04/30/2012 - Filipinos in Italy are protesting a rule by the Italian government that restricts the use of middle names in documents for Philippine citizens.
The Filipino workers blamed the Philippine Embassy in Italy for the blunder, saying it was the one that requested the Italian government to omit the middle names of registered Filipinos in their records so as not to confuse them with their proper names.
Junn Felix Mendoza Landicho, president of Alliance of Filipinos in Italy, called the rule “oppressive,” saying it has brought them a lot of inconvenience as they had to go through the intricate process of amending their papers, documents, permits, employment contracts, as well as the expected benefits and other claims.
Dropping their middle namesfrom documents also had effects on their property rights and titles and immigration of their relatives and families in Italy, he said.
“Overseas Filipino workers are greatly affected by this move and the Philippine Embassy officials who are assigned only to the office for a few years before being moved on to another work assignment” Landicho said.
The group urged the embassy to make immidiate representations with the Italian Government to rescind the Circular 29 or Circolare 29 issued by the Italian Foreign ministry in 2010.
In the Philippines, a name is composed of a proper name, a middle name – which is the last name of the mother – and the surname.
But in Italian circular the citizen of the Republic of the Philippines with the following name: Pedro (name) Santos (middle name) Cruz (surname), must be registered in Italy as follows: Pedro (name) Cruz (surname) with out reference to the middle name.
“Much has been said about this issue and it is but proper now for the Philippine government to clarify and rectify the error,” Landicho said.
Michaela P. del Callar
