Two OFWs receive surprise gifts from GMA at NAIA

Two lucky overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) received a welcome early Christmas gift — directly from President Arroyo herself — upon their arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 yesterday morning.

Unknown to caregiver Hilda Agawin, 36, and Aniceto Casimiro, 45, a project engineer, they had been drawn as winners in a government raffle called the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) "Pamaskong Handog sa Overseas Filipino Workers" this Christmas to honor the perennial "heroes" of the Philippine economy through their yearly billions in US-dollar remittances.

The two were passengers of China Airlines flight CI-631 coming from Taipei where both have worked as OFWs with Agawin working at a Taipei hospital and Casimiro as a project engineer with the Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp.

Walking along the NAIA Terminal I east concourse minutes after stepping off their flight, the two were surprised to find the President standing with her entourage of top government officials to greet them. Mrs. Arroyo’s group was led by Marianito Roque, the administrator of OWWA; Dante Ang, commissioner of the Commission on Filipinos Overseas; Rosalinda Baldoz, chief of the Philippine Overseas Employment Authority (POEA); Alfonso Cusi, general manager of the Manila International Airport Authority; Ricardo Belmonte, chief of the Bureau of Customs-NAIA; and Ferdinand Sampol, head supervisor of the Bureau of Immigration.

Agawin’s winning draw makes her the recipient of a livelihood package worth P300,000 that includes a Norkis mobile convenience store complete with retail goods while Casimiro received a P50,000 cash prize.

Before the arrival of the China Airlines flight from Taiwan, Mrs. Arroyo and her entourage toured Terminal 1 and stopped to visit the NAIA OFW center at the departure area of the terminal.

The center is a one-stop shop facility where departing OFWs can have their pre-departure requirements speedily processed by OWWA and POEA personnel. OWWA provides authentication of employment contracts, OWWA membership loan applications, and ticket verification. The POEA, on the other hand, provides issuance and validation of the workers’ overseas employment certificates (OEC).

OFWs whose stay in the country this holiday season will not exceed one week may secure their OEC at the center. For other assistance that they may require, a staff from the MIAA Public Affairs Office is on hand to help them. OWWA and POEA had initiated the putting up of the OFW center in appreciation of the overseas workers’ strong contribution to the Philippine economy, keeping it afloat with their annual dollar remittances. OWWA figures reveal there are presently 8 million Filipinos working abroad, three million of them contract workers and five million permanent residents.

In 2004, OFW remittances hit the $8-billion mark. This year, their remittances are expected to hit $12 billion.

Despite escalating oil prices and other negative financial and political events, the peso has remained strong mainly due to the surge in OFW remittances.

Yesterday, apart from welcoming and congratulating Agawin and Casimiro, the President spoke briefly with other OFWs departing and arriving at the NAIA and thanked them for their contributions.