Around 300 OFWs, dependents celebrate
Migrant Workers Day with OWWA Caraga
BUTUAN CITY -- With the theme,
“Kabayan, Sa Galing at Sakripisyo Mo, Nakabangon Ang Mundo,” the Overseas
Workers Welfare Administration Regional Welfare Office (OWWA-RWO) Caraga
recently commemorated the 27th Migrant Workers Day dubbed as
“Araw ng Pasasalamat” at Robinsons Place Butuan.
Around 300 participants consisting of
Overseas filipino Workers (OFWs) - vacationing and returnees, including their
families joined in the said celebration which aimed to recognize the
valuable contributions of the modern-day heroes, the Overseas Filipino Workers
(OFWs) to the country’s economy. It is also a way of celebrating the
signing into law of Republic Act 8042 or the Migrant Workers Act of 1995.
RA 8042 establishes promotion of overseas employment as a policy while it holds
the government responsible for the protection of OFWs.
In his opening remarks,
Officer-in-Charge Rodel P. Deligero conveyed the message of the OWWA
Administrator Atty. Hans Leo J. Cacdac who expressed the importance of the
Migrant Workers Day (MWD) Celebration to recognize the heroism and sacrifices
of our beloved OFWs especially during the time of COVID-19 pandemic.
“Kasagsagan ng pandemya may dalawang
taon na ang nakalipas, kinilala ang kontribusyon ng ating mga OFW frontliners
sa iba’t-ibang panig ng mundo. Sa kabila ng banta ng COVID-19 virus ay buong
tapang nilang hinarap ang pandemya magampanan lamang ang kanilang sinumpaang
tungkulin,” Administrator Cacdac said.
Administrator Cacdac also bared that
the continued patronage of other countries to the OFWs’ skills and competence
depicted that OFWs have great contribution in the continuous circulation of the
world.
“Sa lahat po ng ating mga mahal na OFW,
ako po ay taos-pusong nagpapasalamat sa inyo sa pagkakataong ibinigay ninyo sa
akin at sa buong OWWA na kayo ay aming mapaglingkuran sa mga oras na
pinaka-kailangan ninyo ang aming serbisyo,” Administrator Cacdac added.
Adminsitrator Cacdac also said that
during the pandemic over 1,200,000 OFWs were served by OWWA through the
provision of food, hotel accommodation and transportation onward to their
respective home provinces. At the same time, OWWA also strengthened the
implementation of its education assistance for OFW dependents with over 75,416
beneficiaries of the agency’s different scholarship programs.
In his message, Assistant Regional
Director Raymond Fel Sajor of DOLE-Caraga also lauded the sacrifices of OFWs to
provide the needs of their families. Further, he said that OFWs are in demand
because of their world class quality of work and easy to adopt attitude despite
language and culture barriers.
One of the Highlights during the
Migrant Workers Day celebration is the awarding of checks under the Balik Pinas
Balik Hanapbuhay Program (BPBHP) to ten (10) OFW program beneficiaries.
Two of the program beneficiaries
Luisito Amodia and Rochelle Pink Bernales expressed their gratitude and
appreciation to OWWA for providing them assistance to be able to start a
livelihood undertaking in their respective communities.
“Kani nga programa (BPBH) sa ilang
gihatag nga 20k, dako gyud ni siya nga tabang sa akoa arun makapuhunan
pangnegosyo, (I am grateful for this program, the
20k cash assistance given to me, because it will greatly help me have a
starting capital for my business)” said Amodia.
“Dako kog pasalamat kay inspite sa mga
niaging mga problema naghatag silage (OWWA) open door para sa mga OFWs nga
napauli (I am very grateful because in
spite of the problems I encountered in the past, OWWA has opened its door for
the OFWs who have returned suddenly),” opined Bernales.
The Balik Pinas Balik Hanapbuhay
Program is a package of livelihood support intended to provide immediate relief to
returning member-OFWs, active or non-active, who were displaced from their jobs
due to wars/political conflicts in host countries, or policy reform, controls
& changes by the local host govt., or were victims of illegal recruitment
and/or human trafficking or other distressful situations.
To make the activity more fun and meaningful, OWWA
and other social partners such as Caraga Association of Recruitment Agencies
(CARA) and Paramount Life and General Insurance Corporation afforded various
home appliances and kabuhayan package to the participants via raffle draw and
door prizes. Competitions such as Tiktok Dance Challenge of Overseas Filipino
Citizens (OFCs) and OFW Singing Idol 2022 also brought merriment to the
participants. OFW Family Circle Buenavista OFWs and Dependents Association won
the Tiktok Dance Challenge while OFW Liezl Bacasmas hailed as the 2022 OFW
Singing Idol Champion.
Likewise, partner regional line agencies Social
Security System (SSS), PhilHealth-Caraga and PAG-IBIG Fund Butuan City
presented updates on their programs and services. While Department of Health
(DOH) and City Health Office (CHO)-Butuan City conducted simultaneous
vaccination drive.
OIC-Programs and Services Division Yolanda H. Fabre
expressed her gratitude to OWWA’s active partners both in government and
private institutions which contributed to the success of the activity. She also
appreciated the efforts of OWWA Caraga employees who exerted effort to realize
the activity as well as to the participants for sparing their time to
participate in the said event.
The Migrant Workers Day celebration ended with a
community dance led by the RWO Caraga employees. (OWWA Caraga/PIA Caraga)
