Filipino Overseas for Dialogue and Peace
Millions of Filipinos are abroad, majority of whom, try to seek better future for their families. There are many tragic and painful stories of abuses suffered by our migrant workers abroad as well as stories of sacrifices and love for families they left behind.
In the Philippines we have acclaimed them as “heroes”. With the dollar and euro remittances, they keep the local economy stable. It appears that the money sent by the Filipino workers abroad is the first source of income for the country. Zamboanga City is the center for Region IX agencies of the government and other NGO’s which give attention to the Filipino Overseas Workers (FWO). Those who go abroad from Zamboanga are more or less 50 % Muslims and 50% Christians. We dream of a time when Filipino workers going abroad will not only be considered heroes because they bring money to the country, but especially because they are instruments and bridges of dialogue and peace to the country of their destination. They can help build dialogue among civilizations if they are able to share the best of their cultural identity and religion.
This dream has been formally entrusted to the care of a special desk of SPDS called “ Filipino Overseas for Dialogue and Peace” (FODP). This desk does not ignore the many problems of the Filipinos abroad. The task for us is to share the dream that while struggling with their economic and emotional problems, they could also decide to be instruments and bridges of dialogue and peace. We believe that offering a vision and inspiring them to become instrument of dialogue and peace, the Filipino nature that is kind, helpful, religious and good-natured can be challenged to go beyond their personal problems and build a new image of the Filipinos abroad. We are convinced that it could be an effective pedagogical way to build up the pride of the Filipinos abroad and prepare new “heroes” for dialogue and peace in the world.
Guided by this dream we have prepared a primer as guide for those who come to us for assistance. One inspiration that motivated us to move in this direction was the experience of our SPDS staff while helping the government agency for social services, in assisting deportees from Malaysia who have landed at the wharf of Zamboanga City the back door of undocumented migrants going to Sabah, Malaysia. Twice a week hundreds of deportees are sent back from Saba because they are found without passport and other legal documents. The normal process is that they are put on detention and after a certain period of time they are sent back to the Philippines. To see them coming down from the boat heavily guarded like
prisoners to ensure that they will not escape is a painful sight. We offer transportation to bring them to the area for their processing, attend to some special cases, those who need immediate medical attention or hospitalization. While doing this we look for opportunity to give some formation to those who remain for a longer time in Zamboanga waiting for some required documents.
It is difficult to answer to all urgent needs and we suffer in silence with the limited assistance we could give them. I often say to the staff and volunteers that to feel powerless is good because it forces us to be creative in finding new ways and responses.