Eden Mae M. Castillo, college freshman, is the first awardee of the Philippine Ambassador’s scholarship under an agreement signed only two months ago by University of Indianapolis (Athens campus) Chancellor Vasilis Botopoulos and Ambassador Rigoberto Tiglao.
The Philippine Ambassador’s Scholarship provides for a 70% tuition assistance to a Filipino for an undergraduate college degree at the prestigious University of Indianapolis-Athens Campus.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said she would be turning over to the next administration a call center industry that had become the second biggest global earner and one capable of elevating the nation to First World status.

The next leadership, she said, should intensify programs that would “educate the young on the use of computers and the Internet for the next generation of BPO workers.”

The business process outsourcing (BPO) sector would be a major key for the Philippines to finally join the ranks of developed countries in two decades, Ms Arroyo Thursday said during a visit to a call center in Davao City in Mindanao.

Madame Getsy S. Tiglao, the wife of Philippine Ambassador to Greece Rigoberto D. Tiglao, has been appointed as the new Honorary President of the Women’s International Club (WIC) of Athens for the incoming year 2010 by the organization’s officers

Nearly three months after it was hijacked, the Greek-owned cargo ship Filitsa, with 19 Filipino and three Greek seamen on board, was released by Somali pirates in the afternoon of 1 February.

Photos of Ambassador Rigoberto Tiglao at the Greek government’s New Year’s reception 21 January 2010 at the Presidential Palace.

For the Filipino community’s information, follows are the facts regarding the plight of the Aetea Sierra’s Filipino crew, and the Philippijne Embassy-Philippine Oversease Labor Office’s assistance to the Philippine seamen’s plight. We do hope this would clear the issue, debunk misinformation being spread on the case, and affirm the fact that the Embassy and the POLO have been doing all it can to assist the Filipino crewmen.

The supertanker Maran Centaurus and its 28-man crew, 16 of whom are Filipinos, were released by Somali pirates at 8:30 a.m. (Greece time) today 18 January and is now headed for Durban, South Africa, escorted by a Greek naval ship.
The Filipino crew released are as follows: Vincent M. Ombid; Marvin P. Montecillo; Movo T. Aragon; Allan Bayocboc; Salvador Quiocho; Paul Anthony Piraza; Ulysis T. Velasquez; Eric A. Castro; Fermin A. Panaligan, Jr.; Vincent C. Amante ; Lester C. Estrada ; Jessie B. Basalo; Ezemar Vlla Soreso ; Franscisco de Guzman ; Ronald F. Lecitivo; and Henry Suano.

Ambassador Rigoberto D. Tiglao reminded Filipinos in Greece and Athens that the overseas absentee voting will be held at the Athens Embassy from 10 April 2010 to 10 May 2010, from 9AM to 5 PM at the premises of the Philippine Embassy at 26 Antheon St., Paleo Psychico, Athens. ” I appeal to our kababayans registered as overseas voters at the Athens embassy to exercise this democratic right, and duty, and make sure that they will be in Athens during the month-long voting period,” the Ambassador said.

Hijacking of ships by Somali pirates had worsened in the last months of last year, and the Philippine Embassy and the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Athens in all cases involving Filipino seamen are in close contact with the ship owners, managers, and manning agencies involved as well as with Greek authorities in order to ensure the safety of Filipino seamen in such ships. There are 53 Filipino seamen still held by pirates on three Greek-owned ships, and 22 other Filipino sailors in three other ships hijacked by Somali gangs.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) held a soft opening of its new state-of-the-art consular services building, located at the corner of Bradco and Macapagal Avenues in Aseana Business Park, Paranaque City, a few minutes away from the Mall of Asia. “Instead of sweltering heat, our consular clients will be greeted with cool air at the moment they enter our doors. Instead of monobloc chairs, they will wait their turn sitting on ergonomically-designed stainless steel benches. Instead of long queues, they can shorten their wait by accessing our online appointment system,” Secretary of Foreign Affairs Alberto G. Romulo said in his speech at the opening.