CBCP marks Nat’l Migrants Sunday

While many may perceive the growing number of incoming balikbayan boxes as a sign of the economy’s improvement, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) yesterday said that these packages also symbolize the increasing number of Filipino migrants.

On the 21st anniversary of the National Migrants Sunday (NMS), the CBCP-Episcopal Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People (ECMI) said they chose the theme "Social Costs of Migration, A Deep Concern for the Church" as a follow-up of last year’s theme, "Year of Social Concerns."

"The balikbayan box could very well be seen as the strongest symbol of Filipino migration. It continues to project the hope of many Filipinos that migration is the only way to improve their economic condition and that of their families," the CBCP-ECMI said in a statement.

It also said that, "as more balikbayan boxes appear at our airports, our concern for the welfare of the migrants and their families especially the children left behind becomes more frightening. The Church, society and the government should face this challenge with greater concern and dedication."

There are now about eight million Filipinos who live and work overseas. An average of 2,500 to 3,000 people leave the country each year. – Evelyn Macairan