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.