The Inter-Agency Committee on the Celebration of the Month of Overseas Filipinos (IAC-MOF) and the City Government of Zamboanga successfully conducted the 2022 Migrant Fair on November 10, 2022 held at the Gymnasium of the Western Mindanao State University (WMSU), Zamboanga City.
More than 200 OFWs, migrant returnees and their families attended the event. The Migrant Fair was an early Christmas gift by the Philippine government and migrant civil society for them, in honor of their hard work, sacrifices and significant contributions to national development.
The kick-off activity for the 2022 MOF Celebration, the Migrant Fair is a convergence activity at the local level of migrant serving agencies and organizations headed by the Philippine Migrants Rights Watch, Commission on Filipinos Overseas, Department of Health and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration. Other participating agencies include Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Migrant Workers/Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, Department of Tourism, Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Social Welfare Development, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Technical Education and Skills and Development Authority, Social Security System, PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG, and International Organization for Migration.
Participants, who were mostly affected by Typhoon Paeng a week prior, were happy for the whole day activity prepared for them, and queued in various booths of participating agencies and exhibitors. Services provided to them include basic medical check-up, health promotional and wellness activities, COVID-19 vaccination and booster shot, giving of vitamins, massage, manicure, pedicure, haircut, demo on baking, photo booth and consultation and frontline services from migrant-serving agencies. They were also treated to several freebies, food and raffle prizes.
OWWA Region 9 shared thru videos, inspiring stories of former OFWs who successfully reintegrated back to the Philippines and are now engaged in professional endeavors and flourishing business. They include Jopar Espino from Pagadian City, Jocelyn Barite and David Alvie Camin from Labason, Janice Tingson from Ipil, and Irene Panes from Labuan. Their experiences have touched and inspired the lives of their fellow OFWs.
DTI Region 9 and OWWA also mounted a mini Trade Fair showcasing food products and merchandise of former OFWs and their families, assisted by these agencies in setting up or upscaling their business. Exhibitors include Ruru Mushrooms by Rubylyzle Alrayes, Gab’s Creation Handicraft by Shalimar Lutian, JV and Bellyn Cakes of Elaine Cruz, Jing Homemade Products by Jing Rizada, Little Treats by Rowena Eraham, Kape Larawan by Philip Enriquez and Ariel Temple, and Small OFW Business by Berkis Dacoycoy.
The event was hosted by Erwin Paul David of Pag-IBIG Fund and Vivien Potencio of OWWA.
The month of December is known as the “Month of Overseas Filipinos”; this celebration is in recognition of the significant contributions of overseas Filipinos to Philippine development and the restoration of Philippine democracy. For the past years, the Migrant Fair is one of the major pre-MOF activities organized by the IAC-MOF. In Region 9, Zamboanga del Sur is the leading province with the most number of migrants.
