The Official Website of the Philippine Embassy in Seoul, Korea

UNITED NATIONS COMMAND DEPUTY COMMANDER LT. GEN. ANDREW HARRISON VISITS THE PHILIPPINES

(L to R) UNC DC Lt. Gen Andrew Harrison met with CSAFP Gen. Andres Centino, DFA Undersecretary Carlos Sorreta, DND Undersecretary Angelito De Leon, and NDCP President Ferdinand Cartujano on 24 February 2023.

24 February 2023 - Lt. Gen. Andrew Harrison, Deputy Commander of the United Nations Command (UNC) based in the Republic of Korea visited the Philippines on 24 February 2023.

The UNC Deputy Commander met with Undersecretary Carlos D. Sorreta of the Department of Foreign Affairs. He likewise met with officials from the Department of National Defense, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and the National Defense College of the Philippines.

During the visit, Lt. Gen. Harrison provided a briefing on the role of the United Nations Command and the evolving situation in the Korean Peninsula. The visit is also part of the UN command’s efforts to actively engage with all sending states to the Korean War.

The Philippines continues to actively engage the UN Command. Ambassador Theresa Dizon-De Vega represents the Philippines in the monthly Ambassador’s Roundtable meetings held by the UN Command in the Republic of Korea.

The Philippines is the fifth country in the world and the first country in Asia to heed the call of the UN to provide military assistance to South Korea during the Korean War through five Battalion Combat Teams known as the Philippine Expeditionary Forces to Korea (PEFTOK). With a total number of 7,420 personnel, PEFTOK was the third ground forces to enter Korea, following the US and the United Kingdom. END

EMBASSY AND MWO-SEOUL HOLD WORKSHOP FOR OFWS ON KOREA IMMIGRATION AND INTEGRATION PROGRAM (KIIP)

Ambassador Dizon-De Vega, Labor Attaché Valderrama, Director Katherine Ann Corteza with EPS Workers

22 February 2023, Seoul – Filipino EPS workers attended the Information Workshop on Korea Immigration and Integration Program (KIIP) and HRD Vocational Skills Training on 12 February 2023 at the Embassy’s Sentro Rizal Hall.

The activity was organized by the Philippine Embassy through the Migrant Workers Office – OWWA, in cooperation with the Itaewon Global Village Center (IGVC) in Seoul as part of the skills development support program for OFWs in Korea.

Due to the high number of registered participants, two (2) batches of the said information session were held on the same day.

In her Opening Message, Ambassador Ma. Theresa B. Dizon – De Vega welcomed the keen interest of the participants in further advancing their Korean language and skills proficiency through the KIIP and HRD trainings. “We want to support your plans to successfully register and enroll in the programs offered by the Korean government to foreign workers, and to increase your chances of qualifying for employment opportunities for skilled visa categories and other long-term occupations that may be available in the future”, the Ambassador said. She added that the pioneering information workshop was prompted by the pronouncements of the Employment and Labor Minister during his meeting with the Ambassadors of the EPS-sending countries last December om the important of skills advancement, and the request of participants for continued assistance during the subsequent online sharing forum with the EPS workers held on 15 January 2023.

Director Katherine Ann Corteza of the IGVC, who was the main speaker of the workshop, led the participants in going through the step-by-step procedures of registering and enrolling in the online system of the KIIP. She also provided them with practical tips in navigating the system, and in choosing their respective level, schedule, and training center location. FilCom leaders Mr. Neon Rodney Queman, and volunteers from the Filipino EPS Workers Association (FEWA) and Pinoy Iskolars in Korea (PIKO) assisted the participants during the actual workshop and enabled them to create their respective accounts and be ready to enroll for their level test and/or KIIP training.

Labor Attaché Ma. Celeste Valderrama also provided the participants with an introduction to the vocational trainings offered to EPS workers under the HRDK Happy Return Program, and other trainings offered by various migrant support centers in Korea and MWO-OWWA, and how to avail of them. END

AMBASSADOR DIZON-DE VEGA PARTICIPATES IN THE 15TH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE COUNCIL OF THE ASEAN-KOREA CENTRE

Ambassador Theresa B. Dizon-De Vega delivers her remarks during the 15th Annual Meeting of the Council of the ASEAN-Korea Centre held at Lotte Hotel Seoul on 16 February 2023.

18 February 2023 – Ambassador Theresa Dizon–De Vega, in her capacity as Council Director for the Philippines, participated in the 15th Annual Meeting of the Council of The ASEAN-Korea Centre on 16 February 2023 held at the Lotte Hotel Seoul.

The Ambassador congratulated the AKC for organizing the first face-to-face Meeting since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. She likewise commended the AKC for sustaining the activities that promoted ASEAN-Korea relations during a challenging period and gave her congratulations to both the outgoing Chair of Cambodia and the new Chair of Indonesia.

The Ambassador reaffirmed that the Philippines would continue to cooperate closely with the AKC in the years ahead, and looked forward to working together to further promote mutual understanding and exchanges, noting that the Philippines’ participation in ASEAN Familiarization Tour in FY2022 was particularly productive. END

ASEAN-Korea Centre Secretary General, Council Directors and invited delegates pose for a photo opportunity at the 15th Annual Meeting of the Council of the ASEAN-Korea Centre held at Lotte Hotel Seoul on 16 February 2023.

PH AND ROK HOLD SENIOR-LEVEL BILATERAL TALKS, REAFFIRM STRONG PARTNERSHIP

(middle photo) PH DFA Undersecretary for Bilateral Relations and ASEAN Affairs Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro (left) meets ROK MOFA’s 1st Vice Minister Cho Hyundong (right) for PH-ROK 8th Policy Consultations held on 17 February 2023 in Seoul.

20 February 2023 –The Philippines and the Republic of Korea (ROK) reaffirmed their friendly and mutually beneficial ties and discussed ways to further elevate their bilateral cooperation to new heights at the 8th PH-ROK Policy Consultation on 17 February 2023 in Seoul.

Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Bilateral Relations and ASEAN Affairs Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro led the Philippine delegation, while the ROK side was headed by 1st Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyundong.

Both sides had in-depth discussions in areas of mutual concern such as defense and security, maritime engagement; trade, investment, energy, nuclear power, infrastructure, science and technology, information and communications technology cooperation, climate change, and people-to-people exchanges with a focus on tourism and consular cooperation.

They also exchanged views on regional and international developments including ASEAN-ROK cooperation, the West Philippine Sea, Korean Peninsula, Ukraine crisis, and cooperation in the international and multilateral arena.

Philippine Ambassador Theresa Dizon-De Vega enumerated several projects planned in celebration of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of PH-ROK diplomatic relations in March 2024 to March 2025. The activities will highlight the major aspects of the relations in many areas.

In pursuing projects and activities under various fields of cooperation, Undersecretary Lazaro said that “not only will we [PH and ROK] walk together, we will run together” towards their common goals and objectives.

The meeting also moved the two countries closer to formalizing the elevation of their bilateral relations into a Strategic Partnership, and provided significant impetus to strengthen and expand cooperation on wide-ranging areas of engagements. The Philippines and Korea will commemorate 75 years of diplomatic relations in 2024.

The PH-ROK Policy Consultations is the main forum for extensive dialogue between the two countries’ foreign vice-ministers to discuss a wide range of issues aimed at advancing effective cooperation towards the attainment of common goals and mutually-beneficial interests.

Joining Undersecretary Lazaro as members of the Philippine delegation from Manila were Assistant Secretary Nathaniel B. Imperial, Deputy Undersecretary Hans Mohaimin Siriban, and Director Pamela Durian Bailon.

Third Secretary and Vice Consul Reisha Olavario, Commercial Counselor Jose Ma. Dinsay, and Defense Attache Col. Enriqueto Deocadez Jr. of the Philippine Embassy in Seoul also joined as members of the Philippine delegation. END