The Official Website of the Philippine Embassy in Seoul, Korea

RIZAL IN KOREA: KNIGHTHOOD, ELEVATION AND AWARDING CEREMONIES HELD AT SENTRO RIZAL

PHOTOS – Above: Sir Dr. Reghis M. Romero II, KGCR (middle), Lady Judy Savares (fourth from right), Ambassador Maria Theresa B. Dizon – De Vega with Officers from Sucesos, Haribon and Korea Chapters. Below left: Amb Dizon-De Vega delivers her inspirational message. Middle: Sir Dr. Reghis Romero II renders his fraternal address. Below Right: Sir Romulo Victor M. Israel, Jr. KCR, Korea Chapter Commander gives his welcome remarks.

20 November 2023, Seoul – In another milestone for the promotion of Dr. Jose Rizal’s life and works in South Korea, the Knights of Rizal – Korea Chapter recently held knighthood, elevation, and awarding ceremonies at the Sentro Rizal of the Philippine Embassy.

Sir Dr. Reghis M. Romero II, KGCR, former Supreme Commander of the Knights of Rizal and Member of the Council of Elders, officiated the Knighthood of and conferral of the First Degree (Knight of Rizal) to Sir MSgt. Carlito P. Quindo, PN(M), Assistant to the Defense and Armed Forces Attache of the Philippine Embassy, and Sir Prof. Kim Dongyeob, PhD. Prof. Kim, who studied and earned his doctorate at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, became the first Korean national to be admitted into the Order of the Knights of Rizal.

Sworn to reiterate their solemn pledge to spread by their acts the ideals and teachings of Dr. Jose Rizal, eight members of the KOR-Korea Chapter were elevated to the Second Degree (Knight Officer of Rizal), namely: Sir Anthony Rafael Gil Z. Cornista, Deputy Chapter Commander; Sir Denni Carlo V. Marnilego, Chapter Pursuivant; Sir Manolito R. Barotilla, Chapter Exchequer; Sir Jose Ma. S. Dinsay, Chapter Auditor; Sir Jake Raymond T. Velasco, Chapter Archivist; Sir Geoffrey B. Adiong, Deputy Pursuivant; Sir Prof. Joeffrey M. Calimag, PhD, Deputy Exchequer; and Sir Ernest Joseph P. Diga, Chapter Trustee.

Sir Romero likewise administered the awarding of the Distinguished Service Medal to Prof. Kim Dongyeob for his translation of the Noli Me Tangere into the Korean language. He currently holds the position of Director of the Korea Institute for ASEAN Studies at the Busan University of Foreign Studies and manages the “Advancing Philippine Studies Program” at the university.

Ambassador Ma. Theresa B. Dizon-De Vega congratulated the newly initiated and promoted members and encouraged them to continue to inspire, like Rizal, Filipinos and Koreans alike to lead a meaningful and purposeful life. She likewise paid tribute to Professor Kim and his contributions to the development of Philippine Studies programs in Korea.

Also present to assist in and witness the ceremonies were Lady Judy Savares, Vice President for International Affairs, Las Damas de Rizal; Sir Maximo Salvador Salazar, KGOR and Sir Mark Roy Boado, KGOR of Sucesos Chapter; Sir Kyle Lyel Lim, KCR of Haribon Chapter; and Sir Romulo Victor M. Israel Jr., KCR of Korea Chapter. END

PHOTOS – Top: Elevation Ceremony to the Second Degree (Knight Officer of Rizal) for the members of the Knights of Rizal - Korea Chapter, L to R: Anthony Z. Cornista, Jose Ma. S. Dinsay, Joeffrey M. Calimag, Denni Carlo V. Marnilego, Ernest Joseph P. Diga, Manolito R. Barotilla, Jake Raymond T. Velasco, and Geoffrey B. Adiong. Below Left: Knighthood ceremony for Prof. Dongyeob Kim, PhD; and Right: MSgt. Carlito P. Quindo, PN (M), Middle: Sir Prof. Dongyeob Kim, PhD, KR receives his Distinguished Service Medal award from Sir Dr. Reghis M. Romero II, KGCR.)

SPECIAL ENVOY FOR DIGITALIZATION DENNIS UY DISCUSSES PHILIPPINE JUDICIAL MODERNIZATION PROGRAM WITH ROK PRESIDENTIAL SECRETARY FOR LEGAL AFFAIRS JOO JIN WOO

[Left] Special Envoy to the Republic of Korea for Digitalization Dennis Anthony H. Uy met with Republic of Korea’s Presidential Secretary for Legal Affairs Joo Jin Woo (center) at the Office of the President, Yongsan, Seoul on 7 November 2023. [Right] Special Envoy Dennis Uy and Presidential Secretary Joo Jin Woo joined by their respective delegations, including H.E. Ambassador Ma. Theresa Dizon-De Vega, Chief of Staff to the Special Envoy Atty Frank Abalos, Third Secretary and Vice Consul Reisha Olavario, and Ms. Anna Carvajal. Joining the Presidential Secretary are Assistant Secretaries to the ROK President for Legal Affairs Sangeun Lee, Park YoungAh, and Kim Hyunjoong.

16 November 2023, Seoul – Philippine Special Envoy for Digitalization Dennis Uy met with Republic of Korea Presidential Secretary for Legal Affairs Joo Jin Woo at the Office of the President, Yongsan-gu, Seoul on 7 November 2023 to discuss the Philippine Judiciary’s Modernization Program.

Special Envoy Uy conveyed Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. message for ROK President Yoon Suk Yeol on more robust engagement and cooperation between the Philippines and the Republic of Korea in developing and rolling out a modern case management system for the judiciary in the Philippines. As the Republic of Korea is a recognized pioneer in digitalization and e-government systems, Presidential Secretary for Legal Affairs Joo assured the Philippines of ROK support for the Philippine vision of a more transparent and efficient judicial system.

Both sides also agreed in the importance of close consultation, information sharing, and capacity building exchanges as the Philippines moves to improve and digitalize its government service delivery systems.

Special Envoy Uy also met with members of the Republic of Korea’s National Information Agency to learn more about ROK’s e-government framework, software interoperability, and digital best practices during his trip to Seoul. The Special Envoy was joined in his meetings by Philippine Ambassador Theresa Dizon-de Vega.

The Republic of Korea is a key partner of the Philippines in its digital transformation efforts through support programs in IT infrastructure, digital economy, and developing e-skilled individuals. END

PHL SUPREME COURT CONDUCTS BENCHMARKING STUDIES ON AUTOMATION UNDER THE STRATEGIC PLAN FOR JUDICIAL INNOVATION (SPJI) 2022-2027

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14 November 2023, Seoul. The Supreme Court of the Philippines, with the support of the Philippine Embassy, embarked on an official visit to South Korea, aimed at conducting benchmarking endeavors on the crucial topics of electronic case management systems and automation of related court processes designed to have a transformative impact on the Philippine judicial system.

Led by the Honorable Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo, along with Mr. Dennis Anthony Uy, Special Envoy for Digital Transformation to South Korea, the Philippine delegation embarked on a comprehensive itinerary to engage various South Korean institutions and experts in the field of judicial modernization.

The delegation's itinerary included visits to four key organizations, including the Supreme Court of Korea where the key features of a modern electronic Court (eCourt) system and systems upgrades were discussed; the Seoul District Court where the delegation explored fully automated courts and gained insights into the latest technological advancements and their impact on court processes; the ROK Supreme Court IT Center which showcased how a modern and multi-functional data center operates; and the Judicial Research and Training Institute where an interactive exchange of views took place on the holistic learning modules and continuous skills development for judges, court personnel and individuals interested in joining the judiciary.

The delegation also visited the Ministry of Justice to learn about the Korea Information System of Criminal Justice Services (KICS) which complements the ongoing initiatives of the Philippine Supreme Court in the Justice Sector Coordinating Council; and the Korea International Cooperation Agency to explore potential judicial modernization assistance and partnership.

Chief Justice Gesmundo, in his meeting with the ROK Supreme Court’s Acting Chief Justice Hon. Ahn Chul Sang, said that the visit is a significant step in operationalizing the Supreme Court's Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovation (SPJI) 2022-2027. He underscored the Philippine Judiciary’s commitment to modernize and enhance its judicial processes. He also highlighted the need to update existing electronic systems in the more than 2,700 courts in the Philippines, to support its goal of an interoperable yet secure network that could make court processes more efficient across the country.

Presidential Special Envoy for Digitalization Mr. Dennis Anthony Uy, for his part, stressed his support to the Philippine Judiciary’s modernization program, and committed to bridging the gap between the relevant institutions in the Philippines and Korea and utilizing his technological expertise to facilitate the successful implementation of the SPJI.

Philippine Ambassador Theresa Dizon-De Vega conveyed the Embassy's support for the Philippine Judiciary's modernization initiatives. Additionally, she noted that the SPJI not only has the potential to improve judicial efficiency for Filipinos in the Philippines, but also offers a significant opportunity to meet the aspirations of the growing Overseas Filipino community in Korea for more efficient and effective legal processes.

Aside from Chief Justice Gesmundo, the delegation was composed Senior Associate Justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen, Associate Justice Rodil V. Zalameda, Associate Justice Jose Midas P. Marquez, Court Administrator Raul B. Villanueva, Deputy Clerk of Court and Chief Technology Officer Atty. Jed Sherwin G. Uy, and other key officers of the Philippine Supreme Court.

The SPJI is a five-year development plan which “aspires to achieve holistic institutional gains as a blueprint for action for the Judiciary… [and] targeted to create an environment of excellence in court performance… improved services and greater access to justice for all stakeholders, and innovative and technologically adaptive court systems and processes.” For more information on the SPJI, please visit https://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/spji/. END

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FILIPINO ACADEMICS JOIN BUFS-KIAS CONFERENCE, LAUNCH BOOK ON FILIPINO LANGUAGE LEARNING FOR KOREANS UNDER PH STUDIES PROGRAM

(PHOTOS – Left: Ambassador Dizon – De Vega delivers Keynote Remarks at the BUFS-KIAS international conference. Right: Amb. Dizon – De Vega with Dr. Kim Dong Yeob (right most) and Filipino academics at the book launch.)

12 November 2023, Busan - Filipino academics from top educational institutions in the Philippines took part in the International Conference on “The Political Economy of ASEAN Sub-Regions: Issues and Concerns” organized by the Busan University of Foreign Studies Korea Institute for ASEAN Studies (BUFS-KIAS) held from 10-12 November 2023 in Busan. A panel on developments in Philippine Studies was held with the support of the Philippine Embassy.

BUFS President Dr. Chang Soon Heung, and Dr. Kim Dong Yeob, Director of KIAS opened the conference. Philippine Ambassador Theresa Dizon-de Vega delivered Keynote Remarks entitled “ASEAN and KASI: Towards Further ASEAN-ROK Strategic Engagement", emphasizing in her message that there are many key areas of convergence among Korea, ASEAN, and between the Philippines and Korea which could foster deeper engagement between Korea and the region.

Academics from the Philippines participated as panelists, moderators, and discussants in sessions on political-economy, cultural, academic, migration, and economic themes.

A three-book series on Filipino Language Learning was likewise launched during the conference opening. The book series is part of the “Advancing Philippine Studies” program at BUFS, a project between the university and the Philippine Embassy with the invaluable support of the Office of Philippine Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda and the Department of Foreign Affairs. The book series is a collaborative effort of a team of Filipino language experts from the University of the Philippines composed of Prof. Jovy M. Peregrino, Prof. Ronel Laranjo, Prof. April Perez, Dr. Ma. Althea Enriquez, and BUFS contributors.

The Philippine Studies Program at BUFS has organized various programs including student exchanges to promote wider and deeper understanding of Philippine history, culture, people, language, and conditions in Korea. END

(PHOTOS – Filipino and Korean academics, students and guests participating in the international conference and book launch held at the Busan Univesity of Foreign Studies.)