The 105th World Day of Migrants and Refugees was celebrated yesterday, attracting the participation of hundreds from 11 different nationalities.
Held yesterday at St. Paul School, the celebration was themed “It Is Not Just About Migrants,” a message that Pope Francis has endorsed.
The global day event aims to “shore up our blind-spots and make sure no one remains excluded from society, whether a long-time resident or someone newly-arrived.”
According to the local organizer, the Catholic Pastoral Care for Filipino Migrants, the program was created to “make the migrants feel that they are not away from home.”
Fr. Andrew de Vera of the Catholic Pastoral Care for Filipino Migrants remarked, “this event is also an encounter, not only of cultures but of people.”
“We hope that through this event, we will also be creating an avenue for a more united people, not only migrants but immigrants. Not only foreigners but also locals,” he said.
This year, the event has attracted a series of performances from the Filipino, Brazilian, Chinese, East Timorese, Myanmar and Nepali communities.
These different groups showcased their traditional dances and conducted singing performances.
“We are looking forward to have an increase in the number of participants next year. Last year, we had around eight groups but now we have 11 so we’re looking forward to it,” said Fr. de Vera.
Meanwhile, director of the Macao Government Tourism Office, Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, was also at the event, describing the celebration as a significant event among the migrant and local community.
“I think it’s a very important thing that they feel like they belong to Macau. They are not only here to work but to live their lives. A lot of them have stayed here for a long period of time,” said the tourism chief.
“That’s what we’ve seen during the history of Macau. They are part of the fabric and DNA of Macau and we are welcoming different communities into [the city] to live with us and hope that we inspire them and they inspire us,” Fernandes added.
The official also noted that about half of the city’s workers in the tourism industry are non-resident workers.
“The non-resident people are very important to what makes Macau economically viable as well,” she added.
During the event, different groups showcased their traditional dances and conducted singing performances.
On September 29, Pope Francis celebrated the annual event in St Peter’s Square at the Vatican. LV
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