CONTENTS FOREWORD
Dean Antonio La Viña vii
MESSAGES
Maris Gavino
PREFACE
Cristina Liamzon xi
ix
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xvi INTRODUCTION Empowering Overseas Filipinos, One Migrant at a Time: The LSE Program 1 The Context: Some Facts and Figures on Overseas Filipinos in Italy
8
I. THE STORIES Prologue: Blood, Sweat and Cheers 14 I Am Not Alone
Rhoda P. Amodia 19
Baligtad na Tsinelas (Inverted Slippers)
Hazel Ycaza 31
Second Choice… Second Best
Mary Jane Cruzat 41
Passages in Life
Roscelle Ventura-Isla 49
Moving Beyond Problems
Thess Borje
55