Abide by rules of host countries, MILF tells Moro OFWs

MANILA, Philippines — The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has reminded Muslim overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to follow the laws of countries where they are working so they can be models for suffering fellow Moros in the Philippines.

An article on the MILF website (www.luwaran.net) said two MILF officials relayed the reminder to OFWs in Saudi Arabia after joining the minor pilgrimage (umrah) in Makkah (Mecca.)

“We urge all of you to work diligently and religiously so that you will be appreciated by your employees and the Saudi government but also by Almighty Allah," they said.

But the MILF officials also urged the OFWs to start to identify themselves as Bangsamoro, a nation which is distinct from Filipinos.

The MILF said the meeting between its two officials and some 100 Moro OFWs took place last April 24 in Makkah.

One of the MILF officials also advised the OFWs to spend their earnings wisely and to invest them in something tangible like land where they can plant fruit-bearing trees.

“Land will never depreciate and every year the value increases," said the other MILF official.

The two officials also reminded them to educate their parents, wives, or sons and daughters about spending their remittances wisely and not on almost useless things.

According to the MILF account, all the ethno-linguistic tribes were represented in the meeting, including Maranaos, Maguindanaos, Tausogs, Yakans, Ka’gans, Samas, Kalibugans, Iranons, Sangils, Molboganens, and Badjaos.

The MILF officials exhorted them to unite, saying “there is no substitute for unity." - GMANews.TV

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

PCG: China’s bullying in West Philippine Sea undermines international law --- Ghio Ong - The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines — Letting China sustain its aggression in the West Philippine Sea would make other countries doubt the strength of international law currently being asserted by the Philippines, Commodore Jay Tarriela of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said. “Allowing China to blatantly disregard the established rules-based order threatens the very foundation that we all depend on,” he wrote in a post on X last Tuesday. He added, “If we permit this, countries worldwide may forget why this order was created in the first place. Nations could begin to doubt the significance of adhering to international law if powerful bullies can easily violate it.” Tarriela also said defiance of other countries to a rules-based order would result in the prevalence of cruelty. He wrote, “This could lead us back to a time when might makes right, undermining the global structures that keep human greed, savagery and barbarism in check. Such a scenario would not only invite challenges from aggressive ...
Read more

China ships maintain presence in key West Philippine Sea areas --- Michael Punongbayan - The Philippine Star

STAR / Michael Varcas MANILA, Philippines — While Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) have decreased in number, they have maintained a presence in three key land features where naval and coast guard ships have intensified operations in the past seven days, according to the Philippine Navy. Latest monitoring by the Philippine Navy showed armed ships of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) maintaining a menacing presence around the grounded BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal, Panatag Shoal and Escoda Shoal. According to the Philippine Navy, there are 17 Chinese military vessels and 28 China Coast Guard (CCG) boats spotted inside the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) between Sept. 23 and 30, or one vessel more than in the previous week Sept.17-23. Five of the warships were seen roaming around the vicinity of Escoda Shoal, along with 10 CCG vessels and 12 maritime militia vessels (MMVs). There are also two PLAN ships in Ayungin Shoal as well as 10 CCG boats and 12...
Read more

Social media seen as cause of rising intermarriages --- Helen Flores - The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) sees social media as the main reason for the rising number of Filipinos marrying or becoming partners of foreign nationals. In 2022, the CFO recorded 6,854 marriages or partnerships with foreign nationals, a 40.1 percent increase from the 4,891 “intermarriages” recorded in 2021. “First of all, what we see in the increase in the marriage rate of Filipinos or Filipinos with foreign partners is because of social media, (that) is number one; matchings; letters, introduction of their friends,” CFO chairperson Romulo Arugay said at the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon public briefing yesterday. Arugay said the agency has been registering a high number of intermarriages since 2007, but the figures went down during the COVID-19 pandemic. From over 6,500 Filipinos who married foreign nationals, only 600 are men, he said. Most of them are married to Americans, Japanese, Germans, Canadians and Australians, Arugay said. Arugay warned Fi...
Read more