Alpha Phi Omega Alumni Association (Singapore) Visits FWRC
In celebration of Alpha Phi Omega (APO) International College Service Fraternity’s 58th Founding Anniversary in the Phillippines, the APO Alumni Association (Singapore) conducted a service activity for our fellow kababayans in FWRC or Filipino Workers Resource Center on 1 March 2008 in close coordination with the Phillipine Embassy and the Office of the Labour Attache, Department of Labor and Employment.
Highlights of the program are the turning over of gifts and donations and “harana” by APO AAS members who serenaded the women being housed at the Center. The group happily sang acoustic music together, led by talented APO Brother Elmer, lead guitarist of Charcoal, an all-Pinoy band performing nightly at Insomnia Singapore. A fun and candid “name the song title” game was enjoyed and participated in by the group even some amount of money were raffled off during the program.
More than thirty women will benefit from the gifts and donations pooled together by members of the APO AAS for the Center which primarily include toiletries and basic needs products.
The Labor Attache representative thanked and appreciated the efforts of APO AAS in assisting the Center. Brother President Ramon dela Cruz was likewise thankful for the opportunity given to APO AAS to render a service program for the Center. He stressed that “this will not be the first and last visit of APO AAS in FWRC but will be continuing commitment”. Dental services will be arranged by the organization in the next visit and service program as promised.
The FWRC in Singapore was inaugurated in 2001 to serve as the center for training courses and upgrading of skills of Filipinos workers. The Center also houses Filipino domestic workers who are faced with different legal/para-legal cases and difficulties while seeking employment in Singapore and some who ran away from employers due to unbearable situations.
Each woman at the Center has her own story to tell, mostly sad and unfortunate stories that reflect the realities of the society we are in. As a volunteer during the activity, I was very happy and proud to be part of the activity, it may have been only a simple and fun program yet I see the joys in the eyes of these women who gave and share their time with us even for a short while.