31 March 2021 - The Philippine Embassy in Beirut successfully conducted a Pag-IBIG Fund lecture, the last session of its four-part financial literacy webinar series for OFWs in Lebanon on Sunday, 28 March 2021. This culminating activity caps the Embassy’s celebration of the 2021 National Women’s Month with the theme “Juana Laban sa Pandemya, Kaya!” in partnership with Overseas Filipino Bank and Pag-IBIG Fund.

A total of 156 OFWs participated in the event through physical and online livestreaming platforms (i.e., Zoom and Facebook Live). More than 200 participants tuned in the entire webinar series held every Sunday of March since its debut on 07 March 2021.

The financial literacy webinar series seeks to promote the economic empowerment of Filipinos in Lebanon, especially noting that more than 90% of them are female workers in the service sector. Considering the plight of OFWs in Lebanon being aggravated by the economic crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, the Embassy’s Gender and Development thrusts are formulated to instill financial awareness and independence among targeted participants.

“The  Pag-IBIG webinar was just so timely and was made more accessible especially to us OFWs. I am hoping that it will not be too late for me to be a member, and  I will make sure to share the knowledge that was imparted during the webinar,” said Marie Fe, 43, a household service worker in Mount Lebanon for more than 11 years. Others added during the forum that the discussions on Pag-IBIG Fund programs and benefits were quite a revelation.

Brenda, 57, an OFW from Beirut for 30 years, also expressed her appreciation of discovering OF Bank’s online banking services and financial management tools to secure and grow her hard-earned savings.

Apart from the webinar, the Embassy and POLO-OWWA personnel, including members of the Filipino community, donned themselves in purple to show support to the Women’s Month celebration across the globe. 

The Embassy is committed to pursuing programs that aim to sustainably promote the welfare of overseas Filipinos in Lebanon. Such initiatives ensure that OFWs are not only well-equipped to make a living, but also capable of planning their family’s future back in the Philippines. END.