Greek settlement in the Philippines

Overview

According to some historical accounts, there were already Greek settlers in the country as early as the 18th century. Most were sailors, traders, and fishermen.

During the early 20th century, a number of Greek sailors and immigrants came to the country and settled. One group came to the city of Legazpi. Their descendants on the island of Luzon make up no more than 10 families, who retain their Greek identities and have become distinguished public figures and intellectuals in the community.

Adamson University in Manila was founded by a Greek immigrant, George Lucas Adamson and his first cousins Alexander and George Athos (Adamopoulos) Adamson. He also founded the first Greek Orthodox chapel in the Philippines, however Alexander Adamopoulos Adamson founded the Hellenic Orthodox Foundation which built the first true Greek Orthodox Church in Manila called the Annunciation of Theotokos and in the year 2000 His All Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew visited the Philippines for the first time to consecrate the Annunciation of Theotokos. Alexander (Adamopoulos) Adamson became a Filipino citizen in 1934 and founded two paper mills, and a shipping company called Adamson PHil Inc. Alexander Athos Adamson was the Honorary Consul General of Greece in the Philippines before dying in 1993. Most of them work in shipping and trade, most of them are married to Filipinos and have a permanent residency in the Philippines.

Notable Filipinos of Greek descent

• Jose Manuel Estela Stilianopoulos
• Phytos Ramirez
• Sofia Adamson

References

References

1. (1903-01-01). "The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803; explorations by early navigators, descriptions of the islands and their peoples, their history and records of the Catholic missions, as related in contemporaneous books and manuscripts, showing the political, economic, commercial and religious conditions of those islands from their earliest relations with European nations to the beginning of the nineteenth century;". Cleveland, O., The A.H. Clark Company.
2. "Greeks in the Philippines".
3. "No Greeks Found Dead in Philippines". Greek Reporter.
4. (November 2, 2022). "Ειδήσεις από την Ελλάδα και τον Κόσμο | Η ΝΑΥΤΕΜΠΟΡΙΚΗ".