06 April 2016 - On April 03, The Philippine Embassy in Rome, in cooperation with Education for an Independent World (http://www.ediw.net/en/) and the Teresian Association in Rome, organized a seminar entitled “Opening Doors and Minds: The Challenge of Integration of Young Filipino Migrants.”

The seminar’s participants were eight Filipino youth migrants between 18-30 years old who are active youth leaders in their respective communities and/or demonstrate leadership skills.

During the seminar, the participants identified that the lack of parental guidance, youth unemployment, and the high rate of school drop-outs as some of the main challenges they face in their efforts to integrate in the Italian society.

The seminar included sessions on developing competences, social entrepreneurship and informal/non-formal learning opportunities, and actively encouraged participants to be “bridges” or “instruments” of understanding not only among Filipinos but also different migrant communities in Italy and Europe as a whole.

At the end of the seminar, the participants received a Certificate of Participation, recognized EU-wide, for their eight-hour training on Transversal Competencies. They also committed to draft a project proposal to specifically address the problem of the high-rate of school drop-outs.

The seminar is part of the Embassy’s continued efforts to assist and empower young Filipino migrants in Italy. It may be recalled that, in 2015, Post conducted, in cooperation with Associazione Stranieri Lavoratori in Italia (ASLI), two seminars to address youth unemployment among Filipino community members. END