Message of the Ambassador  

I welcome you to the “website” of the Italian Embassy.  

The “website” wants to be a concrete and flexible instrument to illustrate the variety of relations that link the Italy and the Philippines, the main services  of the Consular Office, the numerous investment possibilities that this country offers to the Italian businessman and the cultural events organized by the Embassy.  

At sixty years from the establishment of the diplomatic relations, the bilateral relations has seen steady growth: from the political collaboration, cultural and commercial exchange development cooperation, in the phenomenal migration that was brought to our country and to actually host almost 200thousand Filipinos, much more than any other Schengen State. But not only: a stable democracy, solid microeconomic data, with excellent sustained growth forecast (an average of more than +5% for the next five years), widespread English language in all levels (which enabled the country to become the world leader in outsourcing activities), a growing internal market (fueled by large remittances abroad), its central location among the 10 ASEAN members – with more than half billion consumers – making it a market where the Italian entrepreneur can and should look into with great interest.  

At the same time our country is engaged in development cooperation, in coordination with the European Union through specific bilateral projects: of recently, a comprehensive project for the agrarian development of the Mindanao region in the south of the country is signed by the Italian government and the Philippine authorities. The programme which aims to create conditions to better exploit the agricultural potential of the island, proposes to favor the local economic growth while providing a concrete contribution to the stability of the region.  

The Embassy further interacts in the cultural sector by presenting film showings, musicals, and also in the field of food and wine and in the field of design and fashion.  

You will find in the “website” the cultural programming proposed annually by the Office.  

To keep informed and to create a direct link with the Italian citizens residing here – in 2011 there are already 1,028 AIRE registered in the country - as announced through email from a 2010 newsletter: an invitation therefore to those who do not receive to notify the Embassy (consolare.manila@esteri.it and commerciale.manila@esteri.it) of one’s email address or if there is any eventual change.  

Finally, the services offered by the Consular Chancery wherein the visa section receives more than 22,000 requests annually: specific link in the consular section of the “website” provides the necessary information on the Italian and Schengen procedures, in order to properly lodge the applications at minimal time for the release.  

A most cordial greetings to all readers and… have a good navigation!  

Viva l’Italia!  

Luca Fornari
Italian Ambassador    


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