Monday, November 26, 2018

Sampung Utos ng mga Anak ng Bayan

Posted by Belarmino Dabalos Saguing
Rome, ItalyNovember 26, 2018




I. Ibigin mo ang Dios ng buong puso.
II. Pakatandaang lagi na ang tunay na pagibig sa Dios ay siya ring pagibig sa Tinubuan, at iyan din ang pagibig sa kapwa.
III. Itanim sa iyong puso na, ang tunay na kahalagahan ng puri’t kaginhawahan ay ang ikaw’y mamatay dahil sa ikaliligtas ng Inang-Bayan.
IV. Lahat ng iyong mabuting hangad ay magwawagi kapag ikaw’y may hinahon, tiyaga, katwiran at pag-asa sa iyong inaasal at ginagawa.
V. Pagingatan mo, kapara ng pagiingat sa sariling puri, ang mga pasya at adhikain ng K.K.K.
VI. Katungkulan ng lahat na, ang nabibingit sa malaking kapahamakan sa pagtupad ng kanyang tungkulin ay iligtas sukdang ikapariwara ng sariling buhay at kayamanan.
VII. Ang kaugalian natin sa ating sarili at sa pagtupad ng ating tungkol ay siyang kukunang halimbawa ng ating kapwa.
VIII. Bahaginan mo ng iyong makakayanan ang sino mang mahirap at kapus-palad.
IX. Ang sipag sa paggawa ng iyong ikabubuhay ay siyang tunay na sanhi ng pag-ibig, pagmamahal sa sarili, sa iyong asawa’t mga anak, sa iyong kapatid at mga kababayan.
X. Parusahan ang sinomang masamang tao’t taksil at purihin ang mabubuting gawa. Dapat mong paniwalaan na ang tinutungo ng K.K.K. ay mga biyaya ng Dios; na anopa’t ang mga ninasa ng Inang-Bayan, ay mga nasain din ng Dios.
Mula sa opisyal na programa para sa inagurasyon ng monumento ni Andres Bonifacio, 1933.

Sunday, November 25, 2018

Forum sulla drammatica situazione dei diritti umani nelle Filippine


Roma, Italia 25 nov 2018

SUor Arlene Casas, suore di Nostra Signora di Sion era ospite in un forum organizzato dalla Italo-Pilipino Friendship Association (IPFA) in collaborazione con Umangat Migrante di Roma, ha discusso l'espulsione di suor Patricia Fox, un missionario australiano che lavora nel Manila, Filippine e l'attuale situazione dei diritti umani nel paese.

Suor Arlene ha descritto le lotte Lumad per le loro terre d'origine, la lotta dei contadini e dei lavoratori per Condizioni di lavoro e dei salari, e come il regime nel paese contrastato le loro lotte con le violazioni violente dei diritti umani.

Le discussioni è stato accolto dagli italiani e di altre nazionalità, che hanno partecipato al forum esprimendo la loro solidarietà con le popolazioni indigene delle Filippine e ai lavoratori per il loro solo lotte.

Un Ibrahim del Mali ha espresso le somiglianze nelle condizioni nazionali nella sua terra d'origine. Gli Sud americani hanno convenuto che la situazione è globale e ha chiesto una forte solidarietà e di lotta comune.







Forum on the dramatic human rights situation in the Philippines


Forum on the dramatic human rights situation in the Philippines





Rome, Italy 25 Nov. 2018

Sor Arlene Casas, Sisters of our Lady of Sion was guest speaker in a forum organized by the Italo-Pilipino Friendship Association (IPFA) in collaboration with Umangat Migrante of Rome, discussed the expulsion of Sister Patricia Fox, an Australian missionary working in Manila, Pjilippines and the current human rights situation in the country.

Sister Arlene described the Lumad struggles for their homelands, the fight of the peasants and workers for a just working conditions and salaries, and how the regime in the country countered their struggles with violent human rights violations.

The discussions was welcomed by the Italians and other nationalities who attended the forum expressing their solidarity with the Philippine indigenous people and workers for their just struggles.

A Ibrahim from Mali expressed the striking similarities in the national conditions in his own homeland. The Spanish Americans concurred that the situation is global and called for a strong solidarity and common struggle.















.

Tuesday, November 13, 2018

A brief Profile of Filipinos in Italy


posted by Belarmino Dabalos Saguing                                                                                            Rome, Italy  13 November 2018                                                                                                    Contact info: email bdsaguing@gmail.com

Italy hosts the largest population of Overseas Fiipino Workers in Western Europe according to Italian Forign Affairs statistics. The Italian Ministry of Interior reports  of 167,859  total number of documented Filipinos scattered in Italian regions,  of which 72,599 are males and 95,260 are females. The highest concentrations are in the regions of Lombardy – 58,412 and Lazio  – 46,282.  Estimate  numbers of undocumented Filipinos vary widely from 20,000 to80,000. (Source: ISTAT Jan. 1 2018)


Filipinos were among the first immigrant groups to work in Italy, starting in the early 1970s. They constitute the sixth largest foreign community after the Romanians, Albanians, Moroccans, Chinese and Ukrainians. Most Filipinos are concentrated in major cities like Milan (42,236), Rome41,311), Some 20.4 percent are found in other municipalities.


             They work mainly as domestic helpers or family caregivers. Some have found work in shops, factories and in various services. With  the employment opportunities available, Filipino women outnumber Filipino males–72,599  males vs. 95,260 females – with valid work permits. The rest are their dependents       14, 551 to 15,565. Italy is the fourth largest source of remittances to the Philippines. In per capita remittances, Filipinos rank second only to Chinese immigrants.


The Italian economy is industrialized and diversified. It is dominated by the manufacture of high-quality consumer goods produced by small and medium-size enterprises, many of them family owned. Italy also has a sizable underground, untaxed economy, which by some estimates accounts for as much as 17 percent of the gross national product. 
However, Italy is divided into a developed industrial north, dominated by private companies, and a less developed, welfare-dependent, agricultural south, with high unemployment. Italy is the third-largest economy in the euro-zone, but it is saddled with high public debt and has imposed austerity measures. Its decreasing native labor force, due to aging population and low fertility rate add to its burdens. Thus,immigrants became an important force in the economy. Four million Immigrants now contribute about 11 percent of the Italian gross domestic product and pay taxes amounting to about €33 billion. The 3.5 percent of the companies that migrants own and operate pay some €7.5 billion of the country’s social security (Caritas Migrantes - Dossier Sull’ Immigrazione). 
The government, aware of Italy’s need for migrant labor to work on farms and in factories and fill other work that many native Italians are reluctant to do, has instituted several amnesty programs to regularize the stay of undocumented workers. It also has a family reunification program that allows immigrant parents to send for their children up to the age of 18 years. In 2008 up to 16 percent of Filipinos came to the country to join their families compared with almost 79 percent who came for employment (Colombo and Martini, 2010). The rise in the Filipino birth rate in Italy is contributing to the growing Filipino population. Some 1,598 Filipino babies were born in 2008 alone.


Birthday celebration of an OFW child in via Prenestina, Rome 11.10.2018 (Photo by Nelia Areola Domingo)

Although not immune to discrimination and abuse, Filipinos do not suffer as much as trafficked immigrants. Employers value them for their familiarity with English and their work ethic. They are also credited with revitalizing parishes that have suffered from the loss of native congregants. 

But culture, language and race hinders their full assimilation into Italian society. Filipino children and youth brought to Italy tend to suffer the most. Emotional and identity issues confront them, and they can be vulnerable to risky behavior. Italian-born Filipinos have fewer problems integrating. They become in many ways, as Italian as any native Italian children, taking on many of their values, culture and habits. This cause considerable conflicts in some cases, with Filipino parents who consider Italian children and youth as too disrespectful to parents. 

At present, there are more than 70 Filipino community organizations all over Italy. Most are church based and often have close links with priests and chaplaincies that minister to their religious and counseling needs.
The migration policies of the present extreme right populist government of  Italy, notably the new security dcrees of the present populist extreme right coalition is posing problems to undocumented Filipinos and other foreign nationals in the country.
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