Church to gov't: Give Pinoys jobs

CEBU, Philippines - Over 1000 migrant workers along with their families joined the commemoration of the 26th National Migrants Sunday hosted by the Archdiocese of Cebu yesterday.

With the theme “Migration and the New Evangelization,” the celebration invites everyone to reflect, pray and do something for the situation of those negatively affected by migration, particularly the overseas Filipinos and their families.

Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma celebrated a mass at the Mariners’ Court at Pier 1 at 9:30 am. Maasin Bishop Precioso Cantillas, chairman of the Philippines Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, gave the homily.

Cantillas pointed out the psycho-social effects of migration to both OFWs and the families they leave behind.

“While money is important, at what cost the country is economically helped by migration when they know, you, who are families, children left behind know the difficult situation you are in because money doesn’t solve everything,” he said.

While the Church is neither encouraging nor discouraging migration, Cantillas said the Church is urging government to provide jobs here instead of making the situation an economic strategy to let them work abroad.

Cantillas said that until government addressed and achieved this responsibility, the Church has a moral obligation to guide and prepare the workers, dubbed as modern day heroes, in their migration journey.

The bishop disclosed that there are 200 million migrants all over the world, 50 million of whom are from Asia. Of the 50 million, 11 million are from the Philippines.

Some of these OFWs, Cantillas pronounced, works literally in the dessert lands abroad and some doing dirty and dangerous jobs.

The Church, in their own ways, Cantillas said, will find means to help alleviate the situation of migrant workers and their families.

The National Migrants’ Sunday is an annual event that celebrates and recognizes the heroism of Overseas Filipino Workers as well as their families. It is celebrated on the first Sunday of Lent.

The main celebration was held in Cebu City but various dioceses in the country also commemorated the event by holding several activities. —