by Santosh Digal

Lack of work each pushes 2 thousand people per day to abandon the country. Many of them emigrate to Muslim countries, where for years they must give up publicly professing the Catholic faith.

Manila (AsiaNews) - "I am going to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia to work as a nurse. I'm scared because for two years I may not receive the sacraments or attend mass”. This is what Radika Canlas tells AsiaNews, a young Filipino Catholic of 23,  forced to seek work in the Arab country where there is the radical Islam, of Wahhabism. She adds that despite the inability to practice her religion she will try to "witness the faith" through her work.

 

"My Catholic faith is very important to me, but I have no choice because of economic difficulties. There are few job opportunities in my country", says Radika, who while waiting to leave for Riyadh visited a church in Manila to confess and take part in her final mass. She says that during her work in  Riydah " personal prayers, the daily recitation of the rosary and reading the word of God will be my only strength, and my only contact with Jesus".

Some 8.8 million foreigners live and work in Saudi Arabia, Catholics count for about 900 thousand, many of which are Filipinos. In this country there is no freedom of religion and it is forbidden to carry religious symbols, to pray in public and in private. Non-Muslims must also abide by the rules and traditions of Islam such as Ramadan. The situation is complicated by the foreign women employed mainly in cleaning hospitals, forced to live in a state of semi-reclusion, forced to remain in dorms during their free time and to work six days a week, 12 hours a day, until the termination of their contract.

Despite this risk, Radika says she is willing to understand other cultures and traditions and to establish good relationship with the other Filipino migrants already resident in Saudi Arabia. "Being born and raised in a Catholic country, it is a challenge for me to think I can live in a country of Islamic culture," says the young woman, adding that "it will help me to appreciate my faith even more and understand and respect other religions. I have to prepare my mind and my heart so I can live in a multi religious environment".  

In the Philippines, the monthly salary of a nurse is around 20 thousand pesos (280 euro) too low to live-on. Abroad, it can reach up to 2 thousand Euros. According to the Filipino bishops' conference about two thousand people leave the country a day in addition to the over 10 million workers already abroad. Given this situation, the bishops urge the government to commit themselves to providing more job opportunities within the country.

The Church has been active in providing assistance to migrants since 1955. It works through the Commission for the treatment of immigrants and travellers (ECMI), which provides help to people who have emigrated in the country where they work. Considering them the "missionaries of the modern era," the Bishops' Conference also urges migrants to be witnesses of their Christian faith in their place of employment.

In this context, 27 to 30 August the eighth meeting of migrant workers residing in Europe and the Middle East was held in Israel. The theme: "Finding and sharing strength in the faith and company of Filipino migrants in the midst of global financial crisis”.

 During the meeting the head of ECMI, Msgr. Precioso Cantillas, said that "the Filipino migrants abroad are affected by the global crisis. They are fighting to save their money and trying to keep together a national spirit”. The Secretary of ECMI, Father Edwin Corros, considers it necessary to increase the Church's support for migrants by appointing more chaplains in the Middle East and Europe. Meanwhile, the presence in the Philippines of about 20 million unemployed in 2009 alone, has increased the number of migrants.

 

 

• philippines
• unemployment
• emigration
• migrants
• catholic
• faith
• middle
• east
• islam
• fundamentalism
• religious
• freedom
• poverty