GOVPH

PHILIPPINE NATURAL AND ORGANIC FOOD AND NON-FOOD PRODUCTS PROMOTION AT THE ROK IMPORT GOODS FAIR 2022

30 June 2022, Seoul – The Philippine Trade and Investment Center (PTIC) in Seoul headed by Commercial Counselor Mr. Jose Ma. Dinsay in partnership with the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry – Export Marketing Bureau led the successful Philippine participation at the IGF from 23 to 25 June 2022 at COEX, Seoul. On display at the Philippine booth are natural and organic food and non-food products as well a specialty items, natural ingredients and local delicacies from the Philippines.

Philippine Ambassador to the Republic of Korea H.E. Theresa Dizon-De Vega graced the opening ceremony of the Import Goods Fair (IGF) 2022 an annual business exhibition organized by the Korea Importers Association (KOIMA).

In addition to onsite meetings, around 40 online B2B meetings between Philippine manufacturers/exporters and Korean buyers were also organized to support the companies that were not able to join the event onsite in Seoul. END

COMMEMORATIVE EVENT HELD AT GOYANG CITY MEMORIAL FOR KOREAN, FILIPINO, AND OTHER VETERANS OF THE KOREAN WAR

SEOUL, 28 June 2022 -- On the occasion of the 72^nd anniversary of the Korean War, Goyang City held a solemn ceremony at the Korean War Monument to the Philippine Armed Forces in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. The ceremony was attended by Goyang

Mayor-elect Lee Dong-hwan, local government officials, legislators including Justice Party Head Sim Sang Jung, ROK Armed Forces Officials, representatives of Veterans Associations, and some members of the Filipino community in Goyang.

Ambassador Dizon-De Vega and other Officials offered flowers and incense for war veterans in a silent remembrance of the martyrs and heroes of the country, followed by a mass singing of the Korean War Song on 25 June 2022.

Ambassador Dizon-De Vega joined the other speakers in paying tribute to all veterans of the Korean War and their families. She likewise thanked the city of Goyang for continuing to honor, in particular, the contributions of the Philippine Expeditionary Forces to Korea (PEFTOK) in safeguarding democracy and freedom during the war.

Goyang is the site of two memorials to the war, one dedicated to Korean Veterans and other to Filipino veterans and depicts the struggles of the Korean people during the war as well as the culture and traditions of the Philippines. END

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES IN TOURISM FOR OFWS FEATURED IN 8TH PEAK PINOY WEBINAR

29 June 2022, Seoul. The Philippine Embassy in Seoul, in cooperation with the Department of Tourism (DOT), held the 8^th PEAK Pinoy webinar on 26 June 2022 featuring business opportunities in tourism for returning overseas Filipinos and Overseas Filipino Workers entitled “Balikbayani sa Turismo”.

PEAK Pinoy, short for Promoting Entrepreneurship and Agribusiness for Overseas Filipinos in South Korea, is the Embassy’s flagship project on reintegration of overseas Filipinos and OFWs which is jointly implemented by the Philippine Trade and Investment Center, the Philippine Agriculture Office, and the Philippine Overseas Labor Office – Overseas Workers Welfare Administration under the Embassy’s one-country team approach. The webinar series has previously featured business opportunities in weaving, aquaculture, strawberry and mushroom production among others.

In her message, Ambassador Theresa Dizon – De Vega highlighted the importance of, and the Embassy’s support for the early preparation and planning on reintegration of overseas Filipinos and Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) in Korea through PEAK Pinoy. “The Embassy welcomes the DOT’s efforts in promoting tourism and helping our OFWs become industry partners as well as future entrepreneurs in the tourism sector. Tourism is one of the sectors where employment creation potential is huge, and OFWs in Korea have the distinct advantage of developing ideas and skills in tourism because of the robust tourism industry here”, the Ambassador said. Citing her participation in the recent inaugural flight of Fly Gangwon Airlines from Yangyang International Airport to the new Clark International Airport in Angeles, Pampanga, she shared her optimism that tourism and related business will rebound fast with the easing of global travel restrictions.

The 8^th PEAK Pinoy webinar presented to the online participants the various tourism skills training offered by the DOT’s Office of Industry Manpower Development which OFWs and their families can avail of. It also provided the start-up requirements and tips in putting up tourism retail and farm-tourism business. Featured resource persons are former OFW-turned-entrepreneurs Mr. Francisco dela Cruz of Rockstar Retail and Engr. and Mrs. Kaicelle Atun of Desmond Farms, with Mr. Ryan Sebastian and special guest speaker Assistant Secretary Maria Rica Bueno of the DOT.

The first run of Balikbayani sa Turismo in Korea was held in November 2020. The next PEAK Pinoy webinar will be held in 31 July 2022 featuring entrepreneurship and agribusiness opportunities in region 4A or Calabarzon. END