The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) in Amman celebrated the agency's 30th founding anniversary last May 10, 2012 with a song-and-dance contest featuring the OFWs currently housed at POLO-OWWA's Filipino Workers' Resource Center. The theme of the celebration was “Tatlong Dekada ng Serbisyong Tapat at Nararapat!”
Mr. Mario R. Antonio, Welfare Officer and Officer-in-Charge of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) delivered the message of OWWA Administrator Carmelita Dimzon, reiterating the agency’s commitment to render immediate service, timely benefits and financial assistance to OWWA members. Mr. Antonio also expressed his gratitude for the support and cooperation of NGOs and church groups in OWWA-Amman's programs and projects for OFWs.
In his own speech, the Philippine Embassy's Charge d'Affaires, Dr. Emmanuel R. Fernandez, congratulated OWWA for its thirty years of tireless and dedicated service to OFWs. He said that every OFW has a story to tell concerning the difficulties and challenges of working in a foreign land. In one way or another, OWWA has played a positive role in many an OFW's story. Sadly, however (Dr. Fernandez noted), the positive role that OWWA has played in OFWs' stories is often taken for granted. It is time we gave due credit to OWWA's role, while helping the agency continue to render its irreplaceable service to OFWs, Dr. Fernandez concluded.
But the highlight of the evening celebration was the "showdown" of the singing and dancing talents of the OFWs currently sheltered at POLO-OWWA's Filipino Workers' Resource Center. Their well-prepared and immensely entertaining song-and-dance numbers underscored not only their talents but, more importantly, their admirable capacity to celebrate in the midst of the difficulties and challenges they have to grapple with in the course of their journey as OFWs.