About Us

UMANGAT is a migrant organization of Filipinos in Rome duly registered under the provision of the Italian government for civic organizations. 

History

The problem of extreme poverty, joblessness and unjust wages that deprived people to live a descent life gave birth to forced migration of Filipinos to other countries. The massive exodus of Filipinos overseas hoping to find a greener pasture have cost serious problems in the family and the migrant themselves before leaving the country and upon entering at the host country. Each migrant has been battered by financial, emotional, psychological and cultural problems.

From the time, that migration of Filipinos has been widespread overseas in the last 40 years, an estimated 12 million Filipinos has been spread out in 182 countries all over the world. In Italy, it is estimated that the Filipinos are the sixth largest migrant populace with an average of 250 migrants entering every month. Most of them entered without legal documents.

The problems faced by the Filipino migrants are almost the same with the majority of the migrants of all races: solitude, broken family, nostalgia, delinquent children, financial debt, and inappropriate job as to their educational attainment, discrimination, and humiliation. These problems worsen by the negligence of protection from the respective government agencies (particularly from the home country) that are tasked to support them.

This situation challenges the migrants to come forward and organize a group called UMANGAT (Ugnayan ng mga Manggagawang Migrante Tungo sa Pag-unlad) or Union of Migrant Workers for Progress.

Our activities

• To organize studies and discusions on migration laws, norms and regulations in Italy;
• To mobilize campaigns and actions against unjust laws, norms and regulations on migration;
• To organize cultural and educational events for the migrants;
• To disseminate news and information through a radio weekly program, internet and print media;
• To provide Filipino migrants with basic services and assistance in partnership with other Italian and non-Italian organizations; and
• To organize fora on the Philippine socio-economic political situation.

ANNOUNCEMENT

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY CELEBRATION

March 9, 2014 (15:00-17:00) 

Ass. Articolo 3. via Dancalia 19, ROMA 

 2013 Karapatan Year-end Report on the Human Rights Situation in the Philippines  (click to read full report)