ADVERTISEMENT
Manila Bulletin devider Technews devider WorldRemit continues to recognize OFWs' hard work and global impact this Labor Day

WorldRemit continues to recognize OFWs' hard work and global impact this Labor Day

Published Apr 30, 2023 10:24 am
Labor Day is celebrated to honor the contributions of workers and the centuries-old labor movement. Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), among the largest group of migrant workers globally, are no exception from being recognized back in their home country. Often, OFWs endure challenging work conditions, homesickness, and cultural differences just to provide for their family and friends back home. “Labor Day is a time to pay tribute to the hard work, determination, and selflessness of OFWs. It’s also the perfect time to recognize how they provide for their families, but also help improve the global economy,” said Earl Melivo, Head of APAC at [WorldRemit](https://www.worldremit.com/en?amountfrom=100.00&selectfrom=ph¤cyfrom=php&selectto=al¤cyto=all&transfer=atp). Christian, a sea-based electrical engineer, shared about his experiences working abroad for over a decade. "As an OFW, I know firsthand the struggles that we face every day to provide for our families. It was especially hard during the pandemic, but till now we keep working to support everyone who’s counting on us," he said. Indeed, the COVID-19 pandemic brought a new set of challenges to OFWs. For instance, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) [reported](https://philippines.un.org/en/127227-iom-philippines%E2%80%99-report-reveals-challenges-returned-overseas-filipino-workers-due-covid-19%C2%A0) a 75% drop in OFW deployment in 2020—the lowest deployment number in over three decades which had a flow-on effect for both international and local economies. The Department of Migrant Workers have also cited that deployments remain below one million workers per year for the past three years, still below pre-pandemic levels. Rising cost of living caused by increased inflation and global supply chain issues have also reduced migrant remittances. The IOM [cited](https://worldmigrationreport.iom.int/wmr-2022-interactive/) a decline in overseas money transfers due to an economic downturn and job losses in a 2022 report. Despite the challenges, Christian urged his countrymen to not lose heart. “The migrant work landscape has come a long way since I first started over 10 years ago, but there’s still much to improve about it. We should continue to work together to advocate for better working conditions and the protection of our rights,” he said. “Para na ‘to sa future ng mga pamilya natin, mga susunod pa sa ‘tin, pati na rin ng bansa!” he added. (We should do this for the future of our loved ones, the next generation of OFWs, and also the country!) With [proactive](https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1197179) [support](https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2023/04/03/2256608/dmw-work-local-international-partners-seafarers-programs) from the government in recent months, migrant Filipinos stand to fill gaps in a global, post-pandemic labor market. Digital remittance platform WorldRemit joins Christian in honoring the unwavering dedication of OFWs this Labor Day. Together with the administration, it aims to remain a valuable partner to millions of hardworking Filipinos abroad. "On behalf of WorldRemit, we would like to express our gratitude and appreciation to all OFWs and migrant workers around the world. Your hard work inspires us to keep doing what we do, and we are always proud to be a part of your journey,” said Melivo. “We wish you all a happy Labor Day!"
ADVERTISEMENT
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1561_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1562_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1563_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}

{{ articles_filter_1564_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.mb-article-details { position: relative; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview, .mb-article-details .article-body-summary{ font-size: 17px; line-height: 30px; font-family: "Libre Caslon Text", serif; color: #000; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview iframe , .mb-article-details .article-body-summary iframe{ width: 100%; margin: auto; } .read-more-background { background: linear-gradient(180deg, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0) 13.75%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0.8) 30.79%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000) 72.5%); position: absolute; height: 200px; width: 100%; bottom: 0; display: flex; justify-content: center; align-items: center; padding: 0; } .read-more-background a{ color: #000; } .read-more-btn { padding: 17px 45px; font-family: Inter; font-weight: 700; font-size: 18px; line-height: 16px; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; border: 1px solid black; background-color: white; } .hidden { display: none; }
function initializeAllSwipers() { // Get all hidden inputs with cms_article_id document.querySelectorAll('[id^="cms_article_id_"]').forEach(function (input) { const cmsArticleId = input.value; const articleSelector = '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .body_images'; const swiperElement = document.querySelector(articleSelector); if (swiperElement && !swiperElement.classList.contains('swiper-initialized')) { new Swiper(articleSelector, { loop: true, pagination: false, navigation: { nextEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-next', prevEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-prev', }, }); } }); } setTimeout(initializeAllSwipers, 3000); const intersectionObserver = new IntersectionObserver( (entries) => { entries.forEach((entry) => { if (entry.isIntersecting) { const newUrl = entry.target.getAttribute("data-url"); if (newUrl) { history.pushState(null, null, newUrl); let article = entry.target; // Extract metadata const author = article.querySelector('.author-section').textContent.replace('By', '').trim(); const section = article.querySelector('.section-info ').textContent.replace(' ', ' '); const title = article.querySelector('.article-title h1').textContent; // Parse URL for Chartbeat path format const parsedUrl = new URL(newUrl, window.location.origin); const cleanUrl = parsedUrl.host + parsedUrl.pathname; // Update Chartbeat configuration if (typeof window._sf_async_config !== 'undefined') { window._sf_async_config.path = cleanUrl; window._sf_async_config.sections = section; window._sf_async_config.authors = author; } // Track virtual page view with Chartbeat if (typeof pSUPERFLY !== 'undefined' && typeof pSUPERFLY.virtualPage === 'function') { try { pSUPERFLY.virtualPage({ path: cleanUrl, title: title, sections: section, authors: author }); } catch (error) { console.error('ping error', error); } } // Optional: Update document title if (title && title !== document.title) { document.title = title; } } } }); }, { threshold: 0.1 } ); function showArticleBody(button) { const article = button.closest("article"); const summary = article.querySelector(".article-body-summary"); const body = article.querySelector(".article-body-preview"); const readMoreSection = article.querySelector(".read-more-background"); // Hide summary and read-more section summary.style.display = "none"; readMoreSection.style.display = "none"; // Show the full article body body.classList.remove("hidden"); } document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", () => { let loadCount = 0; // Track how many times articles are loaded const offset = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]; // Offset values const currentUrl = window.location.pathname.substring(1); let isLoading = false; // Prevent multiple calls if (!currentUrl) { console.log("Current URL is invalid."); return; } const sentinel = document.getElementById("load-more-sentinel"); if (!sentinel) { console.log("Sentinel element not found."); return; } function isSentinelVisible() { const rect = sentinel.getBoundingClientRect(); return ( rect.top < window.innerHeight && rect.bottom >= 0 ); } function onScroll() { if (isLoading) return; if (isSentinelVisible()) { if (loadCount >= offset.length) { console.log("Maximum load attempts reached."); window.removeEventListener("scroll", onScroll); return; } isLoading = true; const currentOffset = offset[loadCount]; window.loadMoreItems().then(() => { let article = document.querySelector('#widget_1690 > div:nth-last-of-type(2) article'); intersectionObserver.observe(article) loadCount++; }).catch(error => { console.error("Error loading more items:", error); }).finally(() => { isLoading = false; }); } } window.addEventListener("scroll", onScroll); });
Join Our Newsletters

Sign up by email to receive news.

© 2025 Manila Bulletin The Nation's Leading Newspaper. All Rights Reserved.