Governor Lou Leon Guerrero wrote to President Joe Biden, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, and Deputy Secretary of State Dr. Kurt Campbell, requesting that the Philippines be included in the Guam-CNMI visa waiver program.

The governor asked for the issue to be placed on the agenda of the April 11 Trilateral Leaders' Summit of the Philippines, Japan, and the U.S. as it relates to security and economic cooperation.

She noted that the latest census indicates that Filipinos make up 29.1% of Guam's population. The issue was also discussed in a recent meeting with CNMI lawmakers.

The governor wrote, “Removing the visa requirement for Filipinos who wish to travel to Guam and the CNMI would stimulate tourism, considering the spending of filipino travelers exceeds that of individuals of Guam's primary markets, which would bolster our economic recovery efforts after the decline in tourism due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Typhoon Mawar.”

She added that the Guam Army National Guard could also have closer ties with the Filipino Armed Forces.

Leon Guerrero noted that her administration is willing to support the supervision of a pilot program if needed to ensure its success.