My Experience as Parish Migrants Coordinator

I am Riza Manlangit, Migrants Coordinator from Nuestra Señora dela Candelaria (NSDC) Parish, Kimamon Sto. Tomas Davao del Norte, under the Diocese of Tagum. April 9, 2022 was my first Diocesan Migrants Meeting at Inahan sa Kanunay Panabang (IKP) Parish, Suaybagiuo, Tagum City. It was a very interesting meeting, that it got my attention to be a Migrant Coordinator in the parish, since I am a previous domestic helper/nanny for 8 years in Hongkong. I thought that my working experience abroad can be of help to the Migrants Community and their families.

During the meeting of the Kapunongan sa mga Pangulo sa Kristohanong Katilingban ug Apostolado (KPPKA) meeting last June 5, 2022 our Parish Priest, Fr. Ben Jerson Cañete introduced me to the group. Since I was the newest Migrants Coordinator then, I presented to the KPKKA the vision of the Church for Migrants or The Pastoral Care for Migrants and itinerant People. I asked the 35 Presidents to help bring at least 1 or 2 Migrant Apostolate workers from their designated Gagmayng Kristohanong Katilingban (GKK) to attend our first NSDC Migrants Apostolate meeting. There were fourteen (14) attendees that day and I introduced the topic “What is a Migrants Apostolate?” and “How the Church Can Help our Filipino Migrants and their Families”. Having organized ourselves, we united and decided to participate in the Diocesan level celebration of the 36th National Migrants Sunday held at the Queen of the Apostles Central Seminary Gym, Seminary Road, Tagum City, last September 25, 2022 with 17 delegates from NSDC Parish.

Our Parish Priest was amazed, so he asked me to organize a Migrants Day in our Parish for the migrants and their families’ bonding, as we wished to make the event in December for it was OFW Month. I organized and arranged everything for the event with the cooperation of the Migrants’ Officers and the Apostolates. It happened last December 18, 2022. The “NSDC 1st Migrants Day Celebration” with the theme “Bringing Lives Together with the Migrants”. We invited all returning OFWs, Ex-Migrants and their families. The celebration began with a Holy Mass at 7:00 in the morning and the program followed. We welcomed Sr. Noemie Digo, MSCS, our Diocesan Migrants Coordinator and Sis. Gina Fuentes, President of the Diocesan Migrants Coordinators Core Officers. The celebration was joyfully successful! To God Almighty be the Highest Glory! (Riza Manlangit)