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Ignacio led the 'soft opening' of the Global Centre last April |
Top officials from the Department of Migrant Workers, possibly including Secretary Hans Cacdac and Administrator Patricia Yvonne Caunan of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, are expected to grace the ‘grand opening’ of the OFW Global Centre in Admiralty on Sunday, Jun 8.
The long-delayed inauguration of the Center which
opened in November last year, coincides with a week-long celebration of the 30th
anniversary of Migrant Workers Day in the Philippines.
Secretary Cacdac has just been retained in his post
by President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr who called for the courtesy resignation of
all his Cabinet members last May 21.
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Pindutin para sa detalye |
He was originally set to meet with community leaders
today, Jun 4, but the event was moved amid fast-changing events in the
Philippines
Caunan, on the other hand, was sworn into office by
Cacdac immediately after President Marcos tapped her to become the new OWWA chief on the same day that her
predecessor, Arnell Ignacio was sacked over an allegedly anomalous Php1.4
billion land purchase.
The DMW-OWWA OFW Global Centre is the first to be set up outside the Philippines, and was the brainchild of Ignacio. He signed the deal a year ago to this date, to lease an entire floor of the grade A United Centre building at HK$8 million a year, and convert it into a leisure and training center for OFWs.
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There's free coffee at this corner of the OFW Global Centre run by OFW volunteers |
Since then it has hosted a number of trainings and self-improvement sessions, financial literacy seminars, post arrival orientation for newly arrived OFWs, even the last overseas voting for national elections.
After the formal opening of the Centre in Admiralty on Sunday morning, the DMW officials and their guests, plus OFW leaders, will gather on Chater Road in Central to take part in the “Serbisyo Caravan Handog sa Araw ng Migranteng Manggagawa,” a whole-day cultural event to pay tribute to OFWs.
It is the second Sunday in a row that a Chater event
will be held to celebrate Philippine Independence Day and Migrant Workers Day.
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Basahin ang detalye! |
Last Sunday, Jun 1, the Kapangyawan Festival was
held, where various Filcom groups took part in a celebration of native dances,
colors and culture.
A third Sunday event for Filipinos will be held on
Jun15 on Chater Road to celebrate the 127TH Philippine Independence
Day. A big number of entertainers from the Philippines will be flown in by PLDT
and Philippine Airlines to liven up the occasion.