by: ALEHIA THERESE V. ABUAN
PARAÑAQUE CITY, June 21 (PIA) -- Presidential Assistant on Foreign Affairs Robert E.A. Borje over the weekend led a virtual town hall meeting with representatives of the Filipino community in Saudi Arabia, extending President Duterte’s message to Filipinos and reaffirming the government’s promise of Kalinga at Malasakit for OFWs.
During the meeting, the special envoy presented President Duterte’s personal message and well wishes for OFWs in the Kingdom.
Duterte recognized the sacrifices of Overseas Filipinos through a video message saying, “Saludo ako sa inyo [We salute you]. You are the heroes. Thank you for everything that you do for our country.”
“Never forget the government is always with you. Hindi ko kayo pababayaan [We will not let you down]. Daghang salamat at mabuhay kayong lahat! [Thank you and may you all live and prosper!]”
The President encouraged Overseas Filipinos to get the COVID-19 jab to protect themselves against the virus, noting he himself got the shot.
In a similar video message, Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go also commended the hard work and sacrifices of Overseas Filipinos for the benefit of their families.
He also expressed his gratitude to the officials and personnel of the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh, Consulate- General in Jeddah, Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO), Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), and Filipino community groups.
“Sa lahat ng ating mga manggagawa sa labas ng bansa, kami po ni Pangulong Rodrigo Roa Duterte ay hindi magsasawang tugunan ang inyong mga pangangailangan,” the senator said. [To all our migrant workers, please rest assured that President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and I will not falter in providing you assistance.]
During the town hall meeting, the special envoy reaffirmed the Duterte administration’s promise of Kalinga at Malasakit [Care and Devotion] for Filipinos overseas, particularly as the Philippines celebrated Migrant Workers’ Day on June 7.
At the same time, he noted that the bill creating the Department of Overseas Filipino Workers would help ensure even greater support for OFWs once it becomes law.
The weekend event included an open forum, where participants took the opportunity to discuss a broad range of topics, such as COVID-19 restrictions in the Philippines, OFW repatriation and planned establishment of a new department for Overseas Filipinos.
The meeting was a part of the program of activities organized by the special envoy in line with his official visit to Saudi Arabia, anchored on President Duterte’s commitment to protect and promote the rights and welfare of OFWs across the globe.
Aside from the virtual town hall meeting, PAFA Borje spoke with Filipino reporters in the Kingdom, together with Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs Sarah Lou Arriola, and Philippine Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Adnan Alonto.
Among the members of the press include Glesilda Torres of iRadio, Surdo Salanap of Radio Agila, and Efren Plaza Molina of FINA-AL Ahsa.
Other officials present were Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Enrico Fos, and PCOO - Office of the Global Media and Public Affairs (OGMPA) Assistant Secretary Jusan Vincent Arcena.
There are more than 800,000 Filipinos in Saudi Arabia, mostly working as domestic laborers, according to a recent government estimate. Others are employed in the Kingdom’s construction, outsourcing, and healthcare sectors. (PIA NCR)
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