GOVPH

DOLE AKAP OFW BENEFICIARIES IN SOUTH KOREA REACH MORE THAN 700

“Napakalaking tulong po ito! Hindi ko akalain. Salamat po!” 700^th DOLE AKAP grantee, Mr. Edwin Mendoza Castillo, a Forklift Operator from Icheon, personally received the USD200 from POLO OWWA Korea.

Seoul, 2 August 2020 – The Philippine Embassy in Seoul continues to provide cash relief to Overseas Filipino Workers whose employment were affected by the COVID-19 global pandemic, through the DOLE AKAP.

More than 700 OFWs in South Korea have received the one-time financial cash assistance amounting to USD200 each under the DOLE AKAP, a program being implemented by the Philippine Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) through its Philippine Overseas Labor Offices (POLO) to assist OFWs worldwide who are displaced by the pandemic.

According to Chargé d’affaires a.i., Christian L. de Jesus, OFWs in Korea who were displaced from their jobs, whether permanently or temporarily due to the effects of COVID-19 pandemic on businesses, and those who were quarantined for 14-days upon arrival may apply for DOLE AKAP. “The Embassy continues to assist Filipinos in Korea amidst the pandemic. Since March, we have extended assistance by providing masks, hygiene kits, and food packages to our kababayans especially those in the most affected areas in Korea. We have also organized seven (7) special flights for around 1,200 Filipinos who found themselves stranded in Korea due to cancellation of flights from Incheon to Manila. And for those whose employment or income were seriously affected due to the economic impact of COVID-19, our OFWs in Korea were extended cash aid under DOLE AKAP,” said CDA de Jesus.

OFWs in Korea who received DOLE AKAP sent SMS and email messages expressing appreciation for the timely assistance provided by the Philippine government.

“Isa po ako sa dumating last June 25 dito. Malaking tulong po para samin ito na na-Mandatory Quarantine ng 14 Days. Muli po, maraming maraming salamat po.” (R. Macay, Sincere worker)

“Grateful po ako sa tulong na naibigay ninyo sa akin sa pamamagitan ng mabilis na pag proseso ng ayudang 200 dollar. Malaking kaginhawahan po ang halagang ito ngayong panahong may Covid 19 sa Korea. Kahit na undocumented po ako ay natulungan nyo ako. Maraming salamat po, Pangulong Rodrigo Roa Duterte.” (R. Arasanzo, factory worker)

“Salamat po muli lalong lalo na po sa bayan kong Pilipinas, ramdam namin ang pagmamahal ng sariling bayan namin.” (E.J. Espinar, EPS worker)

POLO OWWA continues to receive applications for DOLE AKAP from OFWs in Korea. For information and application form, please check out the Embassy website and POLO-Korea FB Page or call 02 3785-3634/5 for inquiries. END

02 August 2020

PHILIPPINE EMBASSY CONDUCTS WEBINAR ON MENTAL HEALTH

Mental health experts Dr. Alyssa Kae Alegre and Dr. Majella Tumangan-Villaroman engage in a lively discussion with participants from the Filipino community in South Korea in the Philippine Embassy’s pioneering online seminar “Building Resilience during COVID-19 and the New Normal” held on 26 July 2020.

30 July 2020, Seoul. The Philippine Embassy in Seoul, through POLO OWWA, held a pioneering online seminar for Filipinos in Korea entitled “Building Resilience during COVID-19 and the New Normal” on 26 July 2020.

Chargé d’affaires, a.i. Christian L. de Jesus welcomed the more than eighty (80) Filipinos in Korea who were participating over the internet from their own homes or sites, and underscored the importance of being resilient and mentally healthy during this time of pandemic. “After 6 months of the pandemic, we have come to terms with social distancing measures as a means to prevent the spread of community infection. However, these measures and the continued threat of COVID-19 to our life and our loved ones could also take its toll on our mental health,” he said.

The seminar kicked off with a discussion on mental health from Dr. Alyssa Kae Alegre, a clinical psychologist and an expert in handling cases that involve people battling with stress, anxiety and depression. The lively discussion of Dr. Majella Tumangan- Villaroman, a renowned Philippine and international expert on mental health and resilience, rallied the participants and engaged them in various exercises to enhance their psychological well-being. She taught the participants habits that they can practice daily in order to develop their resilience especially during this time of pandemic. As the session closed, the participants could be heard happily chanting, “RESILIENCE is to THRIVE not just to SURVIVE!”

POLO OWWA partnered with the United Filipinos in Korea (UFILKOR) and its chapters headed by its newly elected President, Ms. Mercy Hachero, in holding this mental health seminar.

CDA de Jesus reaffirmed the Embassy’s commitment to provide relevant and meaningful services for Filipinos in Korea, despite social distancing measures. Following the CDA’s directive, POLO OWWA vowed to continue to hold series of information and learning activities that may be held online, in cooperation with the Embassy’s attached agencies and the Filipino community organizations in South Korea. END

30 July 2020

PHILIPPINE EMBASSY IN SEOUL CONDUCTS 2ND KKK 2020 AGRI-BUSINESS WEBINAR FOR FILIPINOS IN KOREA

The KKK 2020 Agribusiness Webinar participants along with Chargé d’affaires, a.i. Christian L. De Jesus, Agriculture Attaché Aleli Maghirang, Labor Attaché Maya Valderrama, Welfare Officer Pops Deuna, DA-ACPC Ms. Emmalyn Guinto, and CEO Jonathan “Joni” Sanchez, the main resource speaker on Integrated Farming and Value Adding Agri-Enterprises with JASIF. (photo credit to PINK President Maria Mimay Robregado)

Seoul, 24 July 2020 – The Philippine Embassy conducted its 2nd Agri-Business Webinar focusing on INTEGRATED FARMING AND VALUE-ADDING AGRI-ENTERPRISES for Filipinos in Korea on July 18, 2020.

The online event is the 2nd in a series of the Kaalaman, Kabuhayan para sa Kinabukasan (KKK) 2020 Agri-business Reintegration Program spearheaded by the Philippine Agriculture Office (PAO), in partnership with the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and the Pinoy Investors in Korea (PINK).

The free Webinar was participated in by more than 40 Filipinos based in Korea and the Philippines, with Mr. Jonathan “Joni” Sanchez, CEO of Joni and Susan Agroshop Incorporated as the main resource speaker of the online course.  Mr. Sanchez is the proprietor of the famous Joni and Susan Agroshop and Integrated Farms (JASIF), a DOT-Accredited Tourism Farm in Laguna province. 
In his opening remarks, Chargé d’affaires, a.i. Christian L. de Jesus underscored the importance of continuing government efforts to promote agribusiness during this time of economic uncertainty amid the COVID-19 global pandemic. “We encourage our countrymen to take part in the growth and enhancement of the agriculture and fishing sectors in the Philippines. By partnering with the government, we can work together to achieve food security which is susceptible to disruption during this pandemic. By supporting the twin efforts of the Department of Agriculture (DA) and Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), we hope that more OFWs in Korea will become agri-entrepreneurs and invest in agri-business,” the CDA said.

Agriculture Attaché Aleli Maghirang enjoined the participants to be the government’s “Food Partners” towards the attainment of food security in the Philippines. Quoting Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar, she highlighted that “No pandemic can bury our dreams and aspirations; no lockdown can slow us down. Let us turn challenges into opportunities to survive and move forward towards a food-secure and resilient Philippines with prosperous farmers and fishers.”

The 2nd KKK 2020 Agribusiness Webinar underscored the pioneering efforts of JASIF on integrated farming and value added agri-enterprises such as the cultivation of corn, mushroom and greenhouse high value crops. Mr. Sanchez motivated the participants by sharing how his enterprise started as a small hobby farm which has now grown into one of the country’s biggest corn producers and a popular agri-tourism destination with their “Bigasan ng Bayan,” water refilling station, trucking services, an all-year-round sunflower maze and farm site tours, and greenhouse restaurant that serves their fresh produce.

Towards the end of the seminar, Mr. Joni Sanchez shared helpful tips on container gardening and revealed to the participants JASIF’s portfolios for OFW investments, which generated interest and inquiries from the audience.

For those who lack capital and need additional financing assistance to start their own agri-enterprise in the Philippines, the DA Agriculture Credit and Policy Council represented by their Chief Communication and Public Affairs Officer Ms. Emmalyn Guinto, announced the various Credit programs of DA to support the OFWs.

The Philippine Embassy through PAO Seoul and POLO-OWWA will continue to conduct free webinars under the KKK 2020 Agri-business Reintegration Program. END

26 July 2020