PH Consulate General in Macau Celebrates Migrants’ and Refugees’ Day

Hundreds of Filipinos and other migrants in Macau SAR celebrated the 98th World Day of Migrants and Refugees with the theme: “Migration and New Evangelization” last January 15.

In a report  by the Philippine Consulate General in Macau SAR to the Department of Foreign Affairs, the event, organized by the  Macau Catholic Pastoral Center, was held at the St. Joseph’s Auditorium.

Consulate representatives attended the whole day mass and fellowship to strengthen ties with the Filipinos and other migrant communities as well as religious and secular visitors and guests from Macau and Hong Kong.

Macau Catholic Bishop Jose Lai reminded the people of the Gospel exhortation towards service between and among migrants. He said that the migration phenomenon is one which has been ongoing for centuries, with migrants from different cultures influencing the progress of human civilization. As such, migration is imbued with both human and spiritual dimensions, as migration and labor should go beyond material considerations.

The Philippines has the second largest group of migrant workers in Macau next to that of mainland China.

The Consulate has a continuous  engagement with the  different sectors in Macau in tackling overseas Filipino workers (OFW) affairs, notably with the   Macau Catholic Pastoral Center  of priests and nuns, Migrante International-Macau,  the leaders of the different Filipino communities, the Macau Immigration Office and the Macau Labor Bureau.