Guam to hire 20,000 skilled Filipino workers

Nothing against Filipinos but there are many locals and LT residents here - Chamorros, Filipinos, Mestizos, Statesiders, etc, even Micronesians - that could use the work. WHAT IS PURPOSE OF SETTING UP A GCC "TRADES ACADEMY" + LOCAL DOL APPRENTICESHIPS - read, USING SCARCE GOVGUAM + PRIVATE-INDUS $$$- IFF THE JOBS ARE GOING TO GO TO ANYBODY ELSE NOT A LOCAL TA GRADUATE NOR EVEN A LOCAL LEGAL RESIDENT??? I can't morally nor economically agree wid the logic.

Lets also not forget the citizens and residents of the CNMI, whose garment industries are in the tank right now.

20,000 "Skilled" Filipinos swould be a hard stretch to find. I wonder what the turn over rate will be once these "Guest workers" start getting into trouble, as filipinos are bound to do...or better yet, when they start getting outted for not knowing what they are supposed to be doing?

Why haven't we seen a "Hire Islanders (not just Chamorros) First?" Then again, if there are not enough "Skilled locals," then why aren't mainland AMERICANS being recruited for these jobs?

They are obviously going for the cheap labor, which will mean cheap construction.

Unfortunately, a few local restaurant patrons have remarked that Guam's Government + local Chamorros, other residents are overpoliticized, corrupted, andor confused to the point that they don't know whom or what they are, what they want to be, hopes and future, etc. anymore.

Iff past wars are any example, espec VIETNAM, and given local belief and hoopla over the Marine Relocation and Buildup, then 20,000 is more likely to be 50,000 iff not more, and EXCLUSIVE OF THEIR DEPENDENTS. In addition to Filipinos, there is also talk [unconfirmed]of plans to bring in Indonesian laborers whose payscales are even cheaper/lower than for Filipinos. Even iff one presumes that only a PORTION [1/3-NMT 1/2] OF THESE CHOOSE TO STAY AND RESIDE ON GUAM WITH THEIR FAMILIES, THE REST EITHER GOING BACK HOME OR MOVING ON TO THE US AND AMERICAS, ENUFF MAY STAY TO COMPETELY AND FOREVER ALTER THE DEMOGRAPHICS HERE ON GUAM IN FAVOR OF NON-CHAMORROS, AS WELL AS OTHER HISTORICALLY WELL-ESTABLISHED ETHNIC GROUPS OR STRATAS. Ironically, Guam's desire and pursuit for modern economic development may make the fear of local activists, i.e. of "Chamorros becoming a [meaningless/
powerless?]minority in their own land", a GENUINE REALITY. GUAM'S LOCALS WILL HAVE NO ONE TO BLAME BUT THEMSELVES FOR BEING ON THE PATH OF SELF-SUICIDE/DESTRUCTION/EXTIN CTION.

WAR ON TERROR > among other premises, "CRITICAL MASS" OR "MASSES" HAVE BEEN REACHED + "STATUS QUO" WAYS OF THE PRESENT ARE NO LONGER TOLERABLE OR RELEVANT. Guam, like the USA, is facing several variable, potentially overwhelming, pressures at once, any one of which must be effectively responded to and resolved for Guam-USA to survive.

Was just reading in the local papers how GUAM/ISLAND LAWMAKERS CANNOT [unilaterally]CHANGE TAX LAWS

This article broadly indirectly illustrates the consequences of Guam's failure to empower itself and its rights even unto its own behalf, especially vis-a-vis FORMAL SELF-DETERMINATION which was first started back in the 1990's. GUAM HAS HAD 15+ YEARS TO AVOID HEADLINES LIKE ON TOP, and iff 20000 or more foreign workers are indeed brought here THE DANGER IS THERE THAT GUAM'S INDIGENOUS RESIDENTS AND OTHER LOCALS MAY NOT BE ABLE TO CONTROL THEIR OWN DESTINY NOR THAT OF THEIR OWN ISLAND.

U.S. workers are afforded the job opportunity first...always. Advertisements are constantly in the newspaper and job opportunities listed on the Guam Job Bank. Almost no one responds. There is a real shortage of skilled labor on Guam. That is the fact of life, both in Guam and the rest of the U.S. Many people do not want to work in the construction industry any more. Most want easier jobs in the tech or service industries or in the higher level construction occupations like electricians, Plumbers, welders. Guam just cannot find enough interested young adults who want to enter apprenticeship programs or skills training programs.

Again, the facts of life are hard to swallow, but real. Better to bring in a temporary workforce for the peak times and send them home during the lull.

First of all I agree hiring locals, but if the locals do not want to work then the step is to hire off island works. I have live on Guam, for 11 years and most of the local men are just lazy to work, They are alot of program on Guam to assist young men to better their skill, but again they want eveything easy. I was 42 years old when I started GCC course on Carpentry Apprenticeship. I completed 4 years using my GI bill. I used to work for a company call Flecher Pacific Construction and they hired off island works, because local men do not want to work. I just wantd to put my few pennies in.

I feel that employment should first be offered to
Guamanians and then, the employee shortfall can be outsourced to off islanders. Surely local men have the necessary skills to build...I know laziness is not the issue here; so let us not sell ourselves short (not even our online reputations.

Besides everything else to put pressure on Guam, CNMI, and MIcronesia-WESTPAC, there is now apparently a reported high risk of FAMINE potentially occurring in the Philippines and Asia regions circa 2020, as per RICE SHORTAGE(S) AND VARIOUS RELATED FOOD/CROPS CRISES???

Taken together - China, Filipinos, Indonesians, threat from Radical Islam, etc.- one way or another INFERS SELF-DETERMINATION = CHAMORRO/INDIGENOUS RIGHTS may one day become IRRELEVANT due to Guam's natives and pre-established rsidents no longer having the numbers to retain control or influence in their own land. LACK OF POPULATION-COMMUNITY SIZE WILL INEVITABLY DEVOLVE INTO LACK OF ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL, ETC. INFLUENCE OR CONTROL - perhaps more importantly,Guam's continuing failure to empower formal "Chamorro/Native Homeland" treatise wid the USA vv DECOLONIZATION AND SELF-DETERMINATION MEANS GUAM'S INDIGENOUS WILL NOT HAVE ANY LEGALLY PROTECTED RIGHTS ON THEIR OWN ANCESTRAL LAND.

This morning I've once again seen several Guam locals overtly lying down on an open-air commercial parking lot, sleeping or conversing wid personal luggages, rubbish, and other wares all around them, AND NOT APPEARING TO CARE WHETHER BEING SEEN BY THE PUBLIC OR NOT.

ME > SYMBOLIC OF THE NEAR-ENUFF FUTURE OF ANY AND ALL CHAMORROS AND GUAMANIANS ON THEIR OWN ISLAND, NOT JUST ONE OR A FEW, RICH OR POOR, CHAMORRO OR MESTIZO??? The stereotypical "Wandering Jew" may now become the "Wandering Chamorro" - MONEY, etc. ISN'T EVERYTHING!

"REGRESSION" > are the BEST-PAID, BEST-LOOKING, BEST-EVERYTHING, etc. NATION-LESS LAND-LESS HOMELESS CULTURE-LESS JOBLESS NAME/IDENTITY-LESS PERSON OR PEOPLE IN THE PACIFIC!

"Tis why Guam's TAOTAMONAS = Ancestral Spirits/Ghosts were crying back in the 1960's and 70's, weeping for the loss or destruction of Guam and their own, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO GUAM'S OWN HAND.

GuamLabor wrote:

U.S. workers are afforded the job opportunity first...always. Advertisements are constantly in the newspaper and job opportunities listed on the Guam Job Bank. Almost no one responds. There is a real shortage of skilled labor on Guam. That is the fact of life, both in Guam and the rest of the U.S. Many people do not want to work in the construction industry any more. Most want easier jobs in the tech or service industries or in the higher level construction occupations like electricians, Plumbers, welders. Guam just cannot find enough interested young adults who want to enter apprenticeship programs or skills training programs.
Again, the facts of life are hard to swallow, but real. Better to bring in a temporary workforce for the peak times and send them home during the lull.

Well said! The point of hiring H2 workers is that, once the major projects are finished, then we can export the unemployment.

The bigger problem is that the garment workers in Saipan are going to be grandfathered in because of the US immigration takeover there. Then they are free to travel here to pursue higher wage scales... And nothingcan stop them!

I work for one of these contractors doing work in Guam and would like to hire only local labor. Please give me a call at 1-866-967-5863.

JosephMendiola wrote:

Nothing against Filipinos but there are many locals and LT residents here - Chamorros, Filipinos, Mestizos, Statesiders, etc, even Micronesians - that could use the work. WHAT IS PURPOSE OF SETTING UP A GCC "TRADES ACADEMY" + LOCAL DOL APPRENTICESHIPS - read, USING SCARCE GOVGUAM + PRIVATE-INDUS $$$- IFF THE JOBS ARE GOING TO GO TO ANYBODY ELSE NOT A LOCAL TA GRADUATE NOR EVEN A LOCAL LEGAL RESIDENT??? I can't morally nor economically agree wid the logic.

I should think that the local residents should be considered before bring in these so called Filipino Workers. This smells...

Hire the locals first,then if more workers are needed,then hire foreign workers.

You shuld learn the laws on H-2 visas befor making the assumptions that are here in the post

JosephMendiola wrote:

Was just reading in the local papers how GUAM/ISLAND LAWMAKERS CANNOT [unilaterally]CHANGE TAX LAWS
This article broadly indirectly illustrates the consequences of Guam's failure to empower itself and its rights even unto its own behalf, especially vis-a-vis FORMAL SELF-DETERMINATION which was first started back in the 1990's. GUAM HAS HAD 15+ YEARS TO AVOID HEADLINES LIKE ON TOP, and iff 20000 or more foreign workers are indeed brought here THE DANGER IS THERE THAT GUAM'S INDIGENOUS RESIDENTS AND OTHER LOCALS MAY NOT BE ABLE TO CONTROL THEIR OWN DESTINY NOR THAT OF THEIR OWN ISLAND.

I think you need to let the people of Guam work first there are some many out there looking for work that can work.

Marie StClair GOGO wrote:

I think you need to let the people of Guam work first there are some many out there looking for work that can work.

I agree with you it's clear to any thinking person that something is wrong with this situation. I am sure there are skilled people of Guam besides the 20,000 skilled Filipino worker...

Guam's advocates really need your support and force the government to answer some questions. beginning with Guam's self determination.

Hafa Adai! Este Mas Mauleg! Kudos for PostGuamLabor/OffIslander! Guam is in need of Skilled Labor Workers. Local Legal Workers do not want these positions because of their "Western Navigators" influences. Disagreed with Post Joseph Mendiola/CNMI! Why should Guam import those workers from CNMI. CNMI is trying to invade Guam to let Guam become part of their LaGOONS Island and duplicate their islands like Hawaii. For better Guam, folks allow those H-2 Workers from the Philippines/Indonesia. Contract H-2 Workers should be restricted in the number of days they can remain on the job with no other benefits than the employment compensation package. Military Build-UP needs to be clarified. Military deployment to Guam is not for stationary assignment to take over Guam. Military deployment to Guam means to improve and build infrastructure, construct permanent buildings, and to assist GovGuam Operations to protect the island and its people. Adios!

GumPow wrote:

Hafa Adai! Este Mas Mauleg! Kudos for PostGuamLabor/OffIslander! Guam is in need of Skilled Labor Workers. Local Legal Workers do not want these positions because of their "Western Navigators" influences. Disagreed with Post Joseph Mendiola/CNMI! Why should Guam import those workers from CNMI. CNMI is trying to invade Guam to let Guam become part of their LaGOONS Island and duplicate their islands like Hawaii. For better Guam, folks allow those H-2 Workers from the Philippines/Indonesia. Contract H-2 Workers should be restricted in the number of days they can remain on the job with no other benefits than the employment compensation package. Military Build-UP needs to be clarified. Military deployment to Guam is not for stationary assignment to take over Guam. Military deployment to Guam means to improve and build infrastructure, construct permanent buildings, and to assist GovGuam Operations to protect the island and its people. Adios!

Hafa Adai,
You have made some good points, it only makes common sense that the military build-up should be clarified. You need your best legal people working together. because you-must protect your people and land. The Filipino workers should only be-able to stay for a certain amount of time.

On another note, JOONGAN-DAILY [Korea] > IS US, DOKDO CHANGE POINTING TO A BIGGER SHIFT - SOME EXPERTS SEE A PATTER OF [US-specific regional]MOVES FAVORING JAPAN.

Talking points for GUAM:

* USA's post-Cold War focii of restructuring/
realigning its milfor structure in East Asia by putting more forces in HAWAII + JAPAN, DECREASING ITS FORCES = MIL PRESENCE IN SOKOR WHILE INTENSIFYING INTEGRATION WITH JAPAN AND ITS SDF.

*By Year 2012, SOKOR will be have full sovereign and wartime control of both SOKOR and US forces as per the US-SOKOR COMBINED FORCES COMMAND, which will likely face disestablishment. SOKOR forces after 2012 will be ostensibly be considered as separate from US forces. US FORCES pres based in SEOUL will relocate to Pyeongtaek, Gyonggi.

* PLANNED > US EIGHTH ARMY HQ WILL RELOCATE TO HAWAII, while US FIRST ARMY from FORT LEWIS, WA WILL RELOC TO CAMP ZAMA BY EOY 2008.

Any and all handovers bwtn the US + SOKOR planned for completion by year 2012.

At this time, however, on-going debate over COSTS, etc. bwtn the US + SOKOR may potens delay this Year 2012 final/benchmark deadline by FOUR YEARS [2016]???

Its is legit to ask HOW IS GUAM GOING TO FUND ALL OF ITS DESIRED IMPROVEMENTS 2008 - 2014 [Marines Only], and beyond, ON ITS NOT-A-US STATE, CONGRESS-MUST-APPROVE, RANK-LOWER-THAN-BOTH-COMMONWEA LTH-AND-INCORPORATED TERRITORY-STATUS UNINCORPORATED TERRITORY BUDGET, which in turn is subject to DYNAMIC REGIONAL- AND INTERNATIONAL MULTI-STATE GEOPOLITICS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE USA PER SE WINNING OR LOSING THE WOT AGAINST RADICAL ISLAM, OR ANY MAJOR "GREAT STATE/POWERS" CONFLICT(S) DERIVING FROM SAME???