Pinoys in Italy demand repeal of law banning use of middle names

May 2, 2012 4:00pm

Filipinos in Italy are demanding the repeal of the Italian Ministry of Labor's rule banning the use of middle names in official documents.

Several migrants groups, led by the Alliance of Filipinos in Italy, have also expressed disappointment in the Philippine Embassy in Italy for endorsing Circular No. 29.

Implemented in October 2010, the circular orders Filipinos living and working in Italy to omit their middle names from official documents so as not to confuse them with their first names. Italians do not use middle names.

According to the Stock Estimate of the Commission on Filipinos Overseas, there were 123,379 Filipinos in Italy as of 2010.

'Discrimininatory'

Alliance of Filipinos in Italy president Junn Felix Mendoza Landicho called the circular “oppressive," saying that it meant going through a complicated process of amending their papers such as identification documents, employment contracts, permits, benefits, and others.

Landicho said the rule affected their property rights, titles, and even the immigration of their relatives.

The Alliance of Filipinos in Italy, also known as Task Force Circular 29, is continuing to campaign for the scrapping of the law.

“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.

The migrants group Migrante International, meanwhile, has called the circular “discriminatory” and “disrespectful” of the Filipino culture.

“Through the years, Italy has become a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural nation and this entails the Italian government’s recognition and respect of other cultures,” Migrante International said in a statement.

Migrante added that no consultations were held before the circular was implemented

OFWs in Italy want middle name issue rectified

ABS-CBNnews.com

Posted at 05/01/2012 5:17 PM | Updated as of 05/01/2012 5:17 PM

MANILA, Philippines – Thousands of Filipinos based in Italy are said to be facing “identity problems” after the Italian government issued a circular restricting the use of the middle name of Filipinos in all their documents.

According to Manny Geslani, a recruitment industry expert, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a Circolare 29 in 2010 that only allows the first and surname to be used in their documents.

The Philippine Embassy, through former Ambassador to Italy Romeo Manalo, said to have concurred with the Circular with a note verbale.

“Much has been said about this issue and it is but proper now for the Philippine Government to clarify and rectify the error made by its emissary to Italy when it submitted to the Italian Government the Note Verbale dated August 27, 2010, leading to the issuance of the oppressive and discriminatory Circolare 29 and its implementation guidelines,” said Geslani.

He added overseas Filipino workers, through Bro. Junn Felix Mendoza Landicho, president of the Alyansang mga Filipino sa Italya, have requested for a dialogue with the current ambassador, Virgilio Reyes to rectify “this grievous “faux pas” that has put the Filipinos in a quandary and our OFWs should not be penalized therefore by the cost, difficulties and inconvenience involved in the process of amending their papers, documents, permits, employment contracts, as well as the expected benefits, and other claims, effects on their property rights and titles, effects on immigration of their relatives and families in Italy”.

The group wants the Department of Foreign Affairs to rescind the previous note verbale that disenfranchises hundreds of OFWs with the dropping of their names.

Geslani said the Philippine government should listen to the objections of the OFWs against the implementation of Circolare 29, through proper and appropriate representations to the Italian government, move to have the same revoked and cancelled, and allow Pinoys to use their middle names again.