LA TRINIDAD, Benguet (PIA) - - More than 300 Baguio – Benguet Overseas Filipino Workers and OFW returnees/vacationists along with their families enjoyed a day of fun in the OFW Family Day hosted by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration – Cordillera (OWWA – CAR) at the La Trinidad Municipal Gym on December 20.

The one day celebration includes fun games, raffles and a singing contest for OFWs and family members. Each family participant also brought home Christmas grocery pack.

OWWA – CAR headed by OIC Regional Director Luzviminda Tumaliuan also awarded cheques to OWWA program beneficiaries.

The Tabio OFW Association received P250, 000 while the Barangay Balili Balik Pinas OFW Association received P171, 000 under the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) – OWWA Tulong PUSO program. This is one – time livelihood financial grant to duly registered OFW group for a start – up business or expansion of an existing one

Eleven OFWs also received P15, 000 each under the DOLE – OWWA Sustainable Livelihood Program and 16 others received P20, 000 livelihood financial assistance under OWWA’s Balik – Pinas Balik Hanapbuhay  program.

 OWWA – CAR also awarded educational financial assistance to their scholars under the Educational Development Scholarship Program and OFW Dependent Scholarship Program; while three OFWs received medical assistance and two spouses of OFWs received bereavement assistance.

The OFW Family Day is an annual celebration that aims to celebrate the contributions of OFWs to the national economy and praise their resilience working overseas in order to provide a better future for their families.

“Hangarin po ng OWWA ang pagsamasama ng pamilyang OFWs sa araw na ito kasama ang kapwa OFWs mula sa ibat-ibang bansa upang makapagbigay ng saya sa bawat isa,” Tumaliuan said.

With the continuing challenge of the COVID – 19 pandemic, Tumaliuan also assured that OWWA will continue to improve its services and work for faster delivery to their OFW members.

 “As we take another challenge of helping the country recover from the pandemic by bringing back lost livelihood, incomes and jobs, we at OWWA, are again tasked to do more and do things better in delivering our services fast.”

“We can only achieve the challenge by doing more and doing things better by learning from our experiences and lessons learned during the pandemic”, Tumaliuan stressed.

DOLE – CAR Assistant Regional Director Emerito Narag, Congressman Eric Yap represented by Jairah Sidayao and La Trinidad Mayor Romeo Salda also delivered Christmas messages to the participants during the event. (JDP/CCD-PIA CAR)