GOVPH

PH AMBASSADOR MEETS WITH NATIONAL ASSEMBLY REP. JUNG CHOUN SOOK TO DISCUSS GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES BETWEEN THE PHILIPPINES AND KOREA

12 September 2022 - PH Ambassador to Korea Ma. Theresa Dizon-De Vega paid a courtesy call on ROK Representative Jung Choun Sook ahead of her parliamentary delegation’s visit to the Philippines. Both gender and development advocates, Ambassador De Vega and Representative Jung had a vibrant discussion on gender and development initiatives in the PH and ROK legislative agendas.

Ambassador De Vega also took the meeting as an opportunity to inform the Representative about the volunteer work of Filipina migrants in South Korea in women’s shelters around the country, which Rep. Jung acknowledged as an important advocacy in promoting the overall welfare of women. Both sides also looked forward to working together to further promote gender equality and inclusivity, especially in the multicultural setting.

Representative Jung will be in Manila to meet with key women leaders and advocates on gender and development in the legislative and the executive branch. The Philippine Embassy in Korea wishes Rep. Jung and the rest of her parliamentary delegation a productive trip to the Philippines. END

PH AMBASSADOR MEETS WITH ROK DEPUTY TRADE MINISTER TO DISCUSS ENERGY AND TRADE COOPERATION

12 September 2022, SEOUL - Philippine Ambassador to the Republic of Korea Ambassador Ma. Theresa B. Dizon-De Vega met with Trade, Industry and Energy Deputy Minister Jeong Daejin on 31 August 2022 to discuss energy and trade cooperation.

Both sides agreed that the significance of energy security is increasing. Ambassador De Vega reiterated the importance of PH and ROK collaboration in the renewable energy sector and in the safe nuclear energy technology.

The officials likewise discussed emerging areas of trade cooperation such as high value minerals through safe mining and other natural resources as well as building the electric vehicle ecosystem. Both sides also agreed on the importance of bilateral and regional free trade agreements to help buoy the regional and global economy, and looked forward to the timely signing and ratification of the PH-ROK Free Trade Agreement and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP), respectively.

Ambassador De Vega and Deputy Minister Jeong concluded the meeting by sharing robust expectations for the convening of the Philippines - Korea Joint Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation Meeting (JCTEC) this year. END 

PHILIPPINE EMBASSY HOLDS “UGNAYAN SA SOUTH KOREA” WITH COMMISSION ON FILIPINOS OVERSEAS

3 September 2022, Seoul. The Philippine Embassy, in cooperation with the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO), held a town hall meeting in hybrid format entitled “Ugnayan sa South Korea” with members of the Filipino community in South Korea on 03 September 2022 at the Sentro Rizal Hall.

In her opening remarks, Ambassador Theresa Dizon-De Vega emphasized the need for welfare and assistance programs that would cater to the growing number of Filipino marriage migrants in South Korea and their families, particularly the second and third generation children, in order for them to reconnect to their Filipino roots. She also encouraged the further development of the pre-departure orientation to prepare marriage migrants for the South Korean family life, culture, and the support systems available to them.

The CFO delegation, led by Undersecretary Abdulgani Macatoman, committed to making representations to the relevant government agencies and policy makers on issues concerning Filipino marriage migrants. They also presented their programs, such as the BaLinkBayan, a one-stop online portal for diaspora engagement where OFWs can access government services online, financial literacy programs, and find resources on start-up entrepreneurship. He likewise invited overseas Filipinos to view his program on entrepreneurship geared towards Filipinos abroad.

The CFO delegation also invited the participants to submit nominations for the upcoming 2023 Presidential Awards for Filipino Individuals and Organizations Overseas, noting that many of the previous awardees also came from the Filipino community leaders in, such as 2021 Banaag Awardee, Dr. Ariel Bernardo; past Media Advocate Awardees, Mr. Nash Ang and Ms. Gennie Kim; 2014 Pamana ng Pilipino Awardee, Ms. Jasmine Lee; and 2008 Banaag Awardee, the Filipino Korean Spouses Association (FKSA).

The Ugnayan is one of the flagship programs of the CFO which features a series of gatherings with Filipino communities in various regions of the world and engages them on topics such as financial freedom and the campaign against human trafficking. The CFO delegation also met with various institutions and NGOs, such as the Seoul Counseling Center for Migrant Women and Advocates for Public Interest Law in South Korea (APIL), for possible cooperation. END