Villar encourages OFWs, families to join summit

MANILA, Philippines, November 21 ------ Sen. Cynthia Villar has renewed her call to all overseas Filipino workers and their families to attend the 10th OFW and Family Summit today, via Zoom and Facebook Live at 9 a.m. “We invite our OFWs and their families to participate virtually in the summit,” she said. Registration is currently open at https://ofwsummit2021.villarsipag.org/registration. Villar said the theme for this year’s event is “Masiglang Kabuhayan Sa Bagong Panahon,” which she believes is timely because Filipinos are all struggling to live a normal and happy life amid the coronavirus pandemic that has crippled the world economy.

For the first time, Villar related that the summit will be held virtually to ensure the protection of the participants still facing a global health crisis. The senator, a known advocate of OFWs, has been encouraging migrant workers and their families to join this occasion, assuring that the knowledge they can get from here would be a useful tool in their work abroad.

“This is an opportunity for them to learn how to protect their hard-earned money against scammers and how to invest wisely. We also want to ensure their welfare and protection abroad and those of their loved ones who were left behind in the country,” Villar said. “Aside from teaching our OFWs how to wisely invest their savings and grow their income, it is equally important to educate them on their rights and how not to fall victim to human trafficking, illegal recruitment and investment scams,” she added.

Participants will also have a chance to win a house and lot, “pangkabuhayan” package and other prizes. The event, convened by the Villar family and the Villar Social Institute for Poverty Alleviation and Governance (Villar SIPAG), is their annual offering to OFWs who have been sacrificing to give their families a decent and comfortable life. “Through the dollar remittances they send back home, our OFWs also help keep the country’s economy afloat amid the pandemic,” emphasized Villar who said the annual event is a way of the Villar family to say “thank you” to OFWs. She expects thousands of OFWs and their beneficiaries to participate in this virtual event wherein they can interact anew with private and government institutions for concerns ranging from access to financial services, social benefits, legal assistance.

Source: philstar.com