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JMDI projects contributing to Month of Overseas Filipinos celebration In line with the celebration of the 2015 Month of Overseas Filipinos (MOF) and International Migrants Day, the two projects under the Joint Migration and Development Initiative (JMDI) in the Bicol and Calabarzon regions conducted series of activities for the month of December. The theme of the month-long celebration, “#Step-It-Up_MWC25: Thinking Globally, Acting Locally”, is in line with the 25th anniversary of the signing of the United Nations Convention for the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families. Since 2007, by virtue of a Presidential Executive Order creating an inter-agency committee, the theme and related activities for the celebration of the MOF varies annually. The Department of the Interior and Local Government is one of the major supporters of the celebration, giving essence and importance to the local dimension of migration and development. JMDI, the global programme supported by the European Union and Swiss Development Cooperation and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme, also helped facilitate the MOF activities. The goal is to promote the role and contribution of local actors, particularly the local governments in optimizing the role of migration in development. In all the project sites, the migrant organizations led in the celebratory activities with the support of the local governments and other stakeholders.

Figure 1 Engr. Joseph Esplana (far right), Planning Officer of Legazpi City, led the opening ceremony of the Hakbang Para sa Manlalakbay

JMDI Bicol

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For the JMDI Bicol project, the celebration started with the Hakbang Para sa Manlalakbay (walk/steps for the migrants/travelers) which was simultaneously conducted in seven local governments of Bicol on November 30. Conceptualized by the City of Legazpi with the participation of the cities of Naga, Sorsogon, Masbate, Ligao and Tabaco and the province of Camarines Norte, more than 200 participants in each LGU walked for a cause and joined the early morning programme and exercises on November 30. The JMDI Bicol Hong Kong chapter also participated in the Hakbang but was held on November 29, the day-off for the Filipino domestic workers in Hong Kong.

Figure 2 Masbate City Mayor Rowena Tuason delivered a message during the opening ceremony of the Hakbang Para sa Manlalakbay

Participants are mostly from the migrants and their organizations created under the JMDI Bicol project. These include the Pamilyang Migrante Kan Naga or PAMANA, the Organisasyon ng Pamilyang Migrante Kan Legazpi or OPM, Pamilyang Migrante Orgulyo Kan Sorsogon or PAMOSO, and the Federation of OFW Family Circles in Tabaco City. The Hakbang also served as a fund-raising activity with the selling of t-shirts and other paraphernalia to support the programs and activities of the migrant organizations.

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Figure 3 Tabaco City's MOF celebration was in partnership with the Federation of OFW Families and Globe Telecommunications

In addition to the Hakbang, Naga City added a Bayani Run (heroes’ run) where migrants and their families participated in the 1, 3, 5 and 10 kilometer run competition. The activity also coincided with the birthdate of Andres Bonifacio, one of the heroes in Philippine history, complementing the stature of overseas Filipinos as the modern day heroes in the country.

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Figure 4 Pamilyang Migrante Kan Naga is one of the lead organizers of the Bayani Run in Naga City

Several activities were conducted after the Hakbang such as the conduct of Job Fair in Bicol on December 1 and 2, the oath-taking of OPM in Legazpi City on December 2, the oath-taking of PAMOSO and OFW Family Day in Sorsogon City on December 12, the essay-writing, and slogan and poster making competition for primary and secondary students in Masbate City on December 16, and the candlelight vigil for migrants in Tabaco City on December 18.

Figure 5 In addition to the walk for a cause, migrants participated in morning exercises and performances in Sorsogon City

The MOF in Bicol was capped by the launching of the Migrants Resource Center in Naga City on December 19 led by Naga City Mayor John Bongat. The event was also attended by Sorsogon City Mayor Sally Lee, NEDA Regional Director Agnes Espinas, and various regional and local officials. Coinciding with the launch is the signing of the memorandum of understanding between Naga City and the regional offices of the Department of Labor and Employment, Overseas Workers Welfare

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Administration, Philippine Overseas Workers Administration and Technical Educations and Skills Development Authority supporting the operations and programs of the MRC. MRC will not only serve and cater to migrants and their families from Naga but the northern Bicol area covering the provinces of Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur and Catanduanes. The supervision of the MRC will be under the City’s Public Employment Service Office (which has a section on migration for development or M4D) with PAMANA as a major partner.

Figure 6 Naga City conducted several MOF activities such as job fairs and training for PAMANA

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Figure 7 The MOF in Bicol was capped by the launching of the Migrants Resource Center in Naga City on December 19 led by Naga City Mayor John Bongat. The event was also attended by Sorsogon City Mayor Sally Lee and NEDA Regional Director Agnes Espinas.

Figure 8 More than 200 migrants and their families received goodies and raffle items from SM Naga and partners

After the launching, a Pamaskong Handog Para sa Global Pinoy (Christmas Gift for Global Filipinos) was hosted by SM Naga in partnership with Naga City. SM is the biggest commercial store with a chain of 46 malls all over the Philippines. More than 200 migrants and their families from Naga and Legazpi cities and neighboring municipalities joined the celebration. Various goodies and raffle prizes were given to migrants from SM partner entities such as Shakeys, Jollibee, J. Emmanuel and Banco De Oro.

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With the support of the National Center for Culture and the Arts, the Aquinas University Dance Troupe performed traditional Filipino dances to celebrate the history of Philippine migration. The Filipino Channel and ABS-CBN, the largest media network in the Philippines, covered these various events in Bicol. JMDI SUMMID Calabarzon The five provinces of Calabarzon conducted their various MOF activities which was also capped with a regional summit of overseas Filipinos held on December 9. Around 150 representatives coming from the local governments and migrant groups participated. The presentations focused on the operationalization of the Migrants Resource Centers and how to make these centers more efficient and responsive. Courtesy of NCCA, the Lahing Batangan Dance Ensemble performed during the region OF summit.

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Figure 9 Laguna Province's trade fair offered jobs and business options for migrant families

In addition to the MRCs of Batangas, Laguna and Cavite, the Quezon province’s MRC was also launched on December 7 in time for the MOF celebration. Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Cavite conducted their OFW day on December 12, 16, 21 and 26 respectively. Laguna province had a trade fair of local products and services, as well as various activities for children of migrants; Batangas’ one-day forum focused on promoting agriculture and eco-tourism, and awarding of outstanding Batangueno OFW; and Cavite conducted a Balikbayan night and free provincial historical tour for returning overseas Filipinos immediately after Christmas. National and other regional events The Migrants Coordinating Group (MCG) for Western Visayas had its founding assembly on November 28-29 in Iloilo City with the main objective of having one regional coordinating body among the 26 founding migrant organizations with 56 representatives from five provinces in the region as well as Negros Occidental. Migrants from Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan and United Arab Emirates participated in both the forum and assembly, as well as guested on radio and TV shows in Iloilo City to advocate for the rights and interests of overseas Filipinos.

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Figure 10 Twenty six migrant organizations from 6 provinces of Western Visayas became founding members of the Migrants Coordinating Group

Supported by the JMDI, the Migration and Development Initiative for Western Visayas project partners such as CFO, NEDA and the League of Local Planning and Development Coordinators, Migrant Forum in Asia, International Domestic Workers Federation and John B. Lacson Maritime Foundation University (JBLMFU), the founding assembly finalized the core programmes of MCG covering activities such as advocacy and awareness raising, guidance and counseling, welfare protection and redress of grievances, savings and livelihood programs, and research. Prior to the founding assembly, a one-day forum was held attended by 250 migrants, migrant families, students from JBMLFU, and the regional and local government units from Western Visayas. The migrant organizations presented their issues and concerns, projects and services and their proposals for collaboration with the LGUs and other M&D stakeholders at the local level. In response, the LGUs presented their programmes and services to help address the migrants’ concerns as well as further promote their interests. During the interface between the LGUs and migrant groups, three strategic actions were agreed upon for mutual support and implementation: (a) strengthening the local M&D structures and institutions in order to have (b) mandatory, fast, efficient and responsive service delivery and be (c) able to generate local migration data. The Western Visayas State University’s Irong Irong Dance Company provided the performance during the forum, with the support of NCCA. In Mindanao, a capacity building on mainstreaming migration and development at the local level was conducted in Cagayan de Oro City from December 15-17 with 25 representatives from Region X’s local governments. Five migrants or former migrants, most of whom worked as domestic workers in Hong Kong and Malaysia and are now residing in Bukidnon and Davao provinces in Mindanao, participated.

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Replicating the innovations made in Bicol, Calabarzon and Western Visayas under JMDI, the Mindanao training used My JMDI Toolbox, BaLinkBayan materials and modules from JMDI trainings in other regions as reference materials. The event was supported by the Commission on Filipinos Overseas under its BaLinkBayan programme with representatives from the Migrant Forum in Asia and JMDI as resource persons and facilitators.

Figure 11 Migrants from Malaysia, Hongkong, Davao and Bukidnon had interface with their local governments during the capacity building on M&D mainstreaming in Northern Mindanao

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At the national level, a one-day forum was organized by the Inter-Agency Committee for the MOF celebration led by the Philippine Migrants Rights Watch and CFO on December 18 in Quezon City. The forum discussion was divided into two major sessions following the 2015 MOF theme. For the “Migration and Development: Thinking Globally” part, the migration-related provisions of the Agenda 2030 (Sustainable Development Goals), and the national and international efforts to address migrants in crisis were presented by the Center for Migrants Advocacy and Department of Affairs respectively. For the session on “Migration and Development: Acting Locally”, the role and contribution of remittances, church, recruitment agencies and local governments in optimizing migration for local development were presented. It is in this session where the JMDI projects and the gains so far from the implementation were presented. Prior to the two sessions, the Office of the Secretary of the Department of Labor and Employment presented the Philippine report on compliance with the provisions of the UN Convention on Migrant Workers.

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