Robert J. DuPont Conducts Seminar on Immigration Law, Participates in Philippine Ambassador's Tour of Manila and Audience with President Arroyo
Robert J. DuPont was one of only two attorneys to participate in the Third Annual Ambassador's Tour to Manila, Philippines. The tour was attended by 650 Philippino-Americans and Canadians. Also in attendance was the Philippine Ambassador to the United States as well as Consul Generals from Los Angeles, San Francisco, Guam, Edmonton Canada and other major cities. I had the pleasure of participating in the tour and then conducting two well-attended seminars at the AIM Center in Makati. The seminar featured coverage of developments in U.S. immigration law, available investment based visas and preparation for consular interviews. After the presentation most participants remained for a question and answer session that covered everything from fiancée visa issues, to nursing petitions as well as debunking or confirming the many myths concerning approval or denial of visitor visas.
I always learn a great deal when I interact with clients in a public forum, but this trip, my first to the Philippines, provided me an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the country in which so many of my clients are born. For six full days, I met dozens of Philippine-Americans who had come to the United States and were living the American dream. They have raised their families, put children through college, saved their money, and even sent money home to relatives. Now they are being courted by real estate development interests such as the Ayala family to plan their retirement and invest their American dollars in high-end condominiums and properties in Manila and surrounding areas. Local mayors and trade officials from each of the provinces also made presentations to our group on opportunities and products available for export.
The tour was not all business, as we witnessed the wreath laying ceremony honoring Jose Rizal at the Rizal Monument, and visited historical areas of the city including Casa Manila. The tour culminated with a visit to Malacanang palace with dinner and meeting with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. One of the most instructive moments for me was a day trip that the tour took to Villa Escudero, a Cocoanut Plantation originally bought from a Muslim landowner by the Escudero family in 1872 and home to three generations of workers living on the plantation. We were entertained by folk-dancing, and dined on traditional Philippino foods.
On the return to Manila the bus stopped at a local fruit stand, and I heard someone exclaim “lansones”! Soon a crowd surrounded the little fruit stand and surprised the owners as everyone is clamoring to buy fresh lansones and rambutan. “We can't get these fresh in the U.S.”, “I haven't tasted these in twenty years” says another Philippino American. It was an emotional moment for the tour and a great payday for the fruit stand as every piece of fruit was taken from the shelves.
I also came to understand on a deeper level the importance of my job as an immigration attorney. As many readers realize, its not just getting to the United States that is important, being able to return to your homeland, to visit family, enjoy the company of old friends, or even prepare for retirement, are incredibly important reasons to have legal status in the United States. I also came to appreciate many of the things our clients give up in leaving the Philippines and I knew my experience gathered from this and future visits to the Philippines would give me that much more resolve to serve my clients from this great country.
Robert J. DuPont is the founding attorney for The Law Offices of Robert J. DuPont. Mr. DuPont graduated from Yale University and USC Law School. He is admitted to the California Supreme Court, Federal District Courts in the Central and Northern Districts of California, as well as the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Mr. DuPont has been a speaker at ILW, a leading immigration law publisher. He was the founder of the Immigration Law Committee with the Beverly Hills Bar Association. Mr. DuPont has risen to prominence with over a decade’s practice in the field of immigration law. He has brought cases to their successful conclusion before the EOIR, BIA, AAO, Federal District Court and 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
A similar version of this article may have been published in the Asian Journal.