The Official Website of the Philippine Embassy in Seoul, Korea

PHILIPPINE EMBASSY WRAPS UP PEAK-PINOY REINTEGRATION SEMINARS FOR 2023

PR MTD 176 2023

10 December 2023, Seoul – The Philippine Embassy in Seoul together with the team of Promoting Entrepreneurship and Agribusiness to Overseas Filipinos in Korea (or PEAK-Pinoy), held its culminating reintegration preparedness seminar for the year entitled “Usapang Buwis-ness: Pagsimula ng Negosyo at Tamang Pagbubuwis” on 10 December 2023 at the Embassy’s Migrant Workers Resource Center.

Philippine Tax Wiz Mr. Mon Abrea was the featured resource speaker for the activity. He walked the participants through on the taxation laws, rules and regulations of the Philippines in a practical and easy-to-understand manner. He highlighted the special taxation rules under the CREATE Law especially for business start-ups and incentives for OFWs.

The session was followed by a panel discussion on business management tips and general taxation with Commercial Counselor Jose Ma. Dinsay of the Philippine Trade and Investment Center (PTIC), Vice Consul Jilliane Joyce D. Cornista and Mr. Abrea. The OFW-participants, many of whom are already entrepreneurs, shared their own experiences and raised questions on business registration procedures, eligibility for and availment of tax incentives, and property tax-related concerns.

PEAK-Pinoy is the Embassy’s flagship project in support of the Philippine National Reintegration Program, which is jointly implemented by the PTIC, Migrant Workers Office (MWO) – OWWA, Philippine Agriculture Office (PAO), Philippine Department of Tourism (PDOT), and the Pag-IBIG Fund. The project provides continuing info-seminars on commercial, agriculture, and tourism business opportunities for overseas Filipinos in the Philippines by regional area along with entrepreneurship skills, management tips, and financial literacy.

The year-end PEAK Pinoy was the 14^th seminar held since the project was launched in March 2021. Overseas Filipinos in South Korea are invited to join the next run of reintegration seminars which will be offered by 1^st quarter of 2024. -END-

PHILIPPINES SUPPORTS EFFORTS IN STRENGTHENING HEALTHCARE COOPERATION AND PARTNERSHIP IN THE INDO-PACIFIC REGION

PR MTD 174 2023

21 December 2023, Seoul. The Philippines conveyed its support for efforts that strengthen healthcare cooperation and partnership in the Indo-Pacific Region at the 2023 Health Cooperation Forum in the Indo-Pacific Region on 13 December 2023 in Seoul. The forum was co-hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Australia and Department of State of the United States.

The forum aims to build a stronger vaccine cooperation network in the Indo-Pacific region. This year, under the theme “Building a Resilient Indo-Pacific Partnership on Vaccines and Healthcare”, the forum’s agenda has expanded to ASEAN-Korea cooperation on digital health, universal health coverage and workforce participation. Representatives from each ASEAN member state were invited as panelists in the special sessions.

Ms. Heidi Umadac, Supervising Health Program Officer of the Bureau of International Health Cooperation of the Department of Health (DOH-BIHC) was the Philippines’ representative to the forum. She delivered the PH intervention with emphasis on the DOH’s 8-point agenda to strengthening primary health care, utilizing digital health technology, health system resiliency, mental health and well-being, advancement and protection of health workers’ rights and well-being and strengthening the health system and structure by mainstreaming health security, enhancing disease and public health surveillance, disease prevention and control, epidemic and pandemic response capabilities across levels of the healthcare system.

The Philippines also announced that the country’s first vaccine manufacturing facility will soon rise as the Glovax Lifescience Corp. has started building its Php7.5 billion vaccine facility in Taysan, Batangas, that aims to produce 50 million doses annually. The facility is a partnership between PH local firm Glovax Biotech and ROK pharmaceutical company Eubiologics.

The Philippines looks forward to continued cooperation with the Republic of Korea on priority areas such as on the establishment of the Philippines’ Center for Disease Control and Prevention digital health technology, supply chain management, pandemic response, capacity building for health workers on universal health care, and vaccine development. END

Philippines Re-Affirms Close Engagement with Korea in S&T and ICT

PR MTD 175 2023

21 December 2023, Seoul. The Philippines participated in the ROK Ministry of Science and ICT Policy Day for international partners. The event opened by Minister Lee Jung-ho provided the diplomatic corps and other international partners with a roadmap to the S&T and ICT policy and cooperation thrusts of Korea. Philippine Ambassador Theresa Dizon-de Vega and Italian Ambassador Emilia Gatto delivered remarks on behalf of the diplomatic corps. In her message, Ambassador Dizon-de Vega re-affirmed its priority to maximize S&T and ICT engagement with Korea through various platforms and primarily through the PH-ROK Joint S&T Committee Meeting, the next iteration of which will be held in 2024 as both countries commemorate 75 years of relations. END

VIBRANCY AND POSITIVE CONTRIBUTIONS OF FILIPINOS IN SOUTH KOREA HAILED AT YEAR-END COMMUNITY EVENT

PR MTD 173 2023 1

09 December 2023, Seoul - The Philippine Embassy in Seoul, together with the Migrant Workers Office – OWWA and the attached agencies held the 2023 Year-end Filipino Community Leaders Forum and Paskong Pinoy Fellowship program on 09 December 2023 at the Sentro Rizal Hall of the Embassy.

The event was attended by 120 leaders and representatives of sixty (60) Filipino community organizations (FCO) and migrant institutional partners from all over South Korea.

In her special year-end message, Ambassador Ma. Theresa B. Dizon – De Vega said that the occasion is being kept simple in keeping with the Embassy’s solidarity with people all over the world who continue to hope for world peace, unity, and healing.

Summing up her message in three words, the Ambassador conveyed her “pasasalamat” (gratitude and appreciation), “pagpupugay” (honor and pride), and “paghihikayat” (encouragement) to all the members of the Filipino community in South Korea led by their respective leaders. “The Embassy expresses our profound gratitude to all of you for we could not have successfully done all the activities and new initiatives this year without your valuable support and active engagement,” the Ambassador added.

During the event, the Department of Migrant Workers Officer-in-Charge Hans Leo J. Cacdac and DFA Undersecretary Eduardo De Vega conveyed their special messages to the Filipino community.

The Embassy also presented its 2023 accomplishments and plans for 2024 in line with the celebration of the 75^th year of PHL-ROK relations. The new Defense and Armed Forces Attache, Colonel Don Templonuevo, briefed the FilCom Leaders on Emergency Preparedness as well as the roles of the area coordinators during emergencies.

As part of the Embassy’s efforts on capacity- building for the FilCom, Welfare Officer Aniceta G. Deuna presented the 1^st of a series of leadership seminars featuring Financial Management 101 for FCOs. She provided detailed guidelines on how to keep, record, and report on the financial status of organizations in order to ensure transparent and viable financial management among the leaders.

As part of the forum, Ambassador Dizon-de Vega handed the Certificate of Registration to Kabayan Filipino Center as a newly registered Filipino Community Organization (FCO).

In the thanksgiving and fellowship segment, the FCO leaders and representatives were entertained by talented Filipino musicians based in Korea, special numbers, games, exchange of gifts, a raffle draw, and community singing of Filipino Christmas songs.

“On behalf of the Philippine Embassy and its attached agencies, we wish every Filipino community member and their families a blessed Christmas season, and a bountiful New Year”, Ambassador de Vega said in her parting message. -END-