Church prepares for int'l migration consultation in Manila

MANILA, Philippines - Catholic Church officials in the Philippines are preparing for a high-level regional consultation on migration in Asia that will be held in Manila Aug. 28 and 29.

The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) and Geneva-based International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC) are jointly holding the summit.

"The main purpose of the consultation is to share and analyze concerns, information and opportunities among members in the region and the ICMC network regarding important trends, decision making and related processes," ICMC secretary general Johan Ketelers said in a statement posted on the CBCP website. www.cbcpnews.com

Invited to attend the consultation are Maasin bishop and CBCP Episcopal Commission for Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People (ICMI) chairman Precioso Cantillas; Cotabato Archbsihop and Federation of the Asian Bishops Conferences (FABC) Secretary General Orlando Quevedo; and CBCP President Angel Lagdameo.

ICMC protects the needs of uprooted people, refugees, internally displaced persons and migrants. It operates in 30 countries including Indonesia, Jordan, Lebanon, Pakistan and Turkey.

The consultation will discuss national and regional circumstances, structures and trends in migration, human trafficking and labor migration.

Participants are also expected to tackle the well-being of migrants and their families, and the link between national, regional and international policy building and action.

"The voice of the Church is increasingly important in these debates at all levels and therefore we hope to finalize the agenda after we receive participants' thoughts," Ketelers said.

All presidents of Bishops Conferences or a designate mandated with a level of authority to represent the Bishops' Conferences to ICMC, such as the Chair of the Episcopal Migration Commission or other national structure for migration issues and those involved in the care of migrants, are to attend the said event.

"We are also grateful to the Episcopal Commission for Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People of CBCP in hosting the meeting and the Philippine Migrant Rights Watch in providing logistics in the organization of this consultation in Manila," said Maha Al-Adhami, Communications Assistant of ICMC.

ICMC has the Holy See's mandate to work with the Bishops Conferences worldwide and ICMC's members on issues relating to the movement of peoples, in permanent and active collaboration with the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People.

It is acting in close collaboration with the Secretariat of State with respect to its presence and activity at international level. - GMANews.TV

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