Ventimiglia’s Filipino community to present itself to the town with dances and music on 14 November

Ventimiglia’s Filipino community of 370 people will hold an official presentation with traditional dances and music at the town’s Teatro Comunale on Saturday, 14 November, to promote integration and cultural exchange, Il Secolo XIX reported.

The Filipino community in Ventimiglia will formally present itself to the town’s residents on Saturday, 14 November, at the Teatro Comunale on Via Aprosio, Il Secolo XIX reported on 5 November.

The newspaper said the event starts at 4pm and will feature traditional dances and music to promote and share Filipino culture. The group, supported by the Associazione unità della comunità filippina, wants to make itself known directly to the people of Ventimiglia to promote integration, solidarity and cultural exchange.

A growing community

According to Il Secolo XIX, the Filipino community in Ventimiglia numbers 370 people and has grown considerably over the past three years. Most of the women work in domestic help or as carers for elderly people, while the men are mostly labourers or work in the restaurant sector. The community had already introduced itself to Mayor Flavio Di Muro on 12 June.

Alfonso Castillo, the association’s vice-president, told the paper the initiative is meant to promote integration between the Italian and Filipino communities. He said the association wants to help Filipino immigrants integrate and become citizens of Ventimiglia while also promoting Filipino culture.

Castillo said the association’s first aim when it was set up was to help people, supporting their search for work. It has formed help groups for the Filipino community and supports people in difficulty, including elderly people and widows, with food aid. It also encourages young Filipinos to study and go to university.

Earlier community milestone

In October, Riviera24 reported that the Associazione Filippina del Ponente Ligure APS, which has its registered office in Ventimiglia, installed its board led by president Teresa Baltazar at a ceremony attended by Mayor Flavio Di Muro, with traditional dances and a talk by immigration lawyer Angelo Massaro on the decreto flussi.

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