Busan, South Korea
November 23, 2019

Alicia Lipata is one of the thousands of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) working in South Korea.  She arrived in the country in 2001 and has been working as an English teacher for 12 years in a private academy in Daegu.

Lipata has been an active volunteer in the Daegu Filipino Community Council (DFCC) for 12 years.  The DFCC, which is under the Catholic Worker Center, is a non-profit organization that fosters the welfare of Filipino migrants in Daegu, South Korea through spiritual activities, social involvement, recreational activities, political and welfare services, and charity works.  The group has been helping the Filipino community in Daegu such as those who are experiencing employment problems, particularly those under the Employment Permit System (EPS).

In 2014, Lipata received the Banaag Presidential Award in Malacañan Palace for DFCC. The Banaag Award is conferred on Filipino individuals or associations for their contributions that have significantly benefited a sector or advanced the cause of overseas Filipino communities.

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