OWWA RO 6: Reaching out to OFW families
Filipinos are present in most parts of the world. On almost all degrees of every latitude and longitude that crosses the globe, certainly there are Pinoys. The scarcity of employment opportunities has pushed them to pack their luggages and to exit the country. In order to build the good life that they've been dreaming of, some Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) prefer to stay in other countries for years agonizing the pains of missing their families. Good thing there's Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), a government institution that provides care and other related services to OFWs and their families.
Last Saturday, March 18, 2006, Overseas Workers Welfare Officer III Noel Chavez, Family Welfare Officers Sarah Pasan and Allen Arroyo, Sherwin Madayag, Sancho Canoso,and Marc Ted Suating together with two OWWA directors crossed the Iloilo Strait to visit the island province of Guimaras for the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement creating OFW help desks in the five municipalities of Guimaras. The main objective of the said signing is to expedite programs and services of OWWA.
The 10th Memorandum of Agreement signing in the Philippines and the second in Region VI took place at the Guimaras State and Information Center, a separate building that lies adjacent to the Provincial Capitol. On her welcome message, Honorable Board Member Josephine de la Cruz warmly thanked OWWA in advance for extending their services to the OFW families in Guimaras.
"This is beneficial to OWWA as it extends its reach at the same time I would like to believe that the provincial government of Guimaras will find it beneficial as well," says Director Albert Q. Valenciano, Director IV Administrative and Financial Management Office, on his speech. Director Valenciano came in behalf of OWWA Administrator Honorable Marianito D. Roque who was not able to grace the occasion. The Administrator was on an official trip in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to meet dignitaries and to arrange the return of 77 Filipino detainees in the Middle East.
"We hope that more OFWs will get in touch with the OWWA migrant group. With this I am confident that in a way we can extend support to those who were forced to go out of the country due to lack of opportunities. We wish to thank OWWA," Governor JC Rahman A. Nava delivered with gratitude.
After reading its contents, Director Valenciano and Governor Nava along with Director Saul T. De Vries, Regional Director OWWA Region VI signed the six pages Memorandum of Agreement. The lay members from the Jaro Archdiocesan Committee on Migrants namely; Nourie T. Napano, Marivic Erpelua, and Encarnita Tioco were sent by their chaplain Fr. Tom Tibudan to witness the historical event. Mr. Dienfield G. Gange, Information Officer III of the Province of Guimaras, served as the Master of Ceremony.
Honorable Mayor Diosdado Gonzaga of Nueva Valencia, Sangguniang Bayan Member Rodolfo Falcon of Jordan, and the Mayor Samuel Gumarin of Buenavista attended the ceremony. Mr. Elemer B. Ganancial, Provincial Administrator and Concurrent PGSO of Guimaras was also present.
The help desks in each municipality and in the provincial office were expected to give assistance to the OFWs and their families in Guimaras.
Since OFWs are considered as heroes, they deserve to be assisted as soon as possible with efficiency.
In their desire to reach out to the OFWs, OWWA created a project that offers educational opportunity for the dependents of former OFWs. The "Tuloy Aral Project," a scholarship, was made possible by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration and the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
Other than scholarship programs, the help desk will also aid in organizing families of OFWs in several towns of Guimaras as well as in promoting camaraderie among them. The desk was designed for financial aid such as that of sari-sari stores and cooperatives.
The program ended with an open forum wherein the people of Guimaras were given the chance to ask OWWA, through its directors, their concerns. After the discussion, the guests savored the popular Guimaras mangoes, dubbed as one of the sweetest of its kind in the world, as they feasted over a sumptuous meal.
The directors and guests from OWWA Iloilo made a quick tour on some of the province's tourist spots with the help of Jocelyn, a guide from the Local Tourism Office of Guimaras.
Aside from Guimaras, OWWA Administrator Marianito D. Roque signed the same memorandum along with the Governor of Aklan in Kalibo last March 17, 2006. The same program will be held in Bacolod on April of this year.
Truly, nothing beats OWWA when it comes to the pampering of our present heroes - our OFWs!