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FAMILIES OF TWO SEAFARERS, HOUSEHOLD SERVICE WORKER ARE 2007 MOFYA NATIONAL WINNERS
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MOFYA National Awardees
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The Model Overseas Filipino Worker’s (OFW) Family of the Year Award (MOFYA) is an annual event of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA). Its objective is to give recognition to OFWs and their families who have demonstrated financial stability, steady and enduring family ties, and outstanding community service.
It was first conceptualized in 2003, the Year of the OFW Family. It started out as a component activity of OWWA’s Family Welfare Program for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and their families but eventually evolved into a more prestigious event due to its significance and impact.
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The first MOFYA was held last 11 November 2005. Seventeen (17) regional awardees were chosen all over the country with NCR Regional Winner OFW Rogelio Eleazar San Andres, RWO VI Awardee OFW Jesus Vagilidad Cepeda and RWO IX Awardee Anicia Abrera Alvarez emerging as MOFYA National Awardees for 2005.
In the second staging of MOFYA, aside from the usual seventeen (17) regional awardees, the national winners were increased to three (3), representing the major island groups of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. The national winners for MOFYA 2006 are OFW Myrna Sevilla-Punay of Region IV-A for Luzon, OFW Melchor Jarena Caayon of Region VI for Visayas and OFW Kagim Halim Jajurie of Region IX for Mindanao.
In awarding ceremonies held last 06 December 2007, the families of two seafarers and a household service worker were chosen as Model OFW Family of the Year National Awardees for Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. The MOFYA National Awardees for Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao are the families of OFWs Oscar A. de Jesus, Eugenio B. Atuel, Jr. and Virgencita A. Lagunsay respectively.
MOFYA National Awardee for Luzon OFW OSCAR ABELEDA DE JESUS has been an overseas worker for 26 years, five (5) years as a land-based worker in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and over 21 years as a seafarer.
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MOFYA Luzon Awardee Oscar De Jesus and Family
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OFW DE JESUS is married to Novelyn M. De Jesus. They are blessed with three (3) children, the eldest of which graduated from the University of the Philippines with a degree in BS. Civil Engineering, the second is now taking-up medicine proper and the youngest recently pass the medical board exam for physicians.
A staunch advocate of reforestation and clean-and-green project, the De Jesus Family initiated the planting of more than 100,000 mangrove trees along the seashore of Looc. They also supported the cooperative movement and encouraged people to join the cooperative as a way of empowering them.
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MOFYA Visayas National Awardee OFW Eugenio Atuel's Family
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MOFYA National Awardee for Visayas OFW EUGENIO B. ATUEL, a seafarer, was commonly known by his family and friends to be a family-centered man, industrious, service-oriented and firm in his principles. He is married to Corazon Gaviola and is blessed with seven (7) children.
It has been a tradition for the ATUEL family to set aside 10% of their annual income for various outreach projects. Aside from this, they also assist less privileged yet deserving students. They are also very visible in civic, academic, political, cultural and religious organizations.
MOFYA National Awardee for Mindanao OFW VIRGENCITA “Maizarah” A. LAGUNSAY was married
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MOFYA National Awardee for Mindanao Virgencita "Maizarah" Lagunsay and Family
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to the late Amado Sagansam Lagunsay, a Muslim from Brgy. Aplaya, Digos, Davao del Sur, who was also an OFW. They are blessed with four (4) children who are all degree holders.
As far as public service is concerned, OFW Lagunsay is currently involved in several projects such as being the president of the Indigent Women Association of Brgy. Aplaya, wherein they were able to avail of the OWWA Groceria Project and the Food Preservation Livelihood Project. She is also the secretary of the Federation of Purok Presidents Association, and a member of Lupong Tagapamayapa of Brgy. Aplaya, Digos City. For OFW Lagunsay, community service is neither for show nor recognition, but simply a personal crusade for her and her family.
None other than Vice-President and Presidential Adviser on OFW Concerns Noli “Kabayan” De Castro and OWWA Administrator Marianito D. Roque led the awarding of this year’s MOFYA National Winners.
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Vice-President & Presidential Adviser on OFW Concerns Noli "Kabayan" de Castro
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In his speech as guest of honor, Vice-President de Castro congratulated this year’s winners for their hard work and competence. He also praised their strong family ties, respect, trust and good governance of the family as the basic institution of society and how they were able to respond to the challenges in spite of the distance between them. But he also mentioned that it is a sad reality that they have to leave the country and be away from their loved ones because of limited opportunities in terms of employment.
However, he is also optimistic that there will come a time that the trend of Filipinos leaving for work overseas will be reversed with the inflow of investments resulting in jobs like in the case of Hanjin Company in Subic Bay Development Authority which needs twenty-thousand (20,000) workers for its ship building facilities. He is currently negotiating for the said company to hire workers and informal settlers displaced by the North Rail Project aside from the residents of Central Luzon.
Administrator Roque, meanwhile, talked of the importance of the OFW Family as they suffer more from the separation brought about by overseas
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Administrator Marianito Roque
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employment and thus, the need for an equal and parallel recognition for them as those given to OFWs. MOFYA is OWWA’s way of instituting and emphasizing on the importance of a complete family as an aspect of a success in an OFWs life.
The MOFYA National Awardees each received prizes from OWWA’s corporate partners: Toyota Avanza, Nokia 5070 and trophies from GLOBE TELECOM, cash prizes and plaques from WESTERN UNION, AIG “Money Tree” Investment Package from PHILAMLIFE, free airline tickets to any destination in the Philippines from Cebu Pacific and gift checks from BANCO DE ORO.
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