NEGROS Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson has assured all Negrense migrant workers that the provincial government is always open to aid and support them and find more effective ways to address the needs of migration assistance and governance.

Lacson, who led the provincial celebration of Migrant Workers Day held at the SM City Bacolod Atrium on Friday, June 24, said the province has 29,101 active overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) as of December 2021 based on the records of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (Owwa).

"We heighten anew our resolve to continue finding ways to address the factors that push our brothers and sisters to work abroad and commit to lay down the building blocks to pave the way for safe and fair migration," he added.

The governor, who is also the chairman of the Provincial Committee on Migration and Development (PCMD), also thanked the civic society organizations, national government agencies, OFW leaders, and the academe for their active participation as committee members.

The activity was spearheaded by the PCMD under the Negros Occidental Provincial Planning and Development Office.

Also present were Owwa-Western Visayas Regional Director Rizza Joy Moldes, OFW Negros Occidental Federation Inc. president and PCMD co-chair Salvacion Barrios, Executive Assistant to the Governor Marie June Castro, Provincial Migrant Resource Center Manager Engineer Jose Maria Amugod, and SM City Bacolod Mall Manager Julia Javellana, among others. (With Capitol reports)