GOVPH

SEOUL NATIONAL UNIVERSITY STUDENT SELECTED AS PHILIPPINES' AMBASSADOR FOR A DAY

8 March 2024, Seoul – As we celebrate this year’s International Women’s day and the 75th anniversary of Philippines-Korea relations, the Philippine Embassy is proud to introduce its Ambassador for a Day 2024 initiative.

The Ambassador for a Day is a program created to encourage young women to become leaders and advocates for positive change in the Republic of Korea by creating linkages and fostering a deeper understanding of the Philippine Embassy’s core work in the empowerment of women and the multicultural community.

The Philippine Embassy designated Ms. Ji Yoon “Tori” Kim to be the Ambassador for a Day 2024, where she had the opportunity to shadow and observe Philippine Ambassador H.E. Ma. Theresa Dizon-De Vega for one full day of packed activities. Ms. Kim, currently a Seoul National University student, was chosen based on merit and recommendation by the Asia Society Korea, the Embassy’s partner for the project.

Ms. Kim represents the future of women leaders and changemakers in the Republic of Korea. Aside from being a Seoul National University student, she is also an active member of the Asia Society Korea, participating in their community development programs since her youth. As a talented artist, her work has won numerous awards both in South Korea and abroad. Ms. Kim is also an athlete, being a member of the Seoul National University’s Women’s Skiing Team, and has won numerous medals for the sport.

Ms. Kim met with various members of the Embassy, including officers and staff handling women's rights, public diplomacy, consular, cultural, and assistance-to-national portfolios. Ms. Kim also briefly observed the Embassy’s frontline operations and had a meeting with the Embassy’s GAD section on the importance of women empowerment and the importance of women contributing to policy and development decisions, as well as contributing to fostering a dynamic multicultural community in the Republic of Korea. Ambassador Dizon-De Vega also provided Ms. Kim with an overview of Philippines–Republic of Korea cooperation, as well as future projects of the Embassy in celebration of the 75th anniversary of Philippines-Republic of Korea relations.

As the Philippines’ Ambassador for a Day, Ms. Kim also attended an international women’s month forum where one of the sessions was moderated by Ambassador Dizon-De Vega. Aside from learning new perspectives on South Korean women in the workplace and the challenges faced by migrant women in the Republic of Korea, Ms. Kim was also where able to meet notable women in diplomacy, governance, business, and other related fields and learn about the international community’s work to promote gender equality in the Republic of Korea.

At the end of the program, Ms. Kim conveyed appreciation for being given the opportunity to understand the work of the Philippine Embassy in Korea and the different perspectives on leadership, the increasingly multicultural future of the Korean community, the multi-faceted relations between the Philippines and Korea, and women empowerment through her activities as Ambassador for a Day.

The Philippine Embassy hopes that as a next-generation leader of Korean society, Ms. Kim will remember her experience as Ambassador for A Day of the Philippines and continue to foster mutual understanding between different cultures and work towards the inclusive development of all women in the community.

The Embassy looks forward to continuing the Ambassador for a Day program in the coming years. END

PHILIPPINE EMBASSY IN SEOUL JOINS THE NATION IN CELEBRATING NATIONAL WOMEN’S MONTH AND INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

8 March 2024, Seoul - The Philippine Embassy in Seoul joins the nation and the rest of the global community in celebrating National Women’s Month (March 2024) and International Women’s Day (8 March). 

In the Philippines, the National Women’s Month Celebration has become a platform to spotlight women’s accomplishments and address ongoing and emerging issues related to women’s empowerment and gender equality. The focus is on concrete activities aligned with national and international agreements, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, the Beijing Platform for Action, the Philippine Plan for Gender-Responsive Development (1995-2025), the Framework Plan for Women, and the Sustainable Development Goals. International Women’s Day, celebrated on 8 March, is officially recognized by the United Nations as a day to celebrate women’s contributions to societies globally.

Grounded on the objective of transforming culture toward a more equal and inclusive future, the 2024 NWMC bears the sub-theme, “Lipunang Patas sa Bagong Pilipinas; Kakayahan ng Kababaihan, patutunayan!”

It echoes the target outcomes of Chapter 15 in the Updated Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Plan 2019-2025 towards transforming gender norms and culture. With “Lipunang Patas sa Bagong Pilipinas,” the 2024 sub-theme calls for a Bagong Pilipinas where women are given equitable opportunities and not hindered by gender biases and discriminatory stereotypes. 

During the first flag ceremony of National Women’s Month, Philippine Ambassador to the Republic of Korea Theresa Dizon-De Vega emphasized the importance of an inclusive society working together to uplift and empower women. She enjoined members of the Philippine Embassy to continue doing the core work of providing quality services and programs to improve the lives of the Filipino migrant women community in Korea and sought the support of the men in the Philippine Embassy to this cause, as achieving gender equality and empowerment requires a collective approach. 

As this year also marks the celebration of 75 years of Philippines – Korea relations, the Philippine Embassy has prepared various activities recognizing the contributions of Filipino migrant women to Korean society and look forward to the support of the community in making these projects a success!

The Philippine Embassy in Seoul, in support of this year’s theme, will continue to create meaningful projects and programs that will showcase and harness the full potential of migrant workers women and girls in actively engaging in and reaping the benefits of inclusive growth and development for the benefit of the global community, including in the Republic of Korea. END

#WeCanBeEquALL 

#PHKR75

PH EMBASSY HOLDS WEBINAR ON DOCUMENTATION PROCEDURE FOR SUCCESSFUL E7-4 VISA HOLDERS

19 February 2024, Seoul – The Philippine Embassy in Seoul and the Migrant Workers Office (MWO)-OWWA held an information session entitled “E9 to E7 Visa: Employment Documentation for Successful E7-4 Passers” on 19 February 2024 via Zoom.

The activity, which was attended by close to one hundred participants, aimed to guide the new Filipino E7 holders on how to register their contracts, acquire OEC, and enroll as OWWA members. It is a follow-up seminar to the Embassy’s series of information sessions on “Palit-Visa” and “Guide to Registering in Korea Immigration and Integration Program (KIIP)” which were held in the last two years to support the plans and preparation of EPS workers to a higher visa type.

In her opening message, Ambassador Theresa Dizon – De Vega congratulated the participants for having successfully transitioned from E9 or non-professional employment visa to E7-4, or special occupation visa. “Your transition to a higher-level visa is a testament to your skills, performance, diligence and loyalty to your company. I encourage you to continue building your language and technical skills, and keeping abreast with information from reliable sources in order to optimize your stay and employment here”, the Ambassador said. She affirmed the Embassy’s commitment in providing timely and relevant information to the Filipino community in South Korea, and thanked the leadership of the Seosan Migrant Catholic Community (SMCC) and the Ilocanos in South Korea (ISK) for their active partnership with the Embassy on this project.

Labor Attache Ma. Celeste M. Valderrama explained the legal basis for contract verification, highlighting that this is especially important for those who transitioned to E7 visa as they are now considered as directly hired OFWs and no longer covered by government-to-government hiring system. Administrative Staff Jaeomi Leoj Valencia presented in detail the documentary requirement and procedures for contract verification and OEC. On the other hand, Welfare Officer Cornelia DG Chanco discussed the importance of being active OWWA members and the various welfare programs and services for them and their families. An interactive question and answer portion followed after the presentation.

In his closing message, SMCC President Randy Tolentino encouraged the participants to faithfully comply with both the Philippine and Korea regulations regarding the registration of their contracts, especially as they obtain their new visa status in Korea. He thanked the Philippine Embassy, on behalf of the participants, for conducting innovative and very relevant seminars for the benefit of the Filipino community in South Korea.

For further queries on contract verification for E7-4 visa holders, the public may contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or (82-2) 3785-3634/5. END