The Official Website of the Philippine Embassy in Seoul, Korea

AMBASSADOR THERESA DIZON-DE VEGA JOINS THE ELDERS – GGGI HIGH-LEVEL CLIMATE PANEL: GETTING ASIA TO NET ZERO

[In photo] H.E. Theresa Dizon-De Vega with the panel of climate experts H.E. Jenny Hyoeun Kim, Deputy Minister and Ambassador for Climate Change of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, Hon Gro Harlem Brundtland, representative of The Elders and Former Prime Minister of Norway, and Dr. Achala Abeysinghe, Director and Head of Programs for Asia of GGGI. H.E. Ban Ki-Moon, President of the Assembly and Chair to the Council of the GGGI welcomed the participants and Director General Frank Rijsberman of the GGGI moderated the discussion.

10 June 2023, Seoul. Philippine Ambassador to the Republic of Korea Theresa Dizon-De Vega was one of the panelists in the High-Level Climate Panel: Getting Asia to Net Zero jointly organized by The Elders and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI). The event was held on 29 May 2023 at the GGGI Headquarters in Seoul, Korea.

H.E. Ban Ki-Moon, former UN Secretary-General and President and Chair of the GGGI who also serves as the Deputy Chair of The Elders, a small group of independent global leaders working for peace, justice, human rights and sustainable planet founded in 2007 by Nelson Mandela delivered keynote remarks.

In his message, GGGI President Ban said that climate crisis requires a real sense of urgency and collaboration in good faith between global leaders. The challenges are immense but The Elders are resolved to help the world step back from the precipice by demanding ambitious reduction targets and responsible policies and GGGI will continue to help developing countries adapt to climate change and transition to green growth.

During the discussion, Ambassador Dizon-De Vega shared that the Philippines is working on a whole-of-government approach in achieving climate goals. She likewise underscored the importance of private sector cooperation in this goal. “The Philippines’ private sector has been stepping up in the last few years. We have established companies and start-ups that are now working on green initiatives like producing power from biomass, utilizing extensive use of solar power, and BESS facilities. E-transport is likewise moving faster now that the country has a development and regulatory framework for this sector”.

Emphasizing the positive policy environment of the Philippines and its growing recognition of the importance of responding to climate issues, Ambassador Dizon-De Vega likewise noted that, “There is also a growing consciousness (in the Philippines), and this is very important, that countries which do not invest in green technologies and move towards net zero run the risk of losing economic opportunities with international partners.” She likewise shared the positive developments such as greater emphasis on renewable energy under the latest National Renewable Energy Plan, moratorium on new coal-fired plants, and a mandate to increase use of biodiesel, bioethanol, and e-transport.

The Philippine Embassy in Korea continues to work with inter-governmental international development organizations such as GGGI in pursuing the Philippines’ green growth objectives. END

Department of Agriculture and Korea Agricultural Machinery Industry Cooperative (KAMICO) ink Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperative Partnership for Agricultural Machinery

[In photos] President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., KAMICO Chairman Shin Gil Kim, DA Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban, Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile and Agriculture Attaché Ma. Alilia G. Maghirang of PAO-Seoul during the MOU signing ceremony at the Malacañang Palace.

06 June 2023, Manila. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. witnessed the ceremonial signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Cooperative Partnership for Agricultural Machinery between the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Korea Agricultural Machinery Industry Cooperative (KAMICO) on Tuesday, June 6, 2023 as the Philippines gears up for improved farm productivity and food security.

Speaking during the signing ceremony in Malacañang, the President highlighted the importance of mechanization to agricultural production, noting it has been the thrust of his government to boost food production particularly rice, the country’s major staple.

“We all recognized very clearly the importance of mechanization for our country because we are trying to move the production, we are trying to make sure that at least the local supply for rice is sufficient and, of course, hopefully, also the other crops,” Marcos said.

“The key to all of this is mechanization and all of the things that we’re trying to do. We have some programs to mechanize. We have…our set program, which is the production, from the tariffs on rice importations and then applied also to mechanization,” he added.

Establishing local machinery production is the first step towards agricultural development, Marcos said, expecting it to result in better yield and lower production cost to make Filipino farmers more competitive.

Among the salient features of the MOU include the establishment in the Philippines of a local agricultural machinery manufacturing cluster including assembly production line, research and development of agricultural machinery technology, workforce training on agricultural machinery technology, and a grant of Official Development Assistance (ODA) to further explore potential projects.

President Marcos welcomes KAMICO's proposal for the establishment of a local agricultural machinery manufacturing cluster in the Philippines to be implemented in three phases. KAMICO announced an initial investment of US$30 million would be made in phase 1 of the project and triple that amount in the second phase.

The project is expected to result in food production self-sufficiency; the Philippines becoming a food-exporting country; increased employment and farmers’ income; establishment of infrastructure on agricultural mechanization and industrialization; and, technology transfer and production of specialized machinery.

Through the coordination of the Philippine Embassy and Philippine Agriculture Office in Seoul, KAMICO has been collaborating with DA and the Philippine Center for Post-harvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech) since 2017 for technical cooperation in the development of localized farm machinery in the Philippines.

Among the DA-PHILMECH technical cooperation projects with KAMICO-member companies are adaptability testing of a self-propelled Mechanical Elevating Work Platform for mango, durian, and other fruit production operations, and technology performance verification and adaptation of a mechanized onion production system; and pilot adoption and pre-commercialization of corn milling machine.

Philippine Ambassador to Korea, Ambassador Maria Theresa B. Dizon De Vega lauds the active engagement of the KAMICO in accelerating agriculture mechanization in the Philippines.

Currently, DA implements various agrimechanization project under Korean ODA including Technology advice and solutions from South Korea (TASK), Agricultural Mechanization Design and Prototyping Center project; and Smart Agriculture projects.

Established in 1962 and recognized by the Korean government, KAMICO has more than 650 members and is a major partner in the mechanization of Korea’s agriculture sector.

KAMICO actively works in the global agricultural machinery industry by providing aid to developing countries, dispatching investment research groups to emerging markets overseas, and conducting training for international customers. END

AMBASSADOR DIZON-DE VEGA DISCUSSES PHILIPPINE PUBLIC DIPLOMACY AT KOREA UNIVERSITY

Ambassador Theresa Dizon-De Vega delivered a lecture on Philippine Public Diplomacy to students of the Graduate School of International Studies at Korea University. During her brief visit, Ambassador Dizon-De Vega also had a productive meeting with Associate Dean Dr. Cuz Potter and Division Chair of GKS Prof. Lim Sijeong, as well as Filipino students enrolled in the university. She was joined by Public Diplomacy supervising officer Third Secretary and Vice Consul Reisha Olavario during the visit.

09 June 2023, Seoul. Philippine Ambassador to Korea, H.E. Theresa Dizon-De Vega delivered a special lecture on Public Diplomacy in the Philippines. The lecture was delivered to the students of the Graduate School of International Studies at Korea University. Korea University is one of the most prestigious higher education institutions in South Korea and is home to many international students, including scholars from the Philippines.

Ambassador Dizon-De Vega emphasized the importance of effectively communicating foreign policy objectives to the public through strengthened public diplomacy efforts. She added that knowing and listening to one’s audience as well as monitoring trends are critical components of effectively communicating public diplomacy initiatives.

Ambassador Dizon-De Vega likewise explained the importance of striking a balance in managing traditional mediums of public diplomacy and optimizing the reach of social media platforms to make foreign policy more accessible to a wider audience.

“We have instituted quite a few dialogue platforms to communicate with varying audiences to help widen messaging and we use our official channels to communicate what we do on a daily basis”, Ambassador Dizon-De Vega said.

The Ambassador also shared the Philippines’ policy advocacy, cultural, and exchange diplomacy strategies to interested students studying international relations during the Q&A portion of the lecture.

During her brief visit to the university, Ambassador Dizon-De Vega likewise had a productive exchange with Associate Dean Dr. Cuz Potter and Division Chair of GKS Prof. Lim Sijeong, as well as Filipino students enrolled in the university. END

PHILIPPINES FOSTER GLOBAL MARITIME SECURITY BY JOINING EASTERN ENDEAVOR 2023

The Philippines participated in the Eastern Endeavor Exercises 2023 held in Jeju Island from 31 May to 2 June 2023. Undersecretary Jesus Ricardo Domingo led the Philippine delegation and presented findings and recommendations during the EEE 2023 Tabletop Exercises held last 1 June 2023.

JEJU, 31 MAY 2023 – The Philippines, as an observer, participated in the Eastern Endeavor Exercises 2023 held in Jeju Island from 31 May to 2 June 2023. The Eastern Endeavor 23 is a meaningful exercise planned to demonstrate international cooperation to strengthen interoperability between participating nations, and to foster combined maritime interdiction compatibility to prevent the spread of WMD.

The Exercises, held in conjunction with the high-level meeting of the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI), featured naval drills, academic and table top exercises, and an expert’s group meeting.

Undersecretary Jesus Ricardo Domingo led the Philippine delegation and presented findings and recommendations during the EEE 2023 Tabletop Exercises held last 1 June 2023 where he affirmed the importance of a whole of government approach in interdiction measures. END