GOVPH

PH EMBASSY CONDUCTS KYRR SEMINAR ON IMMIGRATION AND DUAL CITIZENSHIP LAWS FOR MARRIAGE MIGRANTS AND CHILDREN

24 March 2024, Seoul. The Philippine Embassy conducted the first installment of the Know Your Rights and Responsibilities (KYRR) Seminar Series this year on the topic of immigration and dual citizenship for marriage migrants and their children on 24 March 2024 via Zoom and Facebook live. The activity is likewise part of the events in commemoration of National Women’s Month.

In her welcome remarks, Ambassador Theresa Dizon-De Vega said that this installment of the KYRR aligns with the Embassy's Women’s Month initiatives. She emphasized that the webinar is integral to the Embassy's commitment to provide marriage migrants with the essential information and expert advice needed to navigate critical life decisions during their residency in South Korea.

Attended by at least 50 participants via Zoom and viewed online on Facebook more than 300 times by various users, the webinar aims to address the unique challenges faced by marriage migrants and their children in navigating the complexities of migration related laws in Korea. Immigration and dual citizenship experts Atty. Jang Man-Ik, Atty. Lee Dokyung of the Korean Bar Association, and Atty. Purificacion Bartolome-Bernabe of the International Pro Bono Alliance Immigration and dual citizenship laws of the Philippines and Korea, highlighting their respective effects on residency, right to stay, custody, property ownership, right to vote and education opportunities in the Philippines and Korea.

The program was concluded by Consul General Romulo Victor M. Israel, Jr., who invited participants and viewers to upcoming projects of the Embassy aimed towards providing support to marriage migrants and multicultural families, including the Post Arrival Orientation Seminar for newly arrived marriage migrants in South Korea to be held in Gwangju on 6 April 2024; and the Commission on Filipinos Overseas’ Youth Leaders in the Diaspora (YouLead) program, a platform to enable Filipino youth overseas to rediscover their Filipino roots and heritage through a series of lectures, guided tours to scenic and historical landmarks, and interaction with the Filipino community. The next installment of KYRR shall take place in the second quarter of 2024. END

PHILIPPINES ADVOCATES FOR SAFE AND RESPONSIBLE USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AT 3RD SUMMIT FOR DEMOCRACY

24 March 2024, Seoul – The Philippines advocated for the safe and responsible use of new technologies, including artificial intelligence, at the recently concluded 3^rd Summit for Democracy held from 18 to 20 March 2024.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., during his statement delivered at the Virtual Leaders’ Plenary on 20 March 2024, advocated for the participation of the youth in democracy, saying ‘Democracy must remain inclusive and participatory, leaving no one behind. We must encourage the youth - the leaders and voters of tomorrow - to remain engaged and active in our democratic processes.”

The President added, “For this to happen, we need to foster an enabling and welcoming political environment, facilitate access to quality education and accurate information, and provide the youth with leadership and policy-making opportunities.”

Secretary for Information, Communications, and Technology Ivan John E. Uy represented the Philippines at the Summit’s Ministerial Conference held in Seoul, Republic of Korea on 18 March 2024.

“For a democracy to be able to innovate and forge through the future, we must align emerging technologies such as AI with human values, ethics, and principles,” the Minister said during the conference attended by twenty-eight (28) countries, including co-chairs the Republic of Korea, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Ecuador. He likewise informed the Summit of the Philippines’ National AI Strategy that seeks to enhance the existing skillset of Filipino talents with AI in order to harness its great potential while keeping in mind the threats posed by those who seek to misuse it and other national priorities to improve our digital infrastructure and literacy.

Secretary Uy likewise underscored the importance of minimizing the disruptive effects of the AI revolution and maximizing its potential in the upcoming 2025 national elections, with the help of international partners. “We have recently awarded a contract to a South Korean company to provide our automated elections system for our upcoming midterm elections in 2025,” the Secretary said.

At the sidelines of the Summit, Secretary Uy also met separately with other Heads of Delegations including H.E. Tiit Riisalo of Estonia, Minister for Information, Communications and Technology, Australian Assistant Foreign Minister Tim Watts, MP, Vice President Vera Jaurova of the European Union, and senior officials of the Open Government Partnership, of which the Philippines is a founding member.

During these bilateral meetings, Secretary Uy underscored the Philippines’ commitment to digital innovation through the Philippine National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy, strengthening the digital infrastructure of the country through connectivity under the Build Better More Program of the Marcos Administration, the development of the Philippines E-Gov Super App, and the Philippine commitment to utilizing modern technology to uphold democracy during the Philippine national elections in 2025. Secretary Uy, as Chairperson of the National Technical Board for the Philippine Elections, also met with the CEO of Miru Systems Inc., the voting machine provider of the 2025 national elections.

As the Philippines is one of the twenty-seven (27) countries that sit on the board of AI Safety, Secretary Uy also looked forward to participating in the AI Safety Summit which will be held in Seoul in 2024.

The DICT Secretary was joined by Philippine Ambassador to the Republic of Korea Theresa Dizon-De Vega, Third Secretary and Vice Consul Reisha Olavario, and DICT Director Jude Vincent Manuel Gaudan during these meetings. END

PHILIPPINES JOINS INNOVATIVE EFFORTS FOR HEALTHIER AND GREENER FORESTS

25 March 2024, Seoul – The Asian Forest Cooperation Organization (AFoCO) in partnership with the Korea Forest Service (KFS) on 21 March 2024 commemorated the 2024 International Day of Forests at the National Institute of Forest Service (NIFoS) in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, ROK.

Under the theme “Forests and Innovation – New Solutions for a Better World”, AFoCO and KFS shared Korea’s forest policies and provided updates on technologies and achievements in the international forest cooperation. Participants likewise witnessed demonstrations of advance forest management systems such as forest ICT using digital twin technology and forest fire command stations.

Philippine Ambassador Theresa Dizon-De Vega, delivered a message during the event emphasizing the important role of forests in responding to climate change. Being home to more than 20,000 endemic species and one of the megadiverse countries in the world, saving the Philippine forests is critical for the environment. Ambassador Dizon-De Vega said that, “Healthy forests should be our collective goal” and thanked the AFoCO, KFS and NIFoS for being the Philippines’ partners in its journey towards healthier forests including past and current joint projects to promote community-based foresting in the Philippines.

The event was attended by H.E. Dr. Nam Sung Hyun, Minister of the Korea Forest Service, Dr. Park Chongho, Executive Director AFoCO, H.E. Kim Hyo-Eun, Ambassador and Deputy Minister for Climate Change of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassadors of AFoCO Parties and Observers and potential partner countries, FAO representative, KOICA and other AFoCO partner institutions.

The Philippines is a member party to the AFoCO, a treaty-based intergovernmental organization established in Asia in 2018. Its membership consists of 14 parties and 2 observers cooperating to provide support in the implementation of the organization’s programs and projects. END