Deborah Carlos-Valencia

Deborah Carlos-Valencia (born 1948 or 1949), sometimes written as Deborah Valencia, is a Filipino social worker, feminist, founder of the Kasapi Union, and co-founder of the Melissa Network, an organization that brings together leaders of the established migrant community in Greece.

Deborah Carlos-Valencia
Carlos-Valencia in 2015
Born	1948 or 1949 (age 76–77) Philippines
Nationality	Greek
Occupation	Social worker
Years active	1984 to present
Organization(s)	Kasapi Union, Melissa Network, DIWATA – The Philippine Women’s Network in Greece, BABAYLAN-Philippine Women’s Network in Europe

Personal life

Carlos-Valencia is a Filipino feminist and community leader who fled the Philippines to Greece during the Marco dictatorship in 1985.^[1][2] Her husband Joe^[3] and son followed her to Greece some years later.^[4] She was aged 70 in 2019.^[1]

Life in Philippines

A trade-unionist^[3] and a social worker,^[2] Carlos-Valencia had to flee the Philippines after she and her husband became involved in Workers' resistance against the Marcos dictatorship.^[5]

Life in Greece

Carlos-Valencia in 2015

After arrival in Greece, Carlos-Valencia co-founded the Melissa Network in Athens in 2014^[2] with Nadina Christopoulo.^[6] The organization serves the needs of migrant women in Greece, especially migrant domestic workers in Athens.^[2][1] The organization has since grown to include women from 45 countries.^[2][7] The organization is a based in Victoria Square in central Athens,^[6] amidst a community where far-right anti-migrant sentiment is high.^[2] Services provided include language lessons and other life skills.^[6]

In 1986, Carlos-Valencia helped found the Kasapi Union, an organisation supporting solidarity for those affected by Filipion dictator Ferdinand Marcos.^[4] In 1998, she organized a worker's solidarity event at Panteion University.^[7]

She is also helped found the DIWATA – The Philippine Women’s Network in Greece microcredit cooperative and was a founding member of BABAYLAN-Philippine Women’s Network in Europe.^[8]

Six years after her arrival in Greece, in 2020, Carlos-Valencia was one of the 2.9% of Filipinos to obtain Greek citizenship.^[5]