Priest notes increasing broken families with growing migration

A Korea-based Filipino priest has observed an increasing trend in the number of broken Filipino families as a consequence of the steadily growing overseas migration of workers. Fr. Glenn Ginanni Jaron, chaplain for overseas Filipino workers in Seoul, said the trend presents a challenging task in providing for pastoral needs of OFWs. In a report posted at the website of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, Fr. Jaron of the Mission Society of the Philippines (MSP) said he has observed many OFWs staying as live-in partners in Korea. Some of them are married and have families in the Philippines. These situations, Fr. Jaron said, poses a greater challenge to guide and help the persons involved spiritually and pastorally. The Filipino priest has been a chaplain for nine years. He has been a spiritual guide, councilor, and a kind of liaison officer for OFWs in order to help address various issues and problems including marriage related matters that affect Filipino migrants in Korea, CBCP News report said. Fr. Jaron also attributed the rise in broken families to separation from loved ones, and the pressures of work in a foreign land. Because of this, the priest suggested that OFWs should not stay longer than three to five years working abroad, and to invest their savings wisely in order to keep them with their families. There are more than 46,000 Filipinos working in Korea. Fr. Jaron said he regularly conducts Bible study classes, formation trainings, personality growth seminars, counseling programs, and other skill enhancement workshops to strengthen the faith of Filipinos working abroad. - GMANews.TV