The Philippine Embassy in Vienna arranged a program for Mr. Tony Meloto, founder of Gawad Kalinga, who gave a series of talks in Austria entitled “Let’s Talk Social”. The forums highlighted the importance of individual and collective contributions to nation-building.

On 13 February 2011, Mr. Meloto met with the Filipino-Austrian community in Vienna, Amstetten (Lower Austria) and Linz, Upper Austria.

On 14 February, Mr. Meloto, accompanied by Ambassador Lourdes O. Yparraguirre, Consul Pete Raymond Delfin, and Cultural Attaché Maria Antonia Bosa, visited the  academic community in Vienna. Gawad Kalinga volunteer students from France participated in the forums.  

At the University of Vienna (established in 1365) Mr. Meloto met with Prof. Dr. Arthur Mettinger, Vice Rector for Educational Program Development and Internationalization and other faculty members, to introduce Gawad Kalinga and to explore cooperation in civic immersion programs in the Philippines for the university’s students.

At the meeting, Amb. Yparraguirre reiterated the Philippine Embassy’s intent to facilitate collaboration between Filipino and Austrian researchers and academicians, including on issues relating to migration and development. Amb. Yparraguirre also took the opportunity to hand over a donation of books about the Philippines to the University of Vienna Library.

At the Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration, Mr. Meloto met with the faculty, researchers, and students from the Departments for Social Economics and Transportation and Logistics. The session covered discussions on social entrepreneurship and empowerment of the poor as partners in economic progress. A possible visit to a Gawad Kalinga community by a group of faculty and students from the University was also discussed. 

To cap his visit, Mr. Meloto gave an interview on Gawad Kalinga for an article for the May edition of the Cercle Diplomatique, a publication by Prof. Waltraud Steinböck, Philippine Honorary Consul.

Mr. Meloto plans to return to Austria in June to visit Salzburg and Innsbruck.