Individual Category
Noli Perez (Winner)
- Doha, Qatar
In the midst of danger and labor
injustice in the Middle East, Noli Perez embraced the true spirit of a hero to
save overseas Filipino workers. For more
than a decade in Qatar, he hid his identity under the pseudonym “Veranon” to
protect himself and the services he rendered to his fellow Filipino migrants.
Noli silently helped class “C”
migrants who were deceived by local agencies in the Philippines. Most of the cases he handled involved rescue
of domestic helpers and those who took their chance to work without the
required labor papers.
Noli opened his home to the
victims of labor inequality. He was
inspired by the struggle of “Ulo King,” a Filipino worker who literally went to
public market to pick shrimp heads to survive hunger. He searched for the identity of this man and
sincerely listened to his story, He
witnessed the situation and immediately offered food and shelter. But noli wanted to go the extra mile. He reported the incident to one of the
ABS-CBN correspondents and the assistance of our kababayan outside Qatar
overflowed. With his effort, “Ulo King”
received repatriation, but more than this, he successfully ignited the innate
byanihan spirit of Filipinos abroad.
His selflessness reflects the
essence of being a hero; to live for others.
He cannot withstand the suffering of others and turn a blind eye to the
abuse, horror, and struggle of Filipino migrants. Noli fearlessly faced danger to protect the
welfare of our kababayan.
Jeanette Gotangogan (Finalist)
- Doha, Qatar
Working away from home developed
the strong empathy of Janette Gotangogan for Overseas Filipino Workers in the
Middle East. With the goal of serving
her fellow Filipinos, she accepted the Chairperson seat of Ways and Means
Committee of the United Filipino Organization in Qatar.
She conceptualized and pioneered
the “Send someone Home Program” for distressed migrant workers. Through her efforts and close coordination
with POLO-OWWA, they were able to provide plane tickets to Filipinos who
struggle returning to the country due to labor conflict.
Jeanette established the bridge
that connects the Philippine Embassy and other Filipino Community Groups in
Qatar. This connection boosted the
process of sending assistance to Filipino overseas in need of help.
Robin Oira (Finalist)
- Doha, Qatar
The heroism of robin Oira started
when he volunteered for the “Microsoft IT Tulay Program” of POLO-OWWA in
2008. It is a short training program for
OFWs in Qatar focusing on computer literacy.
He was an active member of the administration team and helped the office
in facilitating the application of Filipinos who wish to enroll. He also extended his service by creating a
marketing strategy to encourage migrant workers to join.
The hard work and genuine
intentions of Robin resulted in an increase in the number of enrollees. Most of the graduates of this program were
able to build their own computer business back in the Philippines. His commitment transformed the lives of many
OFWs in the Middle East.
In July 2016, he was appointed
Head of Volunteers in DOLE-OWWA IT Program.
Given this new platform, he was able to motivate Filipino workers help
their kababayan.
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