Some basics on foreign affairs: Embassies and orders of merit

week we suggested that some basic knowledge on foreign affairs be added to the general education curriculum. With people’s increasing mobility these days, be it for academic purposes or otherwise, it may be useful to know, especially on the part of our young adults, how and to whom citizens of one country staying in another country could seek much-needed representative of one’s state or country.

To give one example. There is the case of this Filipina whose dream since high licensed nurse, she was able to legitimately she did odd jobs as a waitress in a food chain, as a governess with a family, etc. It did not matter what type of job she did so long as she had some decent income while staying with her aunt. After staying in Ger-

- man to be bestowed Germany’s Order of Merit “for his outstanding achievements as businessman and as a promoter of PhilippineGerman cooperation and friendship” More recently, in late January, yours truly was bestowed the Cross of the Order of Merit ( of the Federal Republic of Germany by Federal President Joachim Gauck in recognition of “outstanding achievements for the German- education and for the promotion of German as a foreign language in the Philippines.”

Several recent non- Filipino awardees include US Secretary of State John Kerry, with the Grand Cross 1st Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, last December, 2016. And on February 12, 2017, philosopher Baroness Onora O’Neill of Bengarve received the Knight Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit presented to her by the German Ambassador to the United Kingdom for her outstanding contribution to moral and ethical questions of trust, accountability in civic life, justice and virtue.

The Order of Merit has also been bestowed on one whose research was deemed to be an outstanding contribution to “promoting a modern understanding of Germany and one’s engagement with the German-American and German-Jewish friendships.” Such is the case of Professor Dr. Andrei Markovits (University of Michigan at Ann Arbor) whose study of the humanities and the social sciences, fellowships and scholarships, and numerous publications—in brief, “his outstanding dedication as a scholar and a teacher, has fostered the German-American friendship and understanding.”

private citizens. . European coun tries have each their own orders of merit, so do other countries.

In 2005, Oscar Lopez, chair of the Lopez Group (formerly known as Benpress Hold ings Corporation, one of the country’s large conglomerates covering broadcasting and cable telecommunications, power generation and distribution, banking, etc.) and co-chair of the Philippine-German Business Council Deutsch well, including a dialect. Later, learning about the project— a bilateral agreement of Germany and the Philippines for several hundred nurses to work in Germany beginning March 2013—she applied for a place. stands for the sending government which is the Philippines, the receiving government which is Germany and the applicant in our country that she come home to the Philippines to apply formally for the

project, the young lady sought help from the Philippine Embassy in Berlin. The embassy helped her apply using Skype embassy following overseas labor requirements facilitated her application, which was granted.

In last week’s column, we also wrote that governments have a way of recognizing worthwhile achievements which benefit society. Knowing this, our learners would realize that indeed there are worldwide efforts, regardless of creed and color, to aspire for understanding, peace and prosperity among all nations and that fostering such efforts are valued and given due recognition. In the diplomatic world, these recognitions are known as orders of merit, referred to as

“Modern orders are usually open to all citizens of a particular country, regardless of status, sex, race or creed.” Depending on the country, nominations