10 September 2013 – As a follow up to the successful agribusiness forum held in Rome-Milan-Turin last June 2013, members of the Philippine Embassy Rome – Vice Consul Margret Malang, Special Agriculture Representative Lupino Lazaro Jr., Labor Attaché Viveca Catalig and Welfare Officer Loreta Vergara – went to Salerno, Italy on September 08 to enlighten our kababayans on the government’s reintegration program and agribusiness investment opportunities for them.
Philippine Ambassador to Italy Virgilio A. Reyes, Jr. in his message delivered by Vice Consul Malang, cited a portion of the President’s State of the Nation Address (SONA):
“Hindi po nauubos ang mga Pilipino handang makiambag, na siyang ugat ng pagbabagong tinatamasa natin ngayon. Ang stratehiya: Sagarin ang oportunidad para sa lahat, lalo na para sa mga mas nangangailangan. Hindi natin pakay maghintay ng trickle down; hindi pwedeng baka sakali o tsamba lang silang daratnan ng mga biyaya ng kaunlaran. Ito pong tinatawag nating inclusive growth – itong malawang kaunlaran – ang mismong prinsipyong bukal ng bawal inisyatiba, bawat kilos, bawat desisyon ng inyong gobyerno. Ang maiiwan na lamang ay ang ayaw sumama, dahil hindi sinamantala ang pagkakataon.
Ang atin pong batayang prinsipyo: Malawakang pagkakataon ang susi sa malawakan at pangmatagalang kaunlaran. Huwag po sana nating kalimutan na ang pagkakataon ay punla lamang. Kailangan itong diligin ng sipag, alagaan ng determinasyon, at payabungin ng dedikasyon.”
The Ambassador, in his message, also emphasized that the government is promoting agribusiness investment for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to give them an opportunity to take part in the economic development of the country.
Labor Attaché Catalig and Welfare Officer Vergara discussed the three pillars of the government’s reintegration program: 1) making OFW remittances as tools for economic and financial stability; 2) developing OFWs’ knowledge and skills to avoid the “brain drain” phenomenon” and; 3) tapping the OFW network to contribute to economic development. They also introduced to the community the government’s Php 2 Billion Reintegration Fund allocated to help OFWs to invest in the Philippines when they come home.
Special Agriculture Representative Lazaro presented to the community different agribusiness investment opportunities for those interested to do business in crops, livestock and fisheries.
The seminar was organized in cooperation with the Filipino Community of Salerno, Italy (FCSI) headed by its President, Mr. Villamor Velasco and was attended by 70 participants. END