Philippines blasts 'Filipina' entry in Greek dictionary
Asian Political News, August 10, 1998
MANILA, Aug. 5 Kyodo
The Philippine Embassy in Athens has protested to the Greek Foreign Ministry over a new Greek dictionary that defines a Philippine woman as a maid, a report reaching the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs showed Wednesday.
In his note verbale to the Greek Foreign Ministry, Philippine Ambassador Norberto Basilio said the definition of ''Filipineza'' in the recently published dictionary of modern Greek was an insult to Philippine women and was far from its literal translation, ''Filipino lady.''
He urged Greek authorities to call the matter to the attention of the dictionary's compiler, George Babiniotis, so the latter can make the necessary correction.
''In this dictionary, the definition of 'Filipineza' or a Filipino lady was stated not only to mean a woman from the Philippines but also a domestic worker from the Philippines or a person who performs non-essential auxiliary tasks,'' Basilio said in his note dated July 27.
Basilio said while there are thousands of Philippine women working in Greece as domestic helpers, that is only a reflection of their current situation in that country.
Babiniotis' definition of 'Filipineza' ''is severely inaccurate, lacking in academic research and has a negative connotation,'' the ambassador said.
Philippine women have made their mark not only in the Philippines but on the international stage as well, having occupied ''the highest office of the land -- the presidency of the Philippines,'' as well as in Congress, the business world and academe, Basilio said.
This is the second time the Philippine government has found the term Filipina defined by overseas lexicographers as domestic helper. The department earlier protested over a similar definition by the Oxford English Dictionary.
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this from scalabrini migration center: http://www.smc. org.ph/amnews/ amn980815. htm
Filipina means DH
Philippine Ambassador to Greece Norberto Basilio said a modern Greek dictionary authored by George Babiniotis defines Filipineza as being not only a woman from the Philippines but also a "domestic worker from the Philippines or a person who performs non-essential, auxiliary tasks". A letter to Athens News by Leodinito Canete, a Filipino student in Greece, alerted the embassy about the erroneous definition. Pres. Estrada and many officials government are urged the Greek government to immediately correct the definition to maintain its "cordial relations" with the Philippines. The Philippine embassy in Athens sent a note verbale to the Greek foreign ministry protesting the definition. This is the second time that Filipina has been defined as domestic helper. During the term of Pres. Corazon Aquino, the Philippines also protested the publication of an Oxford dictionary defining a Filipino as such. The dictionary was amended.
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