The Official Website of the Philippine Embassy in Seoul, Korea

PHILIPPINE CHORALE GROUPS WIN AWARDS AT THE 12TH WORLD CHOIR GAMES IN GANGNEUNG CITY, SOUTH KOREA

(Left photo top: Quezon City Performing Arts Development Foundation Chorale. Right photo top: Capiz State University Main Chorale, bottom: Anima Christi Chorale)

20 July 2023, Gangneung, South Korea – After a one-year delay, the 12^th World Choir Games (WCG) returned to Korea in 2023 and were held from 3 July to 13 July 2023 at the Gangneung Arena in Gangneung City, Gangwon Province, South Korea.

Highest awards were garnered by the Ilocos Norte based choir, the Samiweng Singers of the Ilocos Norte National High School, winner of Diploma Gold IV in Category 4 - Mixed Youth Choirs and winner of Diploma Gold V in Category 19 - Musica Contemporanea Mixed Voices. The conductor of the Samiweng Singers is Sherween Cabrales.

The Northwestern University – Saguday Chorale of Laoag City, Ilocos Norte also won the highest award Diploma Gold I in Category 15 – Musica Sacra a cappella. They also received a Diploma Gold IV in Category 26 – Folklore a cappella. Saguday Chorale is the official student choir of the Northwestern University composed of 28 singers who represented the university and country. The choir’s conductor, Sherberk Cabrales, said that he was “humbled and honored” by the wins.

The Quezon City Performing Arts Development Foundation, Inc. Concert Chorus (QC PADFI) received two (2) awards, the Diploma Gold III in Category 4 – Mixed Youth Choirs and the Diploma Gold III in Category 19 – Musica Contemporanea Mixed Voices. The conductor of QC PADFI is Nicanor Castro Infante.

The QC PADFI also performed at the Korean-Philippine Friendship Concert together with the Goyang Civic Choir Children’s Choir and the Goyang Civic Choir at the Oulim Theater in Goyang City and at the Philippine Embassy in Seoul.

The Anima Christi Chorale of Lucena City, received two (2) awards, the Diploma Gold I in Category 15 – Musica Sacra a cappella and the Diploma Gold IV in Category 26 - Folklore A Capella.

The ACC was led by Choirmaster Joel A. Boragay.

The Capiz State University Main Chorale (CMC) received two (2) awards, the Diploma Silver VII in Category 5 – University and College Choirs and the Diploma Gold IV in Category 26 – Folklore a cappella.

CMC Advisor & Associate Professor Vivian Apuang said “It is indescribable, overwhelming and heartwarming to receive the award on a world stage, representing our university and the country,” John Michael Lauron and Vivian Apuang are the conductors of CMC.

The WCG, or the Olympics of Choir, is the largest global choir festival and competition, with over 25,000 singers from 308 participating groups, from 70 countries who competed, was held from 3 July to 13 July 2023 in Gangneung City, Gangwon province, South Korea. END

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(Top photo: The QC PADFI with Amb. Dizon-De Vega and Embassy Officers performs at the Sentro Rizal, Philippine Embassy, Seoul)

SINING TANGLAWAN NG SAN JOSE DEL MONTE PERFORMING GROUP WINS 5TH PLACE IN THE 2023 WORLD CULTURAL DANCE FESTIVAL

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23 July 2023, Incheon. The “Sining Tanglawan ng San Jose Del Monte Performing Group” or SINTA, together with the Bulacan City Tourism Office, was awarded a Participation Prize (5th Place) in the recently concluded 2023 World Cultural Dance Festival held at the Jeonbuk National University Cultural Center in Jeonju, South Korea. The group showcased the distinct and colorful Filipino traditional dances with the theme of “Tanglawan Festival.”

The World Cultural Dance Festival is an event hosted by the International Youth Fellowship and forms part of a wider set of activities under the 2023 IYF World Youth Camp held in South Korea. The camp aims to promote friendship and harmony through cultural exchange, by giving participants an opportunity to promote their own culture and be exposed to Korean heritage. SINTA members actively participated in the program and performed in various international cultural festivals held in Busan and Namwon throughout the month of July.

More information on SINTA is available on their official Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/CSJDMsinta/. END

PHILIPPINE AMBASSADOR DIZON-DE VEGA ATTENDS MEETING WITH K-WATER CEO MR. YUN SEOG-DAE ON THE SIDELINES OF THE 4TH ASIA WATER COUNCIL GENERAL ASSEMBLY

[Top photo] Philippine Ambassador Theresa Dizon-De Vega (center) joined Ambassador officials from the Embassies of Malaysia, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Vietnam in a meeting with K-Water CEO Mr. Yun Seog-dae (below photo left - center)

26 July 2023 – Philippine Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, H.E. Theresa Dizon-De Vega, joined officials from the Embassies of Malaysia, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Vietnam in a meeting with Mr. Yun Seog-dae, newly appointed CEO of Korea Water Resources Corporation (K-Water), on 07 July 2023 to discuss collaborative projects to strengthen capabilities and technological development in the water sector.

The meeting was held on the sidelines of the 4^th Asia Water Council (AWC) General Assembly and the kick-off event for the 3^rd Asia International Water Week (AIWW) from 06 to 08 July 2023 at the Songsan Global Education Research Center in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi-do. The three-day conference chaired and organized by K-Water was attended by more than 200 stakeholders from 50 Asian nations, including representatives from the Philippines led by MWSS Administrator Leonor Cleofas. The conference discussed the continued operation of the AWC, solutions to Asia’s water problems as well as the council’s plans for the next three years.

At the 4^th General Assembly of the AWC, the council elected 29 new board members and K-Water CEO Mr. Yun as the 4^th Chairman of the AWC who will serve a three-year term until 2026.

The Philippines continues to establish strong partnerships and endeavors to cooperate with K-Water on various water sector development initiatives. END

PH JOINS ROUNDTABLE ON FACILITATING GLOBAL NET-ZERO WITH ROK MINISTER FOR TRADE AHN DUKGEUN

Philippine Ambassador Theresa Dizon De Vega at the roundtable on facilitating global net-zero with select Ambassadors to the ROK on 20 July 2023.

21 JULY 2023 - Ambassador Theresa Dizon-De Vega shared Philippine priorities on climate change cooperation with the Republic of Korea at a roundtable on facilitating global net-zero organized by the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy on 21 July 2023. The meeting was chaired by ROK Minister of Trade Ahn Dukgeun.

Minister Ahn briefed Ambassadors present on the coordinating mechanism on climate issues, the development cooperation policies of the Korean government in terms of mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), and the ROK’s goals on country-to-country facilitation to realize global net-zero. According to Minister Ahn, the Republic of Korea considers carbon neutrality as an indispensable focus and a global endeavor for investments in partner countries on climate cooperation.

For her part, Ambassador Dizon-De Vega informed the meeting that the Philippines has a very positive policy environment to come up with a regulatory framework and legal mandate to pursue net zero policies. She also emphasized that implementing measures to enhance the readiness of the public and private sectors to take on a net zero future is also in place.

Ambassador Dizon-De Vega likewise conveyed that although the Philippine government has yet to come up with a detailed net zero plan, the Philippines already has the building blocks moving towards this goal, and there is now a higher consciousness and a greater desire to accelerate the transition to net zero and pave the way to a green transition.

Ambassador Dizon-De Vega also noted that the government remains committed to climate mitigation, as the PH national budget carries the highest allocation for climate expenditures by far, consisting mainly of the promotion of renewable energy and improvement of traffic infrastructure-mobility to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. She also conveyed that key priorities for the ROK and the Philippines include unlocking new areas for cooperation on renewable energy development, addressing the low transfer and diffusion of green technology, two-pronged for capacity building and data gathering and analysis, green farming or creating green value-based chains in emission-intensive industries, and low emission tracking technologies.

Ambassadors and heads of the diplomatic missions of Vietnam, Bangladesh, Thailand, Uzbekistan, Indonesia, and Mongolia attended the briefing. Senior officials from the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency and the Korea Energy Agency were also in attendance. Ambassador Dizon-De Vega was joined by Third Secretary and Vice Consul Reisha Olavario.

The Philippines continues to work with international development cooperation partners like the Republic of Korea to turn climate commitments into action, charting the course towards achieving a climate and disaster-resilient, inclusive, and green and blue recovery. END