7 May 2019 – The Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur commemorated Labor Day and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration’s (OWWA) 37^th anniversary with events for its migrant community held at the Migrant Workers and Other Filipinos Resource Center (MWORFC) on May 5. 

Ambassador Charles C. Jose was the event’s guest of honor and keynote speaker.  Also present during the event were Madame Maria Victoria Jose, Labor Attaché Elizabeth Marie Estrada, Embassy officers and staff, as well as around 250 OFWs and Filipino community leaders.

In his speech, Ambassador Jose highlighted the importance of the Filipino diaspora in the economic development of the Philippines.

“Your remittances serve as one of the key drivers of economic growth in the Philippines, which contribute to the resilience of our economy despite global crises and shocks.  […] Your remittances drive consumption spending, thereby creating local demand for businesses to supply with goods and services.  This, in turn, generates employment,” he explained.  “Ang remittances niyo ang nagpapaandar sa mga industriya natin.”

The Ambassador also congratulated the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) for its excellent work in supporting OFWs, and thanked the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) for successfully running the MWORFC, which not only provides shelter but also capacity building programs for Filipinos in Malaysia.

The MWORFC-Skills Training Center offers 31 classes attended by 850 students, covering basic nursing home care, computer studies (accounting for non-accountants, spreadsheets, Adobe Photoshop and basic publishing), cooking (baking and cake decorations, Asian and Intercontinental cuisine), cosmetology, reflexology, Bahasa Melayu, hair culture, dressmaking, kempo, Zumba, and automotive, are offered. 

These courses aim to teach or upgrade the skills of overseas Filipino workers in Malaysia to enable them to advance in their profession and/or to provide them with alternative livelihood options for their eventual return to the Philippines. 

During the event, Ambassador Jose gave out certificates of recognition to the MWORFC’s resource persons for their assistance and support to the center’s skills training center.  These resource speakers teach courses at the MWORFC on a purely voluntary basis.

He also administered the oaths of office to the MWORFC-Council of Leaders (MWORFC-COL) and the presidents of each class.  The MWORFC-COL represents the students of the MWORFC-STC and assists in the Center’s management and other activities.  They also spearhead the Ms. MWORFC pageant, which also serves as fundraising for their programs and projects.  END

For more information, visit the Embassy’s website at http://www.philembassykl.org.my or the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/PHinMalaysia/