Joining the overseas Filipino worker (OFW) community at the 6thYear Anniversary of the New Marcoseños of Hong Kong Worldwide (NewMAHK) on February 25, 2018, Ilocos Norte governor Ma. Imelda Josefa “Imee” R. Marcos took the opportunity to personally thank them for their contributions to the progress and development of Ilocos Norte.
With 61% of families in Ilocos Norte partially or fully dependent on foreign remittances from loved ones working abroad, the province has grown to be one of the richest, most well-developed, and most educated in the country, marked by a high human development index (HDI).
“Dahil sa hirap ng mga OFW, lahat nakakapag-aral; walang sinasabing mga squatter—may sariling mga bahay; at higit sa lahat, nakikita natin na umuunlad sa maliliit nahotel, restaurant, at iba pa dahil sa turismo. Iyan ay dahil lahat sa tinatawag na hirap at pasakit ng ating mgaOFW,” said Ms. Marcos.
She also shared recent developments in tourism, including the yearly average of two million visitors in Ilocos Norte and the regular docking of a luxury ship at the Port of Currimao, saying that OFWs made these possible by contributing to the local economy for decades.
Furthermore, Ms. Marcos highlighted the rapid creation of local jobs, in particular those brought by business process-outsourcing (BPO) companies.
“Alam natin na ang pag-migrate, ang pag-alis… ay hindi dapat ‘kapit sa patalim’ kundi choice talaga ng isang pamilya,” she said, empathizing with the difficulty of being away from family and having to work from home just to provide more for loved ones.
“Dapat magbigay din nga trabaho sa sariling probinsiya. Iyan talaga ang gusto naming mangyari.” She added as she told potential investors repeatedly, “Help us generate secure, well-paying jobs so that soon, leaving home will simply be another choice.”
For years, Ms. Marcos’ said her desire is for stable and well-providing employment to be available in Ilocos Norte as she recognized the social cost of families getting split apart by time and distance as many parents, out of desperation, need to work for higher incomes abroad. (PGIN-CMO)
