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→Greek Orthodox Christians and the Rebirth of Orthodoxy
== Greek Orthodox Christians and the Rebirth of Orthodoxy ==
'''The Arrival of Greek Orthodox Christians'''
Around the beginning of the twentieth century, Greek sailors settled in Legaspi city on the island of Luzon about a century ago. Descendants of these Greek Orthodox Christian sailors now number no more than 10 families, who have kept their Greek surnames and many of whom have become distinguished public figures and intellectuals in the Philippines, including serving as the Greek consulate in Manila. They do not, however, speak Greek. They also helped to re-establish an Orthodox presence in the Philippines by helping to bring the first Filipino converts to Orthodoxy and by building an Orthodox temples temple and a few chapels in the 1990sfor the use of converted Filipino Orthodox Christians. They were also influential in the establishment of the Metropolitan of Hong Kong and Southeast Asia.
'''Ordination of the First Filipino Orthodox Christians'''
In 1992, a Filipino [[hieromonk]], Fr. Vincentius Escarcha (a former Benedictine Abbot and a Roman Catholic priest for more than 20 years in Bajada, Cataingan, Masbate island), together with four nuns and faithful members of his community, were received into the Orthodox Church by Metropolitan [[Dionysios (Psiahas) of Proussa|Dionysios]] of the [[Greek Orthodox Metropolis of New Zealand]] and assisted by [[Sotirios (Trambas) of Korea|Bishop Sotirios of Zelon]].
