Our long-distance relationship with Italy

As the Italian Parliament drafts its Indo-Pacific strategy, we may soon count another country among our closest allies in upholding our sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea. 

Among those who were invited to share their input in a fact-finding hearing of the Italian parliament  was our top envoy to Rome, Ambassador Nathaniel “Neal” Imperial. Aligned with the Philippine government’s stance on the matter, the ambassador told the subcommittee that our government expects “Italy, as a major stakeholder in the Indo-Pacific, to support the rule of law and a rules-based order in our region.”

Previously, Italy had expressed its support for international law, when they recognized the Hague’s 2016 Arbitration Ruling in the communique adopted by the Group of Seven (G7) last year, and again in June this year, under Italy’s G7 presidency, and when the group also condemned China’s aggressive actions against Filipino vessels and their crew.

I count Neal as one of my closest friends, from way back to my days in Ateneo. It was a pleasant opportunity that we could catch up, that I could know more about the situation of our country’s relationship with Italy, and how some of our kababayans are faring 10,000 kilometers from home.

Securing the future of the next generation of Filipinos abroad

Apart from being the president’s alter ego in foreign policy discussions with Italy, Neal also has another important marching order: to reconnect their office to the growing community of more than 160,000 Filipinos in the foreign country, the largest Filipino diaspora in the European Union.

“This is one of our top priorities, and we’re making progress by involving them more in our activities and programs,” Neal told me. “We’re also doing our best to make our consular and labor services more efficient as we interact with every Filipino.”

From our conversation, I found out that it has become common for some of our overseas Filipino workers to raise their family in Italy. “In fact, those who have been here long enough are also now seeing the second or third generation of their family.”

This next generations, according to Neal, are better integrated into Italy’s society. “They’re fluent with the language, and a growing number are even finishing college or university studies.”

“A key part of our vision is to ensure that the next generations of Filipinos here in Italy find improved levels of education and opportunities that are better than what their parents had,” said Neal. An advocate of family myself, I myself am sure that we are all beholden to that dream of giving our family a life that’s better than what we had growing up. 

Neal shared one issue that he noticed among the following generations of Filipino migrants. According to the ambassador, his office observed that some of them tend to neglect the pursuit of higher or vocational education, instead settling for part-time jobs that aren’t likely to benefit their career and goals in the long term.

“That’s why our embassy wants to focus more on initiatives that motivate migrant families to keep their children in school and finish higher education,” said Neal. “High-quality education and training here would open more doors and better opportunities for the youth. As one of the largest diaspora communities in Italy, Filipinos and Filipino-Italians are well-positioned to assume a more important role in Italian society.” His sentiment ties back to the goal of securing the future of the children of our fellow Filipinos in Italy, to live better lives than their parents had.

A taste of home in Rome

Another major initiative of our Philippine Embassy in Italy is the publication of a restaurant guide called From Home to Rome: Filipino Cuisine in the Eaternal City – Filipino Food & Restaurant Guide in Rome. The guide was launched just in time during our celebration of Filipino Food Month. The e-guide was the product of the embassy’s partnership with Filipino restaurateurs in Rome who, according to the embassy, “are helping raise the profile of Filipino cuisine in Italy.” 

In the city, you can find more than ten restaurants and dessert shops, offering different takes on the Filipino food experience, from casual dining, to carinderia-esque and fast food setups.

“Our objective there was to introduce not just to Filipinos in Italy, but to the millions of tourists and Italians the delight that Filipino cuisine can offer,” Neal enthused. “From what we can see, there is a bright future for Filipino cuisine here in Italy and in Europe.”

The embassy arrived at the idea of publishing a food guide as they observed the increasing prevalence of Filipino-owned businesses in the capital city. “We talked to some of these business-owners to start the establishment of an association, which eventually paved the way for the formation of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce in Italy, whose members quickly started growing in number.”

The businesses represented include those in transportation, hospitality, retail, and of course, food and beverage services. “When we saw how proudly these food establishments were representing our cuisine and culture, it inspired the embassy to write and publish a restaurant guide that featured them,” Neal explained.

The evolving image of the Filipino professional

Neal’s vision for Filipino migrants in Italy is one that I admire deeply. 

As millions of our fellow kababayans sought a better life overseas, one unintended consequence was that an undesirable image was formed by those who choose to discriminate and stereotype others. Thankfully, Neal, the Philippine embassy, and as well as their counterparts in other countries continue working to contribute towards leaving this false notion in the past. 

“It’s fortunate that in Europe, labor rights are more closely protected. The same can be said for women’s rights, that we rarely have any serious problems now,” said Neal. He also shared how our outstanding Italy-based athletes, like the Asian record-holder for pole-vaulting, EJ Obenia, and gymnast Jasmine Ramilo, are helping the migrant Filipino community – in uplifting their spirits, and improving our image towards other nationalities.

There should be no shame in honest work, and it should not be used against any community. Neal shared a story of our fellow Filipinos who even used their work as household help or domestic workers as a stepping stone towards owning their own business, now running small hotels or their own restaurants.

“Filipinos are blessed with many talents, and we can do anything, especially if we are united and we help each other” he affirmed.

The goal of our foreign affairs department deserves our solidarity – to protect our kababayans in their honest work to provide for their families here, and at the same time improve our image and relations with other countries. 

Ciao!
 

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