GOVERNOR David M. Apatang is asking U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to include the Philippines on the list of countries eligible for the Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program. The program has been a priority of Guam Gov. Lourdes Leon Guerrero and is authorized under U.S. law governing visa waiver programs.

Apatang cited 8 U.S. Code Section 1187(l)(6), which states, “The governor of Guam and the governor of the CNMI may request the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Homeland Security to add a particular country to the list of countries whose nationals may obtain the waiver provided by this subsection.”

In accordance with this authority, Apatang formally submitted his request, joining Leon Guerrero, who has already called for the inclusion of the Philippines as an essential step for the economies of Guam and the CNMI and for the benefit of their shared region.

Apatang emphasized that the Philippines is both a cultural and economic partner of great importance. “Filipinos comprise nearly a third of Guam’s population, and Filipino travelers are among the highest-spending visitors in the region,” he said. He told Noem that the same is true in the CNMI, where longstanding cultural ties and geographic proximity make the Philippines a natural market for tourism growth.

“The Philippines is the world’s 26th largest economy, home to a growing middle-class with increasing demand for international leisure travel, and has reduced its B-visa refusal rates in recent years,” Apatang said. “Expanding the Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program to include the Philippines would not only stimulate tourism and accelerate economic recovery in both Guam and the CNMI but would also strengthen people-to-people ties and reinforce broader U.S. interests in the Indo-Pacific.”

He urged Noem to give favorable consideration to the joint appeal from both Guam and the CNMI. “Approval would be a timely and strategic step that supports economic resilience, cultural ties, and regional cooperation,” he said.