23 September 2016 — The Philippine Embassy and the Philippine Catholic Communities in Berlin and Cologne co-organized the seminars that brought International Pro Bono Alliance (IPBA) members Atty. Purificacion B. Bernabe, Atty. Michael Tito R. Sajor and Atty. Joseph M. Inocencio to Germany. In Cologne, Atty. Francine Faith Longid-Dalumpines joined the three lawyers in their pro bono work.
The Department of Foreign Affairs’ Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs (OUMWA) coordinated with various Philippine Embassies and Consulates for the group’s first legal mission to Europe.
The Filipino communities in Cologne and Berlin received free legal advice from lawyers from the International Pro Bono Alliance (IPBA) during back-to-back seminars on August 21 and 22. The lawyers gave lectures on the family code as well as pertinent laws on inheritance and property. The Philippines’ anti-trafficking law was also covered. Interested attendees further benefited from private one-on-one consultations after each forum.
In Cologne, the lawyers met with more than 22 Filipinos on August 21 where there was particular interest on registration of properties in the Philippines, taxation and inheritance laws, real estate investing by former Filipinos and dual citizenship. Consul Adrian Cruz, who heads the Embassy’s Consular and Assistance-To-Nationals (ATN) Section represented the Embassy.
The following day in Berlin, more than 50 Filipinos and Germans attended the legal seminar which was held as part of the continuing celebration of the “30th Jubilee Year of the Philippine Community in Berlin.” The open forum was dominated by questions concerning Philippine property and inheritance laws.
Philippine Ambassador to Germany Melita Sta. Maria-Thomeczek attended the Sunday lecture along with Philippine Embassy’s officers, namely Consul General Donna Rodriguez, Consul Adrian Cruz, Consul Catherine Rose Torres and Consul Rona Beth Goce. The Embassy’s ATN Officer Jovencio Catbagan and Legal Officer Amor del Mundo were also in attendance.
“We laud OUMWA and IPBA for this initiative. Our kababayans do need to get updated on property and relationship laws in the Philippines. We hope that this will be done again so we can bring our lawyers to other cities in Germany with big concentrations of Filipinos,” Ambassador Sta. Maria-Thomeczek stated in her opening remarks.
The IPBA is a non-profit group of lawyers with members and affiliates from the Philippines, Malaysia, Viet Nam, Japan, Hong Kong, Macau, Indonesia and the United States. The group gives free legal services to migrant workers and other vulnerable groups. In the Philippines, it serves foreigners in distress who cannot afford adequate legal service. It operates based on reciprocity. The IPBA also assists in the prosecution of human traffickers and actively promotes human trafficking awareness through the lectures that they carry out during their missions in the Philippines and abroad.
Atty. Bernabe noted that “many Filipinos in Germany are well-established and yet they remain compassionate to those who are just starting out or those who have encountered difficulties.” She added that she was impressed with the Filipinos’ strong sense of community and deep faith.
The group of lawyers arrived in Germany after holding legal seminars in Vienna. After completing their pro bono work in Cologne and Berlin, they left for Italy to offer legal assistance to Filipinos in Milan. END