22 November 2016 —  Thirty Filipino residents in Rome from the town of Mabini, Batangas province were the first recipients of the “Seminar on Financial Literacy and Addressing Barriers to Reintegration” organized by the Welfare Officer of the Philippine Embassy on November 20.

The activity was the first of a series of seminars being planned by the Philippine Embassy to sensitize overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Italy and their families on economic and social issues of migration and the barriers to reintegration, assist them in financial planning for their long-term development and that of their communities, and guide them in identifying and addressing issues and concerns to achieve financial and family goals.

The resource persons tapped by the Philippine Embassy were the leaders of the Filipino Women’s Council (FWC) based in Rome, led by Ms. Rosario Basa. The FWC has been advocating the empowerment of OFWs, particularly women, who make up the majority of the OFWs in Italy. 

The seminar was designed to help OFWs identify their current financial situation, make family budget, set targets and plan to achieve their goals as migrants. It was also intended to enable them to understand the various savings and investment instruments they can avail themselves of and translate financial and family goals into concrete savings and investments. END