SAN JOSE, Antique – An Antiqueño overseas Filipino worker (OFW) in South Korea is set to receive one of the most prestigious awards in the country for active domestic workers – the 2021 Bagong Bayani Awards (BBA) of the Bagong Bayani Foundation, Inc.
The virtual awarding ceremony is on June 7.
Rodney Sobrino Queman, 40, has been working in Incheon, South Korea for 15 years. He hails from Barangay San Pedro here.
He moved to Korea in March 2006 as an EPS (Employment Permit System) worker (non-skilled) in a manufacturing company. In 2017, he was able to pass the rigorous eligibility to transition and be recognized as a skilled worker, earning him an exemplary status among foreign workers in South Korea.
Queman, or better known to a lot of Filipinos in Korea as “Chairman,” has made outstanding volunteer work and commitment to improving the welfare of other Filipino workers in Korea as a board member and volunteer assistant auditor of one of the largest Filipino communities for foreign workers in Korea – Filipino EPS Workers Association (FEWA) from 2007 until 2012. At present, he serves as the adviser of the group.
Queman also holds various positions in different key Filipino community groups (both online and offline). As the Vice President of Seosan Migrants Catholic Community and community adviser of the Incheon Filipino community, Filipinos often turn to him for advice – whether personal or even as serious as concerning labor laws in South Korea.
As one of the prominent online administrators of the biggest online Filipino community in South Korea, Queman has been working hard to master the Korean language to give more accurate advice to other Filipinos struggling to adapt to Korean working culture.
He has also held various fundraising events for the communities in the Philippines since 2013 such for Taal Volcano eruption victims (January 2020), coronavirus frontliners (April 2020) as well as for Filipinos in Korea struggling financially. In total for the year 2020, he was able to raise about KRW 40,000,000 (roughly around P1.7 million).
Katherine Corteza of Itaewon Global Village Center nominated Queman for the BBA Awards for Community and Social Service.
“One of the reasons that keep motivating me to help my fellow OFWs is knowing some of their needs. I grew up poor. I have less to give but yet know how to offer more,” Queman said.
He added: “It is a great honor to be recognized for assisting my fellow Filipinos both in the Philippines and South Korea. In small or big help, I am glad that they appreciated everything and had impacted their lives.”
Aside from Queman, Rodelia Pedro Villar, another Filipina domestic worker from Antique based in Hong Kong will also receive the same award.
Villar is also the big winner at the 8th Spirit of Hongkong Awards which was concluded last year. She is the first Filipino to be nominated and to win the award./PN
