DFA Leads Month-Long Migration Celebration
PASAY 09 December 2019 — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) leads the celebration of the Month of Overseas Filipinos and the International Migrants Day this December.
Kicking off the celebration of the Month of Overseas Filipinos, the DFA - Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs (OUMWA), together with other government agencies, participated in the Flag Raising Ceremony organized by the National Parks Development Committee and Salute to a Clean Flag advocacy group at the Rizal Monument last 02 December.
On the same day, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin Jr. and Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs Sarah Lou Y. Arriola highlighted the efforts of the Department in its commitment to the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration (GCM) in the High Level Forum on Global Migration co-convened by DFA-OUMWA and the University of the Philippines Centre International de Formation des Autorités et Leaders (UP CIFAL) in celebration of the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery.
To train offices from agencies to become experts on migration, DFA-OUMWA, in partnership with UP CIFAL and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), holds the Professional Course on Global Migration on from 09 to 12 December at the Department’s Elpidio Quirino Hall. The course aims to provide a deeper understanding on migration and its underlying concepts. As part of the completion of the course, a Capstone Project will follow on 19 December to apply acquired knowledge on migration challenges.
Promoting awareness on migration and how it affects the lives of Filipinos, DFA-OUMWA, in coordination with International Organization for Migration (IOM) Philippines, will likewise screen select films as part of the Global Migration Film Festival. The Festival will gather students from universities in Metro Manila on 16 December 2019.
Finally, to highlight the collaboration and developments of the Philippines in ensuring a safe, orderly, and regular migration, DFA will host a Diplomatic Reception on 16 December 2019 to be attended by members of the diplomatic corps, government officials, and stakeholders in migration development at the Department’s Bulwagang Apolinario Mabini. The Reception will also be attended by Filipino migration advocates who have successfully raised public awareness on migration issues of Filipinos and encouraged a positive outlook on Filipino migration.
The Month of Overseas Filipinos is celebrated every December by virtue of Proclamation No. 276, s. 1988 to recognize the contributions of Overseas Filipino Workers and Filipino migrants in the development of the country. Meanwhile, the International Migrants Day is observed every 18 December upholding Resolution 55/93 of the United Nations General Assembly adopted on 4 December 2000, which puts emphasis on the protection of the fundamental human rights of migrants around the world. END