07 October 2005 – The Philippine Embassy in Berlin reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs that Former President Fidel V. Ramos, with the assistance of Ambassador Minerva Jean A. Falcon, launched the Overseas Absentee Voting (OAV) Registration/Certification in Berlin with the issuance of the Receipt of Acknowledgement of Application Form to Mr. Abelardo Galang II on 02 October 2005 at the Embassy’s Bulwagang Bagumbayan.

Mr. Galang is the first applicant for this year’s OAV registration in Berlin.  He is an accomplished piano recital and recording artist and is currently pursuing his doctoral studies in music at the Technische Universität Berlin.  He is a graduate of the U.P. College of Music and a Japan Solidarity Committee for Asian Alumni Scholar (JASCAA).  He has performed extensively in the Philippines Japan, and Europe.   His first CD, “Schumann-Chopin” was recently released worldwide.

The OAV launching formed part of a program with President Ramos as keynote speaker.  The members of the Filipino community, officials and staff from the Embassy, the Consulate-General in Hamburg and the Honorary Consulate in Postdam attended the event. President Ramos is currently in Berlin as part of his speaking tour of Germany under the auspices of the Hans Seidel Foundation.  END