19 June 2014 - In celebration of the 2014 Migrants’ Day, the Philippine Embassy in Damascus welcomed the members and officers of the Filipino Community in Syria (FCS) who visited the 39 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) sheltered at the Halfway Quarters on June 8.

As part of the celebration, the FCS prepared Filipino dishes and donated foods for the OFWs in the shelter. Charge d’ Affaires, e.p. Nestor N.Padalhin opened the program with a message to the OFWs, saying that the Migrant’s Day is a day of celebration whereby the government expresses its gratitude and recognizes the positive role of migrant workers to the country’s economic progress

The event also featured FCS’ Kayumangi Band which performed original Pilipino music (OPM) songs to the delight of the OFWs in the shelter.

The successful outcome of the celebration is attributed to the strong and continuous partnership of the Philippine Embassy and FCS, the only accredited Filipino organization in Syria. Events such as National day, Labor Day and Migrant’s Day are unceasingly conducted by the Embassy despite the ongoing conflict in Syria and even with the continuous coming of OFWs seeking shelter at the Embassy, since related activities like this are always held inside the Embassy’s premises.

Currently, the Embassy is still implementing the Mandatory Repatriation Program of the Philippine Government for all Filipinos in Syria. The majority of the currently sheltered OFWs came from the conflict-stricken areas of the country. Others had sought shelter at the Embassy due to labor-related problems. The Embassy enlisted them all for the mandatory repatriation to the Philippines.  END