NEWS RELEASE 03-2024

FilCom Groups in Hungary Invited to Join European Network

BUDAPEST, 20 January 2024 – Representatives of the three Filipino community organizations recognized by the Embassy of the Philippines in Hungary gathered at the chancery on Saturday, 20 January 2024 for a discussion with leaders of the European Network of Filipino Diaspora (ENFiD) who invited them to form a Hungarian chapter of the network.

In his welcoming remarks, Ambassador Frank R. Cimafranca welcomed the ENFiD officers from the United Kingdom, Italy, Austria, and Czech Republic, led by its chair, Christian W. Estrada, and the representatives of the Bayanihan Filipino Association, the Mabuhay Filipino Community, and the Association of Filipino Students in Hungary (AFSHu).

Citing the network’s “proud pedigree of community building” going back to the Amsterdam-based Commission on Filipino Migrant Workers (CFMW) in 1991, Ambassador Cimafranca said the Philippine Embassy immediately recognized the vital role the pan-European network plays in the government’s comprehensive efforts to unite Filipino organizations throughout Europe.

“The timing of this dialogue could not be more fitting. Hungary's more liberal migration policies, coupled with its economic growth and increasing foreign investment inflows, have resulted in a growing number of Filipinos calling Hungary their home,” Ambassador Cimafranca said, noting that the Filipino community in Hungary is probably one of the fastest growing in Europe.

“We are confident that this gathering will foster fruitful interactions, encouraging a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities faced by our Filipino community in Hungary,” he added, calling the officers of the three Filipino community groups to work together.

“Through our collective efforts, we aim to contribute to the development and prosperity of the Philippines, promote our shared interests, and uphold the general welfare of all Filipinos worldwide,” Ambassador Cimafranca told the gathering of some 30 people, taking a cue from the theme of the Diaspora to Dialogue (D2D) event.

Emphasizing that the pan-European network has 17 chapters, Chair Estrada said the D2D engagement at the Embassy, its eighth overall, aimed to build connections across all the Filipino communities and ensure Filipinos felt less isolated and more empowered. “You are not alone” is one of the mottos ENFiD lives by, Estrada said.

ENFiD-Austria representative Marizel Rojas explained that ENFiD prioritized certain areas of collaboration, namely Education and Learning, Embracing the Environment, Elevating Arts and Culture, and Empowering Euro Pinoy Youth, to encourage Filipinos in Europe to contribute proactively in nation-building instead of simply reflecting the character of Filipinos back home.

The other ENFiD officers, Marison Rodriguez from Prague, Ana Bel Mayo from Milan, Ren Mangaban, Anna Maria Langer and Nilsa Fisher from Vienna, stepped up and gave their personal testimonies on how ENFiD helped them as individuals or as part of the larger community. They were joined by freelance journalists from ENFiD-Czech Republic Andy Peñafuerte III and Jay-Vee Marasigan Pangan.

The ENFiD officers also encouraged the Filipinos in Hungary on their outlined projects and programs to join in their Annual General Assembly and the Asian-European Cultural and Culinary Festivities with a Festival Parade to be held in Vienna on 31 May and 1 June 2024, respectively.

ENFiD was created through a declaration issued in Rome on 8 December 2012, by overseas Filipinos from Italy, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, and the UK, among others.

The population of Filipinos in Hungary expanded from below 1,000 in 2020 to around 15,000 in late 2023.

Early this month, Hungary’s Ministry of Economy announced that the government will issue up to 65,000 permits for guest workers coming from outside of the European Union this year. The Embassy thus expects the number of arriving Filipino workers to increase this year, with some 6,000 more factory and skilled workers from the Philippines expected to be given work visas.-END-