Since 1947, the friendship between the two countries have remained strong — sharing a commitment to International Law, respecting human rights, the environment, democracy and the rule of law; aligned on international issues, from the Ukraine war, to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
“The people of the Philippines and Greece share, among other things, that love of the sea. We are both islanders and both very hospitable to foreigners. Filoxenia, another word for hospitality, literally meaning ‘friend to a stranger,’ was created somewhere in the Aegean 3,500 years ago and we use it and live by it today. We share these similarities with the tens of thousands of Filipino citizens living and working in Greece, who are a major factor for knowing each other better. We also love the sea, since the time of Homer. I’m guessing that that’s one of the reasons why our merchant marine fleet is the biggest in the world. To this accomplishment, a great share rightfully belongs to the Philippine officers and seamen,” he shared.
Aliki Pappas, the statuesque ambassador’s wife, stood out wearing a stunning white outfit with gold accents by famous Greek designer Themis Z.
Ambassador Ioannis paid tribute to her, “I would like to thank my personal adviser, my executive secretary, my PR manager, my accountant, my confidante and my partner and friend: My wife Aliki – all in one.” — Frannie Jacinto
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