Milan – April 8, 2013 – A whole day gathering of various Filipino Associations in Milan was held last March 17, 2013, to participate in the Diaspora to Development (D2D) Echo Seminar, as a result of the worldwide D2D Conference in Rome last September 2012.
The objective of the Rome D2D Conference, which was echoed in the Seminar, was to work towards a united front for all Filipinos in the diaspora and to engage these Filipinos for the development of the Philippines even while living abroad.
Mrs. Cristina Quintos, Convenor of the conference welcomed the guests and participants, followed by inspirational remarks from Consul General Lourdes S. Tabamo. To achieve the objectives of the D2D, the following speakers dealt on various topics: Ms. Giancarla Boreati of the Comune di Milano presented an overview of the number of Filipinos in Italy and the assistance and benefits provided by the Comune to the different migrant communities; Mr. Mirku Grandi of La Federazione Italiana Lavoratori Commercio (FilCams-CGIL) discussed the laws governing immigrant workers in Italy and their specific privileges; Dr. Celestino Dulay, Jr., a psychologist and professor at the University of Rome La Sapienza touched on the Filipino Psyche, focusing on the common problems and challenges faced by migrant Filipinos and Philippine Ambassador Grace R. Princesa of the Philippine Embassy in the United Arab Emirates emphasized the need to be united and focused for the common goal of uplifting lives. She also encouraged Filipinos to save and invest their hard-earned money in preparation for their return and reintegration into the Philippine society.
A workshop was conducted in the afternoon by three groups to talk about the positive and negative impact of migration as well as the recommended solutions to the arising problems. The conference ended with the presentation of certificates to the participants. (PCG – Milan)
