Of the 8.5 million Filipino overseas (DFA/CFO 2004) dispersed all over the world, approximately over one hundred thousand are in Italy. They are the fourth most numerous “extracommunitary” community. But in terms of religion they have the most number of Catholics. Approximately 40,000 of them are in the Eternal City of Rome.
Though considered more fortunate in many aspects than many of their “kababayans” in other countries, they, like the others, are affected deeply by the bright and dark sides of migration.
It is consoling to know that there are many stories of success about these migrants. Their remittances have sustained families, put children to schools, and raised their standard of living. Today, their annual remittances of about Eleven Billion US Dollars ($ 11, 000, 000, 000.00) to their mother country has contributed much to the Philippines' national development.
However, “green bills” should not be the sole criterion for gauging their success. There are also human and social costs to consider. Some prices are just too high to pay for better salaries. Injustices, loss of life and human dignity, maltreatment, exploitation, moral degradation, broken families, abandonment of children and slackness in faith are too much to pay.
We must also consider the fact that more than half of our overseas workers are women whom Pope John Paul II underscores as the most vulnerable and often suffer the most. |
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to express my thanks and gratitude to my friend Gabriel Gasca, Website Designer, who helped me realized this wonderful website which is very important and useful for all of us for coordination, collaboration and information. |
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