Amb. Theresa Dizon-De Vega welcomes participants to the second KYRR with Atty. Arni Topico, a property law expert as resource person (photo by Seoul PE)

20 March 2022, Seoul - The Philippine Embassy in Seoul, Republic of Korea, held the second installment of its Know Your Rights and Responsibilities Seminar on Property Laws in the Philippines (KYRR II) on 20 March 2022. The KYRR Seminar Series was first held on 30 January 2022 and Ambassador Theresa Dizon-De Vega noted that one of the most pressing concerns of Filipino community members in South Korea is dealing with legal issues on property rights due to its technical nature and challenges in inspecting documents from abroad.

Because of these concerns, KYRR II featured a lecture by Atty. Arni Topico from the International Pro Bono Alliance Philippines (IPBA) on property laws in the Philippines. Atty. Topico gave a checklist of requirements that potential property buyers should look for to ensure legitimate transactions and avoid property scams. He also noted the dos and don’ts for condominium unit owners and those whose properties were inherited and thus co-owned with other heirs.

The KYRR II was immediately followed by an online legal aid consultation with six volunteer-lawyers from the IPBA, namely, Atty. Pingki Bartolome-Bernabe, Atty. Michael Sajor, Atty. Tricia Santos, Atty. Eduardo Gaanan, Atty. Francine Longid-Dalumpines, and Atty. Bobby Cruz. They were able to conduct a one-on-one online legal consultation with at least 30 members of the Filipino community in South Korea concerning various issues.

The IPBA has previously conducted legal consultations with other Philippine Foreign Service Posts in Germany, Singapore, Turkey, among others. The Philippine Embassy will continue to offer the KYRR online series to overseas Filipinos in Korea. END