Church reiterates commitment to care for OFWs in Kuwait

MANILA, Philippines - Catholic Church officials in Kuwait reaffirmed Sunday their commitment to providing help and attention to overseas Filipino workers based there. But Bishop Camillo Ballin said he may need at least one more Filipino priest to take care of over 130 Filipinos in the Apostolic Vicariate of Kuwait. "We help Filipinos if and when they get arrested by the local police, when they land in jail or when they run away from their employers and we're always ready to help in any way we can," the Italian prelate said in an article on the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines Web site (www.cbcpnews.com). At present, Fr. Ruben Barrameda from the Diocese of Legazpi is serving the Filipino community in Kuwait, most of whom include professionals and manual laborers. Ballin said he has always maintained good relations with the Filipinos in Kuwait and even in the Philippines. During his recent travel to Australia for the World Youth Day, he visited Manila and Surigao for a number of days, he said. "Sometime ago, during a Mass for the Filipinos, I told them I have a secret for them that they should keep close to their hearts and that is 'I love you, I love all of you,'" he said. On the other hand, Ballin said not all Filipinos end up happy in Kuwait, as shown by 160 Filipinos now stranded at the Philippine Overseas Labor Office. - GMANews.TV