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OVERSEAS
workers who arrived Thursday at the Ninoy Aquino
International Airport Terminal 1 were surprised by a
personal welcome by President Arroyo, whose visit was
given the fiesta atmosphere by the Christmas tunes of
three choirs.
The
terminal was also turned into a veritable tiangge of
local food that the returning workers can buy and bring
home to compliment their longed-for home cooking.
The
veritable fiesta at the airport—Pamaskong Handog sa OFW—will
continue even after the President leaves because it has
been planned to really warmly welcome all overseas
workers back for the holidays.
A bonus
for them are gifts from the government and a raffle for
the arrivals, also held Thursday. All of the raffle
winners had brunch with the President at the Dignitaries
Lounge, while everyone partook of the free-flowing food,
consisting of sandwiches, spaghetti, ice cream and Pinoy
delicacies such as sapin-sapin, puto, kutsinta, biko,
suman and various finger foods.
The
President gamely shook hands with all arrivals for the
one hour she stayed—all in all, 294 passengers of Gulf
Air flight FG154 from Bahrain, including its surprised
pilots and crew, some of whom did not miss the
opportunity to have a photo-ops with her.
Six
mobile carts of “dirty” (the colloquial for the native)
ice cream roamed the terminal manned by sorbeteros
wearing barong tagalong and a red scarf giving away free
a scoop or two-an immediate hit among the arriving
throng.
Mrs.
Arroyo was overly concerned with Anabelle G. Macajeto of
Ilaog, Davao City, who works as a housemaid in Bahrain.
She has a badly swollen left leg but despite several
visits to the doctor, who keeps taking samples of her
blood, she was not given medication nor was told what’s
wrong with her.
“You
really need a checkup,” she said, whereupon Overseas
Workers Welfare Administrator Marianito Roque said she
would be given a PhilHealth card so that she could be
immediately taken to a Filipino doctor. She was also
promised free transportation.
Manila
International Airport Authority (MIAA) general manager
Alfonso Cusi organized the fiesta reception with Roque
of Owwa and Labor Secretary Arturo Brion.
After
the obligatory photo ops with the winners, Mrs. Arroyo
met couple Jeannette and Augyson Historillo of Bahi,
Gasan, Marinduque, who were with their 2-year-old son
Jacob Jenson and they had a long chat with the
President.
“She
asked me where I worked and I her that I am employed in
Saudi Arabia, while my husband is an electrical
engineer,” Mrs. Historillo said. “I was surprised when
the President came to meet us because we were not raffle
winners. She greeted us and I managed to blurt out
‘Merry Christmas’.”
Before
they parted, the President gave the Historillos $200
worth of gift checks from the Duty Free Philippines.
Elena
Abestano, 42-years-old and from Gagalangin, Tondo, won a
multicab, $500 gift check, scholarship from AMA
University, and hotel accommodations.
Another
winner is William Pangan, who won a round-trip ticket to
Europe because he is the 154th passenger of flight GF154
from
Bahrain
to Manila.
The rest
of the winners include Amyriza Silverio, Michelle Aquino,
and Johnson Salengua who each won pension plans worth
P50,000 and hotel accommodations from the Philippine
Tourism Authority. |
