Cebu Archdiocese salutes OFWs

CEBU, Philippines - The Archdiocese of Cebu, together with other dioceses all over the country, paid tribute to Overseas Filipino Workers yesterday in celebration of the 24th National Migrants Sunday.

Msgr. Achilles Dakay, spokesman of the Archdiocese of Cebu, said that they included in their Masses and prayers of the faithful the sacrifices of OFWs endured to provide their families a decent life.

The 24th National Migrants Sunday celebration carries the theme “Sustainable Economic Development: Key to an Effective Migrant Family Reunification” will also be an occasion for people to realize how the Church responds to the growing concern of labor migration.

According to the Episcopal Commission on Migrant and Itinerant People of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, the decline of socio-economic and political environment at home has encouraged Filipinos to leave the country and seek better paying jobs abroad.

Many Filipinos, especially the poor, are quick to consider migration as the only option to combat economic poverty and social injustice.

But the government, even after four decades of labor migration, has shown insufficient economic development for its own people.

Many OFWs observed that a lot depends on good governance to create a sustainable economic environment that would entice investments.

Meanwhile, Dakay said with regards to the upcoming election, the migrants sector should be informed more and more on what’s going on in the Philippines.

The migrants sector regards the upcoming election as a critical time to assess the stance of political candidates on the issue of migration.

According to ECMI, the OFWs have expressed their opinions that the next set of political leaders should seriously address the plight of migrants.

Both Church and migrants’ sector believe that a strong political will is needed for good governance to take effect in the country’s leadership. — Johanna T. Natavio/BRP (THE FREEMAN)