BY: VALERIE ANN DISMAYA
Every time the holiday season approaches, or when it’s birthdays or graduations, our relatives abroad come home to celebrate.
They often bring big balikbayan boxes.
We call them migrants.
Since the year 2000, every December 18, International Migrants Day has been celebrated.
It was declared by the United Nations General Assembly through Resolution 55/93.
December 18 was chosen because it marks the anniversary of the 1990 adoption of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families.
This celebration aims to raise awareness of the rights of migrants worldwide.
According to data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), in 2023, over 10.2 million Filipinos were living abroad, including 2.3 million overseas Filipino migrant workers.
This data includes temporary workers, permanent migrants, and undocumented migrants.
But why do Filipinos choose to work abroad?
The first reason is to seek higher salaries and better job opportunities to support their families.
The second reason is to fulfill their dreams in other countries.
The third reason is to escape natural disasters or wars in their hometowns.
And, of course, some Filipinos aspire to become permanent citizens of the countries they migrate to.
The Philippine government plays a significant role in protecting their rights.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) have programs to ensure the safety of migrant workers.
There’s also an Assistance-to-Nationals Program for Filipinos who experience abuse or legal problems.
OWWA offers scholarship programs for OFW children, financial assistance for those who lose their jobs abroad, and a Reintegration Program to help returning OFWs start businesses or secure stable livelihoods back in the Philippines.
So let us remember that International Migrants Day is not just a simple celebration. It is a reminder of the sacrifices of those who venture abroad.
And when we see or talk to them again, let’s thank them for their heroism.
