Mr. Valencia himself is on a fund-raising campaign, as his  Munting Nayon school, which  is one of his main  sources of income  (he has never held a regular job nor a business) is  in dire straits. It had been ordered  closed January 2010 by the Education Ministry because its poor facilities threaten  children’s safety.
Valencia has [...]

In the past year I have received many inquiries regarding the legitimacy a “Philippine Cultural and Educational Association” (PCEA) whether it is indeed a school authorized by the Philippine government, the Greek government, or both.

The queries are quite valid and need to be answered, since I had been informed that the students are charged from €100 to €150 a month each, which would total €10,000 a month in income for PCEA.

Our countrymen needed to know the legitimacy of this entity, as indeed, they would be wasting their money if the grades of PCEA are neither recognized by our Department of Education and by the Greek Ministry of National Education and Religious Affairs.

The protest by some 30 people on Sunday 10 October at the embassy in Athens was actually part of a smear campaign by an illegal, fake school for Filipino children called Philippine Cultural Educational Academy (PCEA) and by a Marcos “refugee”, Jose Valencia, to remove Rigoberto Tiglao from his post, so that it can continue fooling OFWs in Athens, and trying to bully the Embassy through black propaganda.

Ambassador Rigoberto Tiglao met with Athens Mayor Nikitas Kaklamanis 6 July at the Mayor’s office to discuss the welfare of Filipinos in Athens, where most of them reside and work.
Ambassador Tiglao was accompanied by celebrity Ilias Psinakis and his brother Yorgos Psinakis, both of whom have been active in developing relations between Greece and [...]

The Philippine Embassy marked the 112th anniversary of the proclamation of Philippine independence with two major, well-attended events in Athens: a fiesta-type celebration with the Filipino community at the Fokianos basketball court at Zappeio on 06 June 2010 and a Diplomatic Reception for the diplomatic corps at the prestigious King George Palace on 11 June 2010, both in central Athens.
PHOTOS FOR BOTH EVENTS AT THE FEATURES SECTION BELOW

Philippine Ambassador to Athens Rigoberto Tiglao congratulated 17 March 2010 His Excellency Karolos Papoulias for his reelection by Parliament as President of Greece in a ceremony at the Presidential Palace.President Papoulias is a veteran leader of the ruling PASOK (Panhellenic Socialist Movement) party. He is very much respected by all political parties that he was also President even under the previous administration of the New Democracy Party, which lost in the October elections.

Ambassador Tiglao also delivered the congralatory letter to President Papoulias of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

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.

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.

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.