MANILA, 8 June 2003 — Fifteen Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), including four based in Saudi Arabia, and two groups of seafarers were conferred the Bagong Bayani (New Hero) awards on the occasion of National Migrants Day.
The awardees included Renato Caseda, Remedios Ondona, Rolando Almonte and Ransam Pirote, all working in the Kingdom.
Also awarded were Hong Kong-based Amelita Deslate, Cleofe Torrado and Thelma Dumale; Bahrain’s Puralyn Fiel and Porfiria Gutierrez; Dubai’s Dick Orense; Kuwait’s Julieta Brookes; Italy-based Redencion Meribeles; Eduardo Mangulabnan of Qatar; Taiwan’s Sofio Sanchez Jr.; and Saipan’s Cecilio dela Cruz.
One of the group winners were the 18 crewmen of M/V Osprey (Mumbai, India), namely: Banhar Abubakar, Voltaire Budlong, Mario Buhisan, Rosulo Camello, Rodrigo Cariaso, Cenon Castillo, Elvis Cortez, Norberto Fadriquela, Arnul Madideo, Leonardo Mamaril, Jimmy Ogbinar, Gerardo Osea, Vicente Saavedra, Mario Semilla, Edmund Tayamen, Bernardo Tiu, Benigno Valdez and Allan Benigno.
The second group included 14 crewmen of M/V Tampa (Australia). They were Jose Rada, Janyfrido Dones, Reynaldo Golez, Lino Ibonalo, Noel Lapuz, Teddy Umayam, Allan Baroro, Alexander Abadilla, Ferdinand Palermo, Saniel Supan, Jose Chua, Teodoro Deo and Leopoldo Buluran.
The Bagong Bayani Awards is the highest form of recognition and honor an OFW can covet and receive, Labor Undersecretary Manuel Imson said.
“It is fitting and proper that the Bagong Bayani awardees receive their awards on Migrant Workers’ Day. The occasion is apt for it will send the message to our countrymen that truly the government under the leadership of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo sincerely honors and treats our OFWs as genuine, modern-day heroes,” Imson said.
Held annually, it is given to outstanding land-based or sea-based Filipino workers who have distinguished themselves through their work, track record and civic service.
However, Poe Gratela, chairman of Migrante International, said there is nothing to celebrate on June 7, 2003.
“President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s award-giving to overseas Filipinos as the new heroes of our moribund economy is a mockery to the plight of the overseas Filipinos,” Gratela said.
Migrante then cited the continuing stranded status of Joselito Alejo and Ramiro Esmero, both in jail abroad allegedly because of a frame up.
Migrante International said 42 Filipinos are up for beheading in the Middle East and 1,500 OFWs without jobs remain stranded in Saudi Arabia alone.
“OFWs and their families are being pushed into further misery and economic hardships overseas. It is the greatest insult and hypocrisy to the overseas Filipinos’ plight that these problems continue to persist and the GMA government gets “ganda” or beauty points at the expense of her so-called new economic heroes.
