members waiting tor reunite with their loved ones who are affected by the “broken system”.

“Undocumented immigrants who have been here to seek a better life for themselves and their children are adversely affected as well. It’s imperative, therefore, that we use our voices and our votes to urge our national leaders to act boldly and decisively now,” Macabenta said.

He also noted that many Filipino World War II veterans who had filed petitions for their children have passed away, thus voiding the petitions and depriving their children of immigration benefits.

Proposed immigration bills include a provision to exempt eligible children of Filipino veterans from numerical limitations and expedite their visa applications.

Early this year, Filipinos and Filipino Americans marched in Washington with thousands of immigrant rights supporters to push Congress to enact a just, humane, and compassionate immigration reform legislation.

“We need to keep raising our voices loudly and demand moral leadership on this critical issue. We must remind America that we are a nation of immigrants, that regardless of where we came from and how we came here, our shared values strengthen and enrich America’s culture and global standing as a beacon of hope around the world,” said NaFFAA National Vice Chair, Rozita Lee.