Pinoy Family Fun Day draws a thousand

Despite the continuous drizzle that became a downpour yesterday morning, the Family Fun Day for the Overseas Filipino Workers in the CNMI event drew over a thousand Filipinos and local guests.

Held at the American Memorial Park from 7am to 4pm yesterday, Filipinos and a handful of other nationalities curios about the festivity converged in the first-ever fun day organized by the CNMI OWWA Support Group.

Overseas Workers Welfare Administration welfare officer Mary Dait expressed gratitude to all the people that attended the event. Dait said she was very thankful for all the Filipino groups that cooperated to make the event a successful event.

“I’m happy for the organizations for their preparation and cooperation,” said Dait.

OWWA Support Group officer Jun Lapeceros Jr. said he was very overwhelmed with the turnout of the event.

“I hope when we do this again next year, more Filipinos will participate,” he said, adding that the support group is planning to make the event an annual activity to unite all the Filipino workers in the Commonwealth.

Another OWWA Support Group officer Fe Calixterio said she was very impressed with the commitment of the Filipinos in participating in the event. She said the event aimed at breaking the barriers and factions among the Filipino groups in the CNMI.

Philippine Overseas Labor Office Labor Representative Joanne Lourdes D. Lavilla opened the ceremony yesterday followed by inspirational messages from the Saipan Mayor’s Office representative Tony Benavente, Office of the Governor, represented by half-Filipino DCCA Secretary Daisy Villagomez-Bier.

Philippine Consulate Consul General Wilfredo Maximo and Consul Belinda Ante also attended the event.

Several dance and fun games were also held in the afternoon. The highlight among the intermission numbers was the Philippine Folk Dance numbers rendered by several Filipino groups in the CNMI.

Masters of ceremonies were James Ignacio, Jimmy Blancia, Carlito Marquez, Jun Banadera, and Dang Bernabe.

An hourly fundraising raffle was also part of the fun day. Proceeds of the event would be donated to the Tuloy-Aral Project of OWWA.

“The project aims to help children of former OFWs by providing them $100 each for their miscellaneous school expenses like notebooks, pencils, uniforms, etc.” OWWA said earlier.

The OFW Support Group is composed of individual volunteers that share their generosity in providing assistance to Overseas Workers Welfare Administration and Philippine Overseas Labor Office in planning and implementing common community projects and activities that will provide unity and foster friendship among the Overseas Filipino Workers in the CNMI.