Model OFW family named

MANILA, Philippines - Engineer Rodolfo Lubis, who worked in Saudi Arabia for 31 years, together with his wife Sonia and children Annabelle, Charisma, and Rudyson won the 2009 Model OFW Family of the Year National Awards (Land-Based Category) for their contribution in providing education and sustainable income to underprivileged members of society in Lipa City, Batangas.

The Lubis family developed the first Gawad Kalinga reunion village which gives employment or livelihood capital to the residents as well as scholarship grants to the children. The Lubises have also planted more than 45,000 narra and mahogany trees as their contribution to the greening of the environment advocacy of the government.

Now on its fifth year, MOFYA is an annual recognition program organized by the Overseas Workers Welfare Adminsitration in partnership with Globe Telecom and Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) to honor outstanding OFW families. Globe and BPI gave cash prizes of P400,000 and P200,000, respectively. 

“It is inspiring to know that despite the many sacrifices that our OFW families have to make, they remain concerned about and involved with the welfare of their respective communities. The material improvement in their lives as a result of the sacrifice of their OFW loved ones have not taken away from them their sense of generosity and love for country. That is definitely very Filipino,” said Vice President Noli de Castro.