Mekong Circle International Scholarships
Mission statement: A project: "Mekong Circle International Scholarships," tasked to solicit and accept donations solely to provide financial grants to college/university bound Filipino students who have passed the entrance exams, have been accepted by a college/university in the Philippines and have no financial means to enroll in that institution. Each such student shall be known as '"Iskolar ng Mekong Circle."
More details to come.
Oct. 1, 2002
Philippine Consul Raul Dado of the Philippne Embassy in Vientiane and Novotel representative Gina Alicando held discussions with us last week. At this point, we have from 15 to 20 members confirmed to go from California, Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, Canada and the Philippines. Novotel is a 200-plus room luxury hotel in Vientiane where most of the Arroyo presidential entourage is expected to stay for the Nov. 7-8 state visit. (It was where Fidel Ramos' entourage stayed during his 1998 state visit).
For those wishing to join the Mekong delegation, here are some details:
-- The California group is leaving Nov. 4.
-- Most delegation members will stay one week. If you want to stay longer, the boun That Luang is from Nov. 19-21.
-- The contact at Novotel is Gina at alicando_hotmail.com. You can reserve your rooms on line at www.novotel.com (click on laos).
-- U.S. passport holders need no Thai visa.
-- Lao visas can be issued on arrival at two entry points: Wattay airport or the Friendship bridge between Nong Khai - Thailand and Tha Deua - Laos. A 15-day tourist visa is $30.
