The Official Website of the Philippine Embassy in Seoul, Korea

PHILIPPINE EMBASSY CONDUCTS SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AND SAFETY SEMINAR IN OBSERVANCE OF THE 18-DAY CAMPAIGN TO END VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND CHILDREN (VAWC) FROM 25 NOVEMBER TO 12 DECEMBER 2023

Top from left: Philippine Ambassador to the Republic of Korea Ma. Theresa Dizon-De Vega, Police Officer Yoo Seo Jun, and GAD focal officer Third Secretary and Vice Consul Reisha Olavario emphasize the importance of situational awareness and safety in eliminating violence against women and children. The Philippine Embassy in Seoul conducted a situational awareness and safety seminar in observance of the 18-Day Campaign to End Violence Against Women with the Yongsan Police and Hwaseong Filipino Taekwondo Group as resource speakers. Middle left: Participants of the seminar call to stop violence against women and children.

03 December 2023, Seoul. The Philippine Embassy in Seoul spearheaded by its Gender and Development (GAD) Unit conducted a Situational Awareness and Safety Seminar for the members of the Filipino Community in the Republic of Korea on 03 December 2023 at the Sentro Rizal Hall of the Embassy. The seminar is in observance of the Presidential Proclamation No. 1172 s. 2006 on the “18-Day Campaign to End Violence Against Women in the Philippines” from 25 November to 12 December 2023 and the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

The Philippine Embassy supports the Philippine government’s mandate to eradicate violence against women and children by helping the community to gain knowledge and overcome fear through learning and application of easy-to-use techniques such as awareness in combination with safety strategies and physical techniques to prevent, resist, and escape violence against women and children.

In her opening remarks, Ambassador Theresa Dizon-De Vega emphasized the importance of practicing situational awareness and self-defense, especially for women and children even in countries with high safety indexes such as South Korea.

Police Officer Yoo Seon-Jun of the Yongsan Police Station provided an overview of situational awareness and safety and discussed prevalent violence against women and children issues in South Korea such as cyberbullying, stalking, workplace harassment, dating violence, and various forms of domestic abuse. Establishing boundaries in the workplace, paying attention to your surroundings, trusting your instincts, carrying a protection device, having a strong support system aware of your situation, and knowing the safety and emergency hotlines in your area are some very important tips shared during the session.

Foreigners in South Korea can contact the emergency response centers and seek available remedies from relevant authorities when faced with an emergency, including VAWC-related situations.

The Hwaseong Filipino Taekwondo Group, a Kukkiwon (World Taekwondo Headquarters) recognized group based in Suwon, engaged the participants in a practical demonstration of basic, easy-to-learn self-defense skills especially for women. The self-defense demonstration also emphasized that the best self-defense is to remove one’s self from a potentially violent situation that may cause harm.

In line with the promotion of women’s health and the recent market access of the Philippine Hass avocado in ROK, the Philippine Embassy prepared a healthy avocado burger for seminar participants. Rich in vitamins and minerals beneficial to women’s reproductive health and metabolism, Philippine hass avocados are now available in major South Korean supermarkets and grocery stores. END

Top and Middle: Hwaseong Filipino Taekwondo Group teaching the participants with basic self-defense strategies. Last row: The situational awareness and safety lecture at the Philippine Embassy was attended by members of the Filipino community and Embassy personnel.

PHL MENTOR AND DELEGATES PARTICIPATE IN 2023 YOUTH CAMP FOR ASEAN & FRIENDS’ ENGAGEMENT (YCAFE)

L-R: Dr. Joffrey M. Calimag, Vice Consul Jill De Dumo-Cornista, John Axel Orencia, Symon Dela Cruz, Diana Kassandra Almarez, Albertine June Din, Christine Joy Pacilan, ROK MOFA-ASEAN Director Chon Eui-jin

4 December 2023, Seoul. Philippine mentor Dr. Joeffrey M. Calimag and delegates Diana Kassandra Almarez, Albertine June Din, Symon Dela Cruz, John Axel Orencia, and Christine Joy Pacilan, participated in the 2023 Youth Camp for ASEAN & Friends’ Engagement (YCAFE) held from November 27 to December 2, 2023 in Seoul and Busan, South Korea.

Organized by the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Asian Exchange Association, YCAFE was established to “promote closer ASEAN-Korea partnership through increased understanding and awareness among the youth in the region, raise awareness on the common challenges facing the Indo-Pacific region and identify the role of youth in promoting peace and prosperity, and build networks and facilitate exchange and communication among the youths of ASEAN, Korea and the United States.” Now on its second run, around 52 delegates from South Korea, ASEAN countries and East Timor participated this time.

Dr. Calimag, who also serves as the President of the Council of ASEAN Professors in Korea, mentored the delegates and guided them on key insights which could further strengthen the role of the youth in pursuing a “free, peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific.” The result was an exhaustive Youth’s Manifesto which tackled various critical subtopics including education, language, sustainable community development, gender equality, cultural diversity and inclusivity, cybersecurity, use of artificial intelligence and disinformation, conflict resolution and diplomacy, food security, regional payment connectivity, digital and creative economies, and sustainable energy, to name a few. Dr. Calimag said that the Manifesto is representative of the youth’s ability to think out of the box and focus on addressing the “important gap” between policies and the realities on the ground.

On the side, the delegates experienced Korean culture first-hand and visited important sites of Korea-ASEAN exchange and cooperation, including the ASEAN Culture House and Nurimaru APEC House in Busan.

The youth camp was capped by a Farewell Dinner, which was attended by Third Secretary & Vice Consul Jill De Dumo-Cornista, and featured the reading of the Youth’s Manifesto, and awarding of outstanding teams and certificates of participation. The next run of YCAFE is expected to begin in August 2024. END

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PHILIPPINE EMBASSY CONDUCTS BRIEFING FOR LOCAL EXECUTIVES AND LGU OFFICIALS PARTICIPATING IN THE 2023 COURSE ON LOCAL GOVERNANCE AND INNOVATION FOR LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

[TOP L-R] Ambassador Theresa Dizon-De Vega, Ms. Haiyoung Yun, Assistant Dean of External Relations of the Korea Development Institute School of Public Policy and Management, Hon. Edgardo A. Ramos, Mayor of Pila, Laguna, Mr. Alvin P. Principe, Director for Operations and Management Office – Center for Governance of the Development Academy of the Philippines. [BELOW L-R] Third Secretary and Vice Consul Reisha L. Olavario presenting on the overview of PH-ROK relations, and group photo with the DAP-AGILE foreign study mission participants.

03 December 2023, Seoul. The Philippine Embassy in Seoul welcomed the Philippine delegation comprised of local chief executives and officials from local government units (LGUs) on 28 November 2023 who are in the Republic of Korea to participate in the 2023 Course on Local Governance and Innovation for Local Economic Development organized by the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP), in cooperation with the Korea Development Institute School of Public Policy and Management. The course is part of the implementation of the Adaptive Governance and Innovation for Local Executives or AGILE program initiated by Senator Francis N. Tolentino which aims to enhance the skills of local chief executives towards implementation of key governmental functions.

Philippine Ambassador to the Republic of Korea H.E. Theresa Dizon-De Vega in her remarks said that the training program will help local executives benchmark best practices in pursuit of policies towards inclusive governance. She also conveyed that the Philippine Embassy stands ready to assist members of Philippine government in connecting LGUs to Korean stakeholders for partnerships and capacity building, especially in good governance and sustainable development.

Hon. Edgardo A. Ramos, Mayor of Pila, Laguna as the Deputy Mission Leader expressed appreciation to the Philippine Embassy for organizing the briefing session, a gesture he said that added depth and significance to the study mission.

Third Secretary and Vice Consul Reisha L. Olavario presented an overview of Philippines and Republic of Korea relations as well as the programs and activities of the Philippine Embassy in Seoul.

The Philippine Embassy in South Korea continues to support trainings and capacity-building of PH civil servants, cognizant of the value each local government leader brings in the transformative goal of the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028.END

PHILIPPINE EMBASSY AND THE FOUNDATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF STEAM DISCUSS EDUCATION COOPERATION

TOP: Amb. Theresa Dizon-De Vega (second from left) and Third Secretary and Vice Consul Reisha L. Olavario (leftmost) meet with Executive Director Iris Yang (center) and External Affairs Advisor Dongsan Shin (second from right) of the Foundation for the Advancement of STEAM at the Philippine Embassy.

03 December 2023, Seoul. Officials from the Foundation for the Advancement of STEAM (FAS) led by Executive Director Iris Yang and External Affairs Advisor Dongsan Shin called on Ambassador Theresa Dizon-De Vega on 27 November 2023.

Executive Director Yang expressed appreciation to Ambassador Dizon-De Vega for gracing the opening ceremony and delivering remarks at the International Mathematical Science Creativity Competition (IMSCC) held in October 2023 at the Gwacheon National Science Museum, Gyeonggi-do, ROK. She also shared that the foundation was very impressed with the performance of the students from the Philippines who participated in the IMSCC. These students showed huge potential in the field of Mathematics and Science and have innovative ideas. For the succeeding edition of the IMSCC, FAS sought the Embassy’s assistance in inviting more Filipino students and teachers to participate in the competition. They also aim to expand the IMSCC to other regions in the Philippines, which currently is only being held in San Fernando City, Pampanga. FAS likewise expressed willingness to share ideas in the building and design of a national science museum in the Philippines and to collaborate with relevant institutions in the Philippines pioneering STEAM education.

Ambassador Dizon-De Vega shared that education is one of the key priority areas of the Philippines under the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. The participation of Vice President and Secretary of Education Sara Z. Duterte in the Global Education Innovation Summit in the Republic of Korea is a highlight of PH-ROK education engagement. She also lauded the foundation for their initiative in integrating creative arts in STEAM. END