Winning OFW families grateful to OWWA for MOFYA, credit BDO for promoting savings culture

The winners of the Model OFW Family of the Year Awards (MOFYA) – who won the annual search for best practices in caring for their families amid challenges – expressed their gratitude to the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) for the honor and to BDO Unibank as well as for teaching the value of savings among Overseas Filipino (OF) families.

“BDO helped us mainly through Kabayan Savings. My mother then encouraged me and my younger sibling to open our own accounts. It was really a big help because by the time our mother retired from her work abroad, thanks to BDO we had enough savings in our account,” said Nizma Hawari, the daughter of national winner Amir Hawari from Zamboanga (Region 9).

Amir Hawari’s career abroad spanned more than four decades as a purchasing officer at Saudi Aramco and as a stock equity analyst at Qatar Petroleum. Hawari, a cancer survivor, said their children’s education was the driving force behind his and his wife Armina’s sacrifices as OFWs. Armina worked as a dialysis nurse at Hamad Medical Corp. in Qatar.

Their hard work allowed the Hawari family to establish numerous business ventures in the Philippines, all of which are managed by their six children, all of whom also have university degrees.

Amir is also a founding chairman of the Asian Integrated School, the first Filipino-Muslim school based in Doha, Qatar.

“This recognition is not only for me, it also serves as a motivation for all OFWs to further enhance their community involvement, especially as they retire. There is no better feeling than the feeling of being loved and recognized by your family, relatives, friends and colleagues kababayans who, like you, work for the sake of their families,” the Hawari patriarch said.

Meanwhile, the at-sea winner of this year’s MOFYA, Captain Jessie Lorenzo of Antique (Region 6), who passed away last year, was represented by his widow, Dr. Amelia Lorenzo, his daughter Dr. jessica, and son, Engr. Marking.

Daughter Jessica thanked BDO for being the financial partner of choice for her late father. “When my father bought condominium units, it was with the money he had saved with BDO. Thank you BDO for the help you have given us and every OF family and community,” said daughter Jessica.

Jessica added, “For fellow children of OFs, we must always remember the sacrifices our parents made and the things they do for our future.”

After graduating from the Philippine Merchant Marine Academy, Captain Lorenzo eventually became the youngest captain in his group and a Navy reservist. He does not limit himself to the income from his maritime shipping manners, Captain Lorenzo purchased 28 hectares of land from his first trip to settle a diverse and sustainable agricultural company.

“We started all over again. When we got married he was already a first mate and I was a dentist. At that time, I received only a certain portion of his allocation for our family. He would take care of our finances. Every time he disembarked, he made sure to make some investments, such as purchasing land. I never complained because I knew it was all for the good of our family, especially our two children. Dr. said Lorenzo. “We are so overwhelmed by this award from OWWA.”

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