CBCP to fete migrants in La Union on Migrants' Sunday
MANILA, Philippines — The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) will fete overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in a nationwide celebration of Migrants Sunday in La Union province.
An article on the CBCP Web site (www.cbcpnews.com) said the celebration this Sunday will be held at Christ the King College High School in San Fernando, La Union.
“We want to create a greater awareness for the celebration of migrant Sunday because many people do not understand the reason behind the celebration," CBCP Episcopal Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and itinerant People (ECMI) executive secretary Fr. Edwin Corros said.
Corros said they expect around 1,500 families of OFWs to participate in the affair.
He said the theme for this year's Migrant Sunday, which the Catholic Church observes on the first Sunday of Lent, is “The Sacrifices of the Filipino Migrants mirror the journey of St. Paul."
Corros said the CBCP decided to mark the occasion outside Metro Manila to make people aware about the significance of the event.
“Sometimes also our priests are not familiar what it is all about. So we try to go out of Manila. We do a lot of catechesis, information dissemination," he added.
He noted the out-of-town celebration has been going on since five years ago.
The first diocese to sponsor the national migrant celebration was the Archdiocese of Lipa, followed by the Archdiocese of Pampanga.
Corros said they pick out dioceses that have the greatest concentration of migrants among its faithful.
“We are also trying to follow the trend where the bulk of migrant workers are coming from. La Union may not be the largest but we look at [the place] as center for Northern Luzon," he said.
The La Union celebration will feature talks on migration and cultural presentations from the children of OFWs.
Corros will give a situationer on overseas migration while local government officials invited to grace the event will give their solidarity messages.
CBCP-ECMI Chairman Bishop Precioso Cantillas and La Union Bishop Artemio Rillera will lead a mass marking the occasion.
Meanwhile, the Diocese of Bayombong will also hold a diocesan activity at St. Mark Parish, Cabarroguis, in Quirino province to mark the event.
Some 500 participants from migrant families and government agencies are expected to join the event.
Other dioceses holding Migrant Sunday celebrations include Luzon dioceses of Alaminos, Ilagan, Bangued, Antipolo, Imus, Kalookan, Novaliches, and Archdioceses of San Fernando, Pampanga, Lipa and Manila.
In the Visayas, the Dioceses of Maasin, Tagbilaran, Bacolod, San Carlos, Kalibo, Kabankalan, Dumaguete, and Archdioceses of Palo, Cebu, Jaro and Capiz will organize activities to highlight the event.
In Mindanao, all dioceses in the provinces of Davao will also celebrate the occasion.
The CBCP cited figures in 2007 that there are about 8.72 million Filipinos overseas, 4.13 million of whom are OFWs.
A 2007 study also revealed an average of 2,950 OFWs departing daily for overseas jobs, 50% of them women.
In 2007, OFWs have remitted $13.44 billion that helped keep the economy afloat. - GMANews.TV
An article on the CBCP Web site (www.cbcpnews.com) said the celebration this Sunday will be held at Christ the King College High School in San Fernando, La Union.
“We want to create a greater awareness for the celebration of migrant Sunday because many people do not understand the reason behind the celebration," CBCP Episcopal Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and itinerant People (ECMI) executive secretary Fr. Edwin Corros said.
Corros said they expect around 1,500 families of OFWs to participate in the affair.
He said the theme for this year's Migrant Sunday, which the Catholic Church observes on the first Sunday of Lent, is “The Sacrifices of the Filipino Migrants mirror the journey of St. Paul."
Corros said the CBCP decided to mark the occasion outside Metro Manila to make people aware about the significance of the event.
“Sometimes also our priests are not familiar what it is all about. So we try to go out of Manila. We do a lot of catechesis, information dissemination," he added.
He noted the out-of-town celebration has been going on since five years ago.
The first diocese to sponsor the national migrant celebration was the Archdiocese of Lipa, followed by the Archdiocese of Pampanga.
Corros said they pick out dioceses that have the greatest concentration of migrants among its faithful.
“We are also trying to follow the trend where the bulk of migrant workers are coming from. La Union may not be the largest but we look at [the place] as center for Northern Luzon," he said.
The La Union celebration will feature talks on migration and cultural presentations from the children of OFWs.
Corros will give a situationer on overseas migration while local government officials invited to grace the event will give their solidarity messages.
CBCP-ECMI Chairman Bishop Precioso Cantillas and La Union Bishop Artemio Rillera will lead a mass marking the occasion.
Meanwhile, the Diocese of Bayombong will also hold a diocesan activity at St. Mark Parish, Cabarroguis, in Quirino province to mark the event.
Some 500 participants from migrant families and government agencies are expected to join the event.
Other dioceses holding Migrant Sunday celebrations include Luzon dioceses of Alaminos, Ilagan, Bangued, Antipolo, Imus, Kalookan, Novaliches, and Archdioceses of San Fernando, Pampanga, Lipa and Manila.
In the Visayas, the Dioceses of Maasin, Tagbilaran, Bacolod, San Carlos, Kalibo, Kabankalan, Dumaguete, and Archdioceses of Palo, Cebu, Jaro and Capiz will organize activities to highlight the event.
In Mindanao, all dioceses in the provinces of Davao will also celebrate the occasion.
The CBCP cited figures in 2007 that there are about 8.72 million Filipinos overseas, 4.13 million of whom are OFWs.
A 2007 study also revealed an average of 2,950 OFWs departing daily for overseas jobs, 50% of them women.
In 2007, OFWs have remitted $13.44 billion that helped keep the economy afloat. - GMANews.TV
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