Atikha Overseas Workers and Communities Initiative, Inc. - Reuniting families, Rebuilding communities, Recreating economic opportunities in the Philippines

News and Articles
CALABARZON Investments, Agri-Business and Services for Overseas Filipinos in Pinoy WISE Events in UAE and Qatar

Seventeen (17) Philippine delegates headed by Engr. Luis Banua, Regional Director of National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) joined the successful back to back activities of Pinoy Worldwide Initiative for Investment Savings and Entrepreneurship (PinoyWISE) Movement in United Arab Emirates and Qatar from November 5 to November 15 to promote CALABARZON investments, agri-business and services. Pinoy WISE is a network of government, NGOs, migrant and family organizations and private sector to provide financial education and promote investment, trade and tourism opportunities in the Philippines among the overseas Filipinos.

The first Pinoy WISE International Conference with theme: “Engaging Overseas Filipinos in Migration and Development Initiatives” was held in Crown Plaza Hotel in Abu Dhabi on November 7-8, 2014. It brought together around 200 delegates from the Philippines, Singapore, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Germany, Netherlands and Italy. Parallel activity of the conference is the Exhibit of the participating organizations and provinces in which programs and services for overseas Filipinos, products and tourism destinations of partner Pinoy WISE provinces and private sector were showcased. Booth for SUMMID- CALABARZON Project was also set-up and info-materials of the project were distributed to the participants. Delegates from CALABARZON shared about agri-business and investment opportunities in Cavite, Laguna and Batangas as well as services to the Overseas Filipinos and families such as the One Stop Migration Resource Centers and School-based program in addressing social cost of migration. The conference was organized by PinoyWISE- UAE, Atikha Overseas Workers & Communities Initiative, Inc. and the Bayanihan Council- an umbrella organization of all Filipino associations registered with the Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi with the support of the Philippine Embassy United Arab Emirates.

The delegates from CALABARZON and the Committee of Migration and Development (CMD) of the Regional Development Council are RD Luis Banua of NEDA, Ms. Sheryll H. Loyola and Ms. Lucille A. Valencia of PLGU- Cavite; Ms. Mary Jane B. Corcuera and Mr. Edwin S. Bautista of PLGU- Laguna, Ms. Jocelyn Montalbo and Ms. Sarah Marie Adolfo of PLGU- Batangas; Dr. Marian Lontok- Arias of DepEd- Batangas, Cong. Rico Geron and Mr. Bon dela Roca of Soro-soro Ibaba Development Cooperative and Dir. Mai Dizon- Anonuevo and PSR Aileen Constantino- Penas of Atikha. Other five delegates came from the provinces of Tarlac and Bohol, Lanbank and Filipino Migrant Workers Group Holdings, Inc., an OFW owned corporation.

From UAE, the delegates moved to Qatar for Pinoy WISE Market Place with theme “Mamuhunan at Mag- Agri Negosyo, Serbisyong Tungo sa Pag-unlad ng Pamilya at Bayan Ko”. It was a one-day activity held on November 14 at Awsaj Academy Auditorium, Qatar Foundation, Education City, Qatar. RD Luis Banua was the Keynote Speaker of the morning forum while most of the delegates were panel speakers as they shared the good practices in providing economic and psychosocial programs in CALABARZON. The event gathered more than 150 overseas Filipinos and it was organized by PinoyWISE- Qatar and Atikha Overseas Workers & Communities Initiative, Inc with the support of the Philippine Embassy Qatar

The PinoyWISE Philippine delegates also visited OFW women crisis center and construction workers’ camp. There were also meetings with the Philippine Embassy- Country Team both in Abu Dhabi and Doha and meeting Hometown Association of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Mindoro, Bohol, Tarlac and Pangasinan.

The success of the conferences and study missions would not have been possible without the support of Pinoy WISE UAE and Pinoy WISE Qatar as well as PinoyWISE champions; HE Grace Relucio Princesa- Philippine Ambassador to United Arab Emirates and HE Crecente Relacion- Philippine Ambassador to Qatar. Preparatory activities and the participation of NEDA and Atikha to the events were made possible through the support of the project Strengthening Upscaling and Mainstreaming International Migration in Development ( SUMMID CALABARZON), a project funded by the European Commission and Swiss Development Cooperation and implemented by the UN Joint Migration and Development Initiative (JMDI).