Manila irked by Greek definition

Manila irked by Greek definition

MANILA (Reuters): The Philippines has protested to Greece over
the definition of "Filipina" in a Greek dictionary as
"housemaid", the Foreign Office said yesterday.

Philippine Ambassador Norberto Basilio, in a formal protest to
the Greek foreign ministry, said the description was "an affront
to the dignity" of Philippine women and demanded a correction.

The Philippines has more than four million nationals working
overseas, including Greece, many of them as domestic help.
Manila has called them its "modern day heroes" for helping prop
up the economy with their dollar remittances, worth more than
US$7 billion in 1997.

"It should be pointed out that Filipino women have
distinguished themselves not just in the Philippines but in the
international arena as well," Basilio said in his diplomatic
note, which was released to Manila reporters.