03 December 2023, Seoul. The Philippine Embassy in Seoul spearheaded by its Gender and Development (GAD) Unit conducted a Situational Awareness and Safety Seminar for the members of the Filipino Community in the Republic of Korea on 03 December 2023 at the Sentro Rizal Hall of the Embassy. The seminar is in observance of the Presidential Proclamation No. 1172 s. 2006 on the “18-Day Campaign to End Violence Against Women in the Philippines” from 25 November to 12 December 2023 and the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. 

The Philippine Embassy supports the Philippine government’s mandate to eradicate violence against women and children by helping the community to gain knowledge and overcome fear through learning and application of easy-to-use techniques such as awareness in combination with safety strategies and physical techniques to prevent, resist, and escape violence against women and children.

In her opening remarks, Ambassador Theresa Dizon-De Vega emphasized the importance of practicing situational awareness and self-defense, especially for women and children even in countries with high safety indexes such as South Korea.  

Police Officer Yoo Seon-Jun of the Yongsan Police Station provided an overview of situational awareness and safety and discussed prevalent violence against women and children issues in South Korea such as cyberbullying, stalking, workplace harassment, dating violence, and various forms of domestic abuse. Establishing boundaries in the workplace, paying attention to your surroundings, trusting your instincts, carrying a protection device, having a strong support system aware of your situation, and knowing the safety and emergency hotlines in your area are some very important tips shared during the session. 

Foreigners in South Korea can contact the emergency response centers and seek available remedies from relevant authorities when faced with an emergency, including VAWC-related situations. 

The Hwaseong Filipino Taekwondo Group, a Kukkiwon (World Taekwondo Headquarters) recognized group based in Suwon, engaged the participants in a practical demonstration of basic, easy-to-learn self-defense skills especially for women. The self-defense demonstration also emphasized that the best self-defense is to remove one’s self from a potentially violent situation that may cause harm. 

In line with the promotion of women’s health and the recent market access of the Philippine Hass avocado in ROK, the Philippine Embassy prepared a healthy avocado burger for seminar participants. Rich in vitamins and minerals beneficial to women’s reproductive health and metabolism, Philippine hass avocados are now available in major South Korean supermarkets and grocery stores. END