Care For Migrants

Today, as we celebrate the National Migrants’ Sunday 2022, 108th World Day of Migrants and Refugees and 26th National Seafarers Day, special celebrations of the Church to highlight the importance of honoring the migrants, OFWs, Seafarers, OCW who are “heroes” hailed by the government not only for the economic support and contribution they give to the Philippine economy, but moreso for being great evangelizers of the faith wherever they go.

This is also to expand awareness in the universal and national churches of the Spirit of Synodality – walking together, building together – as the theme of the celebration expresses “Building the Future with Migrants and Refugees”, which means not only to celebrate on stage, but above all a concretization of the incarnate presence of Christ in the life of the migrants and their families.

In preparation for today the Diocese of Tagum Director for the Apostolate of Migrants and Itinerant People Fr. Romeo “Bobby” I. Castillo together with his staff, an in-depth research on the Migration phenomenon was conducted as surveys were handed within the diocese with the objective of not solely obtaining numbers but more importantly getting the profile of migrants and their families. This particular activity continues to the present. Also, in collaboration with the Parish Priests and Coordinators/Representatives for this apostolate, people were given basic orientations on migration, and updates on the programs of OWWA and DOLE, as part of the re-tooling program of the apostolate for families who are left behind.

Basic Orientation Seminars are currently conducted in parishes which are utilized to bring awareness of the plight of migrants and their families and invite parishes to join the migrants’ apostolate of the Diocese. (PASTORAL CARE OF MIGRANTS AND ITINERANT PEOPLE | Diocese of Tagum)