I was a witness and part of the Migration Phenomenon which peaked in the 70s and 80s decade. As an OFW myself, I saw droves of Filipinos lined-up at the airports with their backpacks, handcarries and luggages to search for a better life overseas to secure his/her family’s future.
The airport scene was always agonizing, with little children clinging on to their parent/s weeping endlessly and begging not to leave! No less than Cardinal Tagle articulated his anxiety as he dreaded going to the airports and seeing families on the verge of separation (because of love), developing a phobia in the process!
Now we are witnessing another phenomenon, the second one, the “Homebound Phenomenon”, where hundreds of thousands of OFWs are being repatriated because of the COVID 19 Pandemic.! As of October 2020, more than 200,000 OFWs have been sent back to the country and it is estimated that around 300,000 or more will be repatriated by the end of this year, 2020. They are our heroes who bailed us out in many crises such as the 1997 Financial Crisis, and for many years have kept our economy afloat by their significant remittances. Now they need our support!
The CFC Migrants Program has responded to the call to help our repatriated and distressed OFWs thru the “TAWID OFW PROGRAM”. The three components of the TOP are the 1) Household Tawid Tulong Program (HTTP) where a CFC volunteer household (cell group) adopts an OFW family in distress to tide them over during the pandemic, 2) The Entrepreneurship and Career Program, where CFC MP volunteers will mentor and hand-hold interested repatriated OFWs to put up their own businesses, or otherwise refer them for employment to CFC MP Partners. Next, to have a holistic approach, the OFW family will undergo the 3) Values Formation and Learning Program (VFLP) where participants will be re-oriented to value their family, the community and environment and heighten their nationalism.
The CFC Migrants Program is blessed and privileged to collaborate with ANCOP, GOLD Foundation, DMCI, the church, thru the CBCP Episcopal Commission on the Paatoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant Peoples (ECMI) to be of service to our repatriated and distressed OFWs especially at this time of the pandemic. We seek more partners in this huge work and pray that many more individuals and organizations with similar advocacy may share their time, talent and treasure for GOD’s greater honor and glory.
In closing, we are reminded in Proverbs 11:24-25 “One person gives freely, yet gains even more, another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.”