OFW Journals (OFW Stories on the News) and Some OFW Employment, Career & Business Tips

Saudi-based OFW advocate David, 58

ENGR. Rafael T. David, former chair of the Filipino Community in Yanbu (FILCOYAN) in the western region of Saudi Arabia, joined Our Creator last April 24. He was 58.

Among advocates of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the Kingdom, David is renowned to be helping countless numbers of distressed OFWs, many of them domestic workers. David is also a recipient of the Bayaning Pilipino Awards given by ABS-CBN Channel 2 and the UGAT Foundation.

The mechanical engineer is among the OFW community leaders in Saudi Arabia who advocated for the right of migrants to vote in national elections through absentee voting. In a March 27, 2004 news forum organized by the OFW Journalism Consortium, David said OFWs from his region are willing to travel 800 kilometers across deserts to register and to vote during the national elections last May, 2004.
“What we need is a government that will protect - and not exploit - us, David said during the news forum.”(We need) A government that can negotiate in equal footing with the host country, and that would look at us as Filipinos - not just (as) the sources of billion-dollar remittances.”

Fellow community leader Rashid Fabricante said OFW advocates will miss a “pillar” in the advocacy effort on behalf of Filipino contract workers.

OFW Journalism Consortium
http://www.ofwjournalism.net/