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| 10 FEBRUARY 2008 | . | |
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| 10 FEBRUARY 2008 | . | |
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President joins OFW families in National Migrants' Sunday Mass |
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Statement of Secretary Sergio Apostol |
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| President joins OFW families in National Migrants' Sunday Mass |
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President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo joined families of overseas Filipino
Workers (OFWs) in commemorating the National Migrants’ Sunday (NMS) with a
Mass at the Archdiocesan Shrine of Nuestra Sra. de Guia in Ermita, Manila
this morning. The President motored from Malacañang for the 8 a.m. Mass at the Ermita Church, where she was welcomed by Parish Priest Fr. Sanny de Claro, Fr. Artemio Fabros of the Episcopal Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Intinerant People (EMCI), and Mercedes Rosas, Parish Pastoral Council president. Started on March 8, 1987, the NMS Mass is an annual activity celebrated every first Sunday of Lent to pay tribute to all OFWs and their families and loved ones they have left behind. Now on its 22nd year, the event focuses on the theme “Show Concern to the Young Generation of Migrants” which emphasizes the need to care for young workers abroad. The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) ECMI is facilitating the NMS events in different ecclesiastical jurisdictions nationwide. The ECMI is mandated by the CBCP to provide and coordinate pastoral and social services to the migrant workers and their families, especially those in distress and facing complex problems because of migration. ECMI assists Catholic parishes and dioceses in organizing the ministry to OFWs and their families. To date, ECMI has reached out and organized thousands of OFW families. It also coordinates the services of more than 500 chaplains and pastoral workers in 40 countries. |
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| Statement of Secretary Sergio Apostol |
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This refers to my statement uttered in an emotional outburst in reaction to
Mr. Jun Lozada's implication of the First Gentleman to an alleged crime
based on what is, at best, hearsay evidence. Be that as it may, I sincerely apologize to our hardworking and law- abiding Filipino Chinese who may have been offended by my unintended slur. |
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