Filipino migrant workers in Taiwan celebrated the 125th Philippine independence anniversary on Sunday after a three-year hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic. Over 7,000 Filipino workers from various parts of the island joined the celebration organized by the Manila Economic and Cultural Office. Aside from the celebration of Philippine independence, the event also coincided with the observance of Migrant Workers’ Day in recognition of the valuable contribution of overseas workers to the country’s growth. Among the highlights of the celebration include a fun run and Zumba contest at the Sanchong Metropolitan Park, New Taipei City. The OFWs were also feted with live musical entertainment from local Filipino groups, with guest performers from Manila, and big raffle and cash prizes. Senator Francis Tolentino, Pampanga Governor Dennis Pineda and former Ilocos Sur Governor Chavit Singson graced the event. In a video message, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., called on the Filipinos, including OFWs, to unite and continue to work for a just and inclusive Philippines. “This is the first time after three years that our OFWs are seeing each other in this kind of activity and express their unity in helping our government move our nation ahead,” MECO chair Silvestre H. Bello III said. “This is also our way of saying how grateful our government is to our OFWs for their immense contribution in keeping our economy afloat,” Bello said. Apple Joy Juico, one of the leaders of the Filipino community in Taichung, said the event served to rekindle the bond among OFWs after three years of the pandemic. “We are planning more activities like this in the coming months to provide our kababayans with avenues to express our solidarity and display oneness as a people,” Juico said. There was an overflow of happiness and excitement among the participants that they gamely joined the early morning fun run, the start of which was signaled by Bello and the mayor of the New Taipei City. The OFWs also sang and danced to live music, and cheered as raffle numbers are drawn for cash prizes and round trip plane tickets to the Philippines. Booths were also set up for services of government agencies, including OWWA and Pag-IBIG. The event likewise showcased other programs and services for OFWs.
Source: Philippines News Agency