The Villar family paid tribute to the invaluable contributions of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) at the 13th OFW and Family Summit recently held at The Tent in Las Piñas City.
Over 4,000 OFWs and their family members participated in the Summit.
This year’s theme “Tara Magnegosyo Na!” the summit urged the OFWs and their families to invest in local businesses and opportunities to maximize their hard-earned income.
The event kicked off with a ribbon-cutting ceremony led by the Villar Family together with OWAA Administrator Arnel Ignacio, DMW Asec.Venecio Legaspi and father Fr. Dennis Irisari of San Ezekiel parish.
House Deputy Speaker Camille Villar expressed heartfelt gratitude to the OFWs for their immense contributions to society.
“Lahat po kami taos pusong nagpapasalamat sa inyo at sa sakripisyo niyo,” said Deputy Speaker Villar.
“Saludo po kami sa inyong sipag, tiyaga, dedikasyon at pagmamahal sa ating bayan.”
“Kaya para po sa inyo itong 13th OFW Summit, para kahit sa isang munting paraan, maipakita po naming ang pasasalamat sa inyo. Saludo po kami sa inyong sipag, tiyaga, dedikasyon at pagmamahal sa ating bayan,” added the lady legislator.
Senator Mark Villar on the other hand, assured OFWs and their families of sustained assistance and support, both personally and through legislative initiatives aimed at safeguarding the rights and welfare of OFWs. Villar highlighted the filing of Senate Bill 223 to provide credit assistance to employed OFWs and Senate Bill 1415 to establish an Assistance Fund for OFWs in distress.
“Kami po ay lubusang humahanga sa inyong pagsisikap upang mabigyan ng magandang buhay ang inyong mga pamilya sa kabila ng pagiging malayo sa kanila,” the senator said.
“Kaya naman po sa abot ng aming makakaya, kami po ay patuloy na magbibigay suporta sa ating mga kapatid na OFWs at sa inyong mga pamilya na maiiwan dito sa Pilipinas,” he added.
Former Senate President Manny Villar, who started the said advocacy on OFW, expressed optimism about the progress made in protecting the OFW sector and stressed the need to enhance the financial and entrepreneurial skills of OFWs. He recognized the vital role of migrant workers in society and the economy, urging continued support for their endeavors.
“Natutuwa ako at umaangat ang buhay ng ating mga OFWs.”
“Natutuwa ako at umaangat ang buhay ng ating mga OFWs. Marami pa rin tayong tutulungan, magkikita pa rin tayo sa mga susunod na OFW summit’ said the former Senate President.
Senator Cynthia Villar, on the other hand, thanked everyone who attended the summit and once again invited everyone to use their learnings and insights from the guests to establish local business and make it flourish.
The lady senator, a known advocate of OFWs, believes that with the proper guidance and mentorship, our migrant workers will also find success in entrepreneurship, while spurring economic growth in localities.
Various experts on financial literacy, business start-ups, and career development programs were invited to speak during the event.
Successful OFW entrepreneurs were also invited to share inspiring experiences that could help motivate OFWs to wisely spend their hard-earned money.
In between the discussions and presentations, raffle prizes including household appliances, pangkabuhayan packages, and motorcycles were given away to participating OFWs.
Mylene Chua, a mother of five from Sto. Nino Marikina City, who works as a domestic helper in Kuwait bagged the grand prize of Camella House.
The summit–initiated by the Villar family through Villar Foundation–is their annual offering to OFWs, who are known for sacrificing a lot for the sake of giving their families a decent and comfortable life back home.
