MANILA – The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines’ Episcopal Commission on Migrants and Itinerant People (ECMI) observed the National Migrants' Day on the the first Sunday of Lent Feb. 25.
Focus of the Bishops' celebration is the Balikbayan box which CBCP says has become the symbol of Filipinos going abroad seeking work to improve their economic conditions.
"The Balikbayan box could very well be seen as the strongest symbol of Filipino migration; it continues to project the hope of many Filipinos that migration is the only way to improve their economic condition and that of their families," said Bishop Precioso Cantillas of Maasin, Leyte who also heads ECMI.
Approximately eight million Filipinos
work or live overseas; between 2,500 and 3,000 overseas Filipino workers leave
the country every day.
The bishops are celebrating Migrants’ Day
because of its deep concern over the social ills that have sprung from overseas
work. “believing that until this time, the issues are not yet being given much
attention in our society," the bishops said.
Cantillas pointed to the “new face of
feminization” in the deployment of OFWs, as more and more women leave their
homes to become nurses, teachers, maids, and entertainers, thus posing
challenges to some family and social values.*
“The absence of the mother in the family
has great ill effects in the upbringing of children," the bishop said. “As
more Balikbayan boxes appear at our airports, our concern for the welfare of
the migrants and their families especially the children left behind becomes
more frightening."
The commission called on the Church,
society, and the government to face the social effects of migration with
“greater concern and dedication,” particularly in providing more awareness
programs, direct paralegal services, and counseling support to OFWs and the
families they left behind, and strengthening the economic capacity of the
families.
‘ECMI continues to hope with the Filipino
people for a socio-political and economic change in our country which would
provide better work opportunities for every Filipino worker here in our very own
country so that our countrymen will not be forced to leave their homes at the
expense of the proper growth of their families and children," it said.
Such social change could happen if the
Filipinos vote wisely in the coming May elections, ECMI added.
ECMI also appealed to the government for
“quality legislation and programs" that would promote the welfare of OFWs
and their families.
“After all, they are doing our country
and society significant economic support through their work and
sacrifices," it said.
ECMI executive secretary Fr. Edwin Corros
said the theme of this year’s National Migrants’ Sunday was “Social Costs
of Migration: A Deep Concern for the
Church" to point out that migration issues are not yet being given much
attention by the society.
The host of the 2007 celebration was the
Diocese of Antipolo, which was ranked third nationwide with the highest number
of OFWs.
The event was celebrated at the
Assumption College of Antipolo City Which was preceded by an advocacy parade
and a procession of the Birhen ng Antipolo icon.
Around 4,000 OFW families from different
parishes of Rizal province and Marikina City participated in the event.
The Church also organized parades,
motorcades, releasing of balloons, and film-showings in the dioceses of Manila,
Novaliches, Caloocan, Bayombong in Nueva Vizcaya, Lipa, Cebu, San Fernando in
La Union, Alaminos in Pangasinan, and Bangued in Abra.
Corros said Cagayan Valley is one concern
for ECMI because the region had the most number of OFW returnees from strife-ridden
Lebanon. The returnees were still waiting for the care of and the promised
assistance by the government, he added.
