20 October 2005 – The Philippine Embassy in Rome reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs that the Embassy organized the 2nd Annual Filipino Workers' Forum on 16 October 2005 at the auditorium of the Instituto Maria Ausiliatrice along Via Marghera in Rome to enhance Filipino leaders' ability to protect their members' interests and promote their welfare by increasing their knowledge of Italian labor laws and social policies that pertain to OFWs in Italy.

Ambassador Philippe J. Lhuillier said that close to a hundred leaders of Filipino organizations from various parts of Italy participated in the day-long event,  which also served as a forum to increase the awareness among the OFWs of the various services of the Embassy and its Labor Office.

Ambassador Lhuillier opened the event with a message that underscored the importance of knowing Italy's laws and policies to be able to effectively address the concerns of OFWs in Italy.   He also reaffirmed his commitment to continuously harness and place the resources of the Embassy and its Labor Office in the service of OFWs.

The Italian speakers included Ms. Ana Giustiniani of the Organization for International Migration; Dottore Maurizio Bartolucci of the Commissioni Bilancio e Cultura, and Atty. Maria Marian of the Department of Emigration and Immigration.   Vice Consul Ms. Kristine R. Salle and Dr. Emmanuel R. Fernandez discussed the Embassy's services while Labor Attaché Alicia D. Santos and her staff spoke on the various services of the DOLE, OWWA, Pag-lbig and SSS.

The Forum was capped by a spiritual reflection on the life of migrant workers in Italy conducted by Fr. Ricky Ignacio, Parish Priest of Ponte Galleria Parish. END