Government urged to appeal Italy's 'middle name rule'

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

TWO party-list legislators urged Tuesday President Benigno Aquino III to appeal the Italy Ministry of Labor's Circular 29 ordering Filipinos living and working in the southern European state to "drop their middle names" in official documents.

Akbayan party-list Representative Walden Bello, chairman of the House committee on overseas workers affairs, said the Aquino administration, through Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, should resist the policy as overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are facing an "identity crisis" in Italy.

"We have heard this problem in the (House) committee and the DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) promised to look into the matter. My position is that the Philippine government should request the Italian government to make an exception of Filipinos and allow them to use their middle names in official documents," Bello said.

Gabriela party-list Representative Luzviminda Ilagan echoed Bello's sentiment, saying Aquino himself "should plead" in behalf of all OFWs working in Italy.

The Italian government ordered the dropping of middle names to avoid confusion in the use of middle names. Italians do not have middle names.

Circular 29 has affected over 200,000 Filipinos living and working in Italy. OFWs reportedly paid P2,500 each for the dropping of their middle names from Italian documents. (Kathrina Alvarez/Sunnex)