The Official Website of the Philippine Embassy in Seoul, Korea

TEAM PHILIPPINES IN ROK HOLDS ANNUAL PLANNING CONFERENCE FOR 2023

Amb. Dizon-De Vega presides over the Annual Planning Conference for 2023 at the Sentro Rizal, PH Embassy, Seoul

26 December 2022, Seoul. Ambassador Theresa Dizon-De Vega led the Annual Planning Conference of Team Philippines in Korea at the Sentro Rizal Hall of the Philippine Embassy on 15 December 2022.

The yearly exercise is conducted to address challenges faced in 2022, identify major projects for 2023, and ensure that plans and programs of the Philippine Embassy and its attached agencies are undertaken in a coordinated manner.

Ambassador Dizon-De Vega, Embassy section heads and heads of attached services discussed gains in Philippines-Korea political and economic, consular, cultural, labor, and people-to-people relations and priorities for 2023.

Potential activities to mark 75^th years of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Korea from 2024-25 were likewise discussed. Aside from the ongoing and future renovations of the Consular and other public areas of the Embassy, frontline services and programs for 2023 including outreach missions and mobile overseas voting registration were likewise identified for implementation. A full slate of cultural and public diplomacy activities was likewise drawn up in anticipation of more in-person events in the coming year.

Participants in the conference included Minister and Consul General Romulo VictorIsrael, Jr. and Third Secretaries and Vice Consuls Reisha Olavario and Jilliane De Dumo-Cornista, Col. Enriqueto Deocadez Jr. PA, Commercial Counsellor Jose Ma. Dinsay, Tourism Director Maria Corazon Jorda-Apo, Agriculture Attache Maria Alilia Maghirang, Second Secretary Ernest Joseph Diga, Cultural Attache Anthony Cornista, Property Officer Anna Gabrielle Guinto, POLO Officer-in-Charge Mr. Manolito Barotilla, and PAG-IBIG representative Mr. James Lumantas. END

PH AMBASSADOR DIZON-DE VEGA JOINS THE CHRISTMAS PROGRAM OF THE MULTICULTURAL FAMILY MUSIC BROADCASTING

22 December 2022, Seoul – Philippine Ambassador Theresa Dizon-De Vega joined host Ms. Gennie Kim for the Christmas Program of the Multicultural Family Music Broadcasting where they both recalled significant developments in Philippines-Korea relations in 2022 and the Embassy’s plans and programs for 2023.

The Philippine Embassy’s participation in the monthly Multicultural Family Music Broadcasting Program for Filipinos will be renewed in 2023 to ensure that newsworthy developments and updated information are delivered to Filipinos in the Republic of Korea.

The Christmas Program featuring Ambassador Theresa Dizon-De Vega will air from 23-24 December (3:00a.m., 9:00a.m., 3:00p.m. and 9:00p.m.) and 25 December (3:00p.m.) on the audio channel of the Multicultural Family Music Broadcasting. END

PHILIPPINE EMBASSY & FILCOM LEADERS IN SOUTH KOREA CHART PLANS FOR 2023

Rev PHOTOCARD 2022 Year end Leaders Forum

DFA Sec Enrique Manalo, DMW Sec Susan Ople, DFA Usec Eduardo de Vega, OWWA Administrator Arnel Ignacio send holiday greetings; Amb. Theresa Dizon-De Vega holds year-end dialogue with the Filipino Community Leaders; Participants in the Year-End Meeting and Fellowship

05 December 2022.Seoul - The Philippine Embassy in Seoul, together with POLO-OWWA, and other attached agencies held its Year-end Leaders Forum on 04 December 2022 at the Seoul Global Center in a hybrid face-to-face and online gathering of Filipino community leaders representing sixty-five (65) registered organizations in South Korea.

The year-end event took stock of the major activities of the Embassy in 2022, which were highlighted by the resumption of consular outreach missions, introduction of the Know-Your-Rights-and-Responsibilities (KYRR) info-series, conduct of labor education, post-arrival orientation and skills trainings, and holding of PEAK Pinoy seminars and cultural festivities, among others.

The Embassy presented to the community its planned activities for 2023, which include new and continuing programs such as the in-person legal aid consultation, overseas voter registration, emergency preparedness training, Filipino Family Day and Palarong Pinoy, and OWWA’s Hatid Saya sa South Korea. The FilCom leaders actively provided their inputs and suggestions particularly in promoting Philippine culture education for Filcom members, providing cultural experiences for children of multicultural families, and expanding skills training opportunities for OFWs. Moreover, they reaffirmed their willingness to strengthen partnership and collaboration with the Embassy in implementing its planned activities for the community in 2023.

Ambassador Theresa Dizon–De Vega welcomed the suggestions from the FilCom leaders, and conveyed her appreciation to them for their laudable efforts in promoting the welfare of Filipinos in South Korea. “This year, we have increasingly moved to normalcy with the accelerated entry of more Filipino workers, students, and tourists to and from Korea, and with heightened level of cooperation between the Philippines and the Republic of Korea (ROK) in all fields. Next year, we will rally to consolidate and further accelerate these efforts, especially on people-to-people exchange, as we prepare for the milestone 75^th year of PH and ROK relations in 2024,” the Ambassador said. She pledged to match the unwavering spirit of service demonstrated by each of the FilCom leaders with the Embassy’s continuing effort to strengthen its programs, services and facilities with the rallying theme: “Para sa Bayan!”

The Year-end Leaders Forum included special messages for the Filipino community in South Korea from Secretary Enrique A. Manalo of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Secretary Susan “Toots” V. Ople of the Department of Migrant Workers, Undersecretary Eduardo Jose A. De Vega of Migrant Workers Affairs - DFA, and Administrator Arnel Ignacio of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.

The activity was capped with a touching “Wish ko lang.. para sa 2023” segment from the various sectors of the community; a musical performance by the Villanueva Chorale of Misamis Oriental fresh from winning 2 gold medals at the 18^th Busan Choral Festival; surprise lucky draws; and community singing. After the program, the holy mass celebrating the Second Sunday of Advent was held, presided by Fr. Jude Genovia and assisted by the Seoul Filipino Catholic Community. -END-

MULTICULTURAL STUDENTS RECOGNIZED AT THE KOREA TIMES’ ANNUAL MULTICULTURAL YOUTH AWARDS

PR MTD 154 2022 The Korea Times Multicultural Youth Awards

[Top photo] Ambassador Theresa Dizon-De Vega with the winners for the high school category Mr. Hong Seok-yeon and Mr. Kim Kyung-min. [Below photo] Distinguished guests and the eleven (11) student awardees of The Korea Times 11^th Multicultural Youth Awards.

06 December 2022. Seoul – Philippine Ambassador to Korea Theresa Dizon-De Vega presented awards to notable students during the Korea Times’ 11^th Multicultural Youth Awards, held at the Korea Press Center in Seoul. The Korea Times holds the youth awards to recognize and encourage students from multicultural backgrounds towards greater achievements.

At the ceremony, Ambassador De Vega presented awards to high-achieving multicultural high school students Mr. Hong Seok-yeon from the Seoul Information Technology High School and Mr. Kim Kyung-min, a Filipino-Korean student from the Korea Polytechnic Dasom High School. Mr. Kim is set to enter university in 2023 and hoping to major in events management.

The Philippine Embassy in Korea continues to champion the importance of inclusivity and representation of multicultural youth in Korean society. Ambassador Dizon-De Vega encourages multicultural students of Filipino ethnicity to continue to do well in their studies and extracurricular activities. END