An Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) whose contract was terminated in Kuwait in August 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic won a Lessandra house and lot, the grand prize during the 10th OFW and Family Summit.
“This is a beautiful Christmas gift. We prayed for this,” said Rodrigo Pido as he thanked Senator Cynthia Villar and her family members — former Sen. Manny Villar, former Public Works Sec. Mark Villar, House Deputy Speaker Rep. Camille Villar and Vista Land President Paolo Villar.
Pido, a resident of Pasig City, described the annual summit as a huge help to OFWs and their families.
More than 5,000 OFWs coming from different countries all over the world participated in this year’s summit.
“Thank you po to the Villar family! Thank you to Villar SIPAG Foundation,” said Pido.
Due to the global health crisis, the father of four related that his employer opted to end his contract where he worked as a coordinator of ground equipment in an airport.
Participants in the summit also got prizes consisting of appliances, sari-sari store packages and two motorcycles.
Mark Villar assured OFWs that his family will continuously support migrant workers.
He said the summit was his family’s “small way” of helping OFWs and their families to embark on businesses under the new normal.
“We will all recover from this pandemic,” said the former Public Works chief who is running for a Senate seat in next year’s elections.
For his part, former Senator Manny Villar underscored the need to continue the OFW Summit as migrant workers are facing more challenges amid the pandemic.
“We started this (summit) 10 years ago with the goal of helping our countrymen who are out of the country,” said the Villar patriarch, who is also the founding chairman of the Villar SIPAG Foundation.