17 February 2015 – The Philippine Consulate General in Milan conducted its first Filipino community meeting for this year at the Scalibrini Hall of the Santa Maria del Carmine Parish Church in the Milan art district of Brera on Febraury 12. The meeting is in line with the Consulate General’s mission to bring the Consulate closer to the community.
More than 80 Filipino community leaders attended the event some coming from as far as Vicenza, Padua, Turin, Genoa and Bergamo.
Philippine Consul General Marichu Mauro updated the community on the latest developments with regards to a number of issues. She shared the latest news on the Consulate preparations for the community’s celebration of Independence Day on June 14 at the PIME Theater in Milan.
The community was also briefed further on the benefits of Italy’s social security system under INPS (Istituto Nazionale di Previdenza Sociale). The Consulate General has been working closely with INPS in the past few months to better understand its rules and therefore pass on this knowledge to the Filipino community so that they are aware of their rights and take advantage of the benefits available to them. So far, two comprehensive seminars have already been conducted for the benefit of the Filipino community. More seminars may be planned later in the year given the strong interest shown by the community.
The Consulate General also announced the Philippines’ participation in the 56th International Art Exhibit of the Venice Biennale and encouraged everyone to visit the Philippine Pavilion at the Palazzo Mora in Venice.
The community was also introduced to Radyo Tambuli, a radio application launched by the Philippine Embassy in Washington DC, U.S.A, to connect Filipinos abroad to our native country. The app offers daily news headlines, Filipino music, opinion surveys, broadcast from Philippine radio stations and news from Philippine embassies and consulates in other parts of the world.
A representative from Expo in Città, Ms. Anna Pedrosa, also spoke about the World Expo to be held in Milan from May to October this year. She extended her support to the Filipino Cultural Expo being organized by I Colori del Mondo headed by Filipino leader Mrs. Anabel Mayo.
Finally, Mr. Virgilio Vuelban, a chess enthusiast from Rome, and President of the Filipino European Migrants International Chess Academy (FEMICA) encouraged the Filipino community to establish a chess academy in Milan as a way of promoting integration among Filipino migrants especially the youth through chess competitions. END