LUCENA CITY — Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) from Quezon province were feted in a day-long ‘Migrants’ Day’ celebration as they received recognition from a grateful province as the country’s new living heroes.
Quezon Provincial Gender and Development Office head Ofelia Palayan on Monday said that the “salute to the OFWs” on “Migrants Day,” observed yearly on December 8 was in partnership with SM City Lucena City and various government and non-government sectors through the Provincial Committee on Migration and Development.
Palayan said the celebration at the SM mall event center adopted this year’s theme “Pasasalamat sa Overseas Filipinos” for the sacrifice of Filipino migrant workers for their families and loved ones and their foreign remittances to help boost the country’s economy.
During the celebration over the weekend, some OFWs shared their experiences and success stories after they invested their earnings from working abroad in business and agricultural ventures.
Benedicto Malaluan of Candelaria town, who turned to rice farming, and Domingo Marasigan from Sariaya, are now successful farmers who romped off with the Department of Agriculture (DA) regional “GawadSaka” awards.
Another OFW Julietta Rodillas from Tayabas also invested by putting up the now popular Rodilla’sYema Cake Bakery and pastry specialties.
The retired OFWs thanked the provincial government and Governor David Suarez for hosting a special day for them and honoring them in the occasion.
A great number of the returning and vacationing OFWs have expressed “iba pa rin ang pakiramdam ng nasa sariling bayan. Ang maituring na bayani ng bansa ay isa nang malaking karangalan, ngunit ang pagiging bayani para sa kanilang pamilya ay walang katumbas na anumang salapi.” (Gideon Belen/PNA)
