The Official Website of the Philippine Embassy in Seoul, Korea

SIGNING OF RENEGOTIATED PHIL-ROK SOCIAL SECURITY AGREEMENT

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The Embassy wishes to share with the public the Press Release of the Social Security System (SSS) regarding the signing of the renegotiated Philippines – Republic of Korea Social Security Agreement (SSA) on the sidelines of the ROK-ASEAN Commemorative Summit in Busan on 25 November 2019.

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and Republic of Korea President Moon Jae-in witnessed the signing by Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin, Jr. and Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha of the renegotiated SSA, which addressed the concerns of the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in Korea wherein the social security coverage will remain under Korea’s National Pension Service (NPS) and there will be no transfer of contribution from the NPS to the SSS.

The renegotiated agreement also provides an option for OFWs to refund their NPS contribution at the end of the sojourn in Korea, under the same conditions given to Korean nationals.

To get maximum benefits from social security, SSS also encourages OFWs who will opt for lump-sum refund to continue being active SSS members on voluntary basis to ensure their eligibility for SSS pension benefits in the future.

Members of the Filipino community in Korea are encouraged to participate in an SSS Forum to be held in cooperation with the Embassy to get to know more about the SSA and the programs and services for OFWs under the new SS Law. The Embassy will issue an Advisory once the schedule of the SSS Forum has been determined. END

EMBASSY WELCOMES VISITING CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS FROM THE PHILIPPINES

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(Clockwise) FEU Dance Co., Voices of the South Children's Choir (VSCC), Kasing Sining Teatro Bol-anon Ensemble, and the Filipino Youth Choir poses with Embassy officials.

Seoul, 31 October 2019. In the middle of festive events in celebration of 70 years of Philippines-Korea diplomatic relations, the Philippine Embassy opened its doors to outstanding cultural groups from the Philippines who performed recently in South Korea.

First was the Far Eastern University (FEU) Dance Company that participated in the 2019 Andong Mask Festival and World Mask Play Competition. The dance company, led by its Artistic Director Mr. Eduardo Malagkit, performed the dances of Moriones, Babaylan and Pintados Festivals at the Andong Mask Festival and was awarded 3^rd place in the competition.

Second was the Voices of the South Children’s Choir (VSCC), a 40-member community-based choir from Davao City, which won second place in the Youth and Ethnic Performance Categories of the 2019 Busan International Choral Competition. Mr. Peter Ian Buaya, Conductor of the Voices of the South Children’s Choir, and twelve (12) VSCC choir members called on Ambassador Noe A. Wong and gave a short performance at the Embassy on 22 October 2019.

Third, Kasing Sining Teatro Bol-anon Ensemble paid a courtesy call on Ambassador Wong on 23 October 2019 and performed an excerpt from Dagon sa Hoyohoy (Talisman of the Breeze), a musical on the life of Francisco Dagohoy, a Boholano who led the longest Philippine revolt against the Spanish colonial government. The 25-member Kasing Sining was led by its Artistic Director Mr. Lutgardo Labad, eminent theater director and film composer.

Kasing Sining Teatro Bol-anon Ensemble participated in the Gyeryongsan Mountain International Festival and also performed at the Seoul Institute of Arts and M Onnuri Center, both in Ansan City. The performance of Kasing Sining in Korea is the contribution of the Province of Bohol to the celebrations of the 70^th Anniversary of Philippines-Korea Diplomatic Relations.

Lastly, the Filipino Youth Choir from Cebu City led by Maestro Dennis Gregory Sugarol visited and performed at the Embassy on 30 October 2019. The Filipino Youth Choir is the counterpart of the Korea Youth Choir, and together they are known as the “United Youth Choir.” The United Youth Choir was specially formed by the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) to perform during the celebratory events in Cebu City and in Seoul for the 70^th Anniversary of the Philippines-Korea Diplomatic Relations and the ASEAN-Korea Commemorative Summit. The United Youth Choir enchanted a highly appreciative audience at the Sejong Arts Center in Seoul on 29 October 2019. END

PH POULTRY FACILITIES SUCCESSFULLY SECURED ACCREDITATION TO EXPORT CHICKEN TO ROK

PH-ROK TIES HIGHLIGHTED AT THE 2019 ITAEWON GLOBAL VILLAGE FESTIVAL

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PH Ambassador to South Korea Noe A. Wong, together with Madame Maria Elena Wong, lead the Philippine-ROK Bayanihan Parade at the Itaewon Global Village Festival on 12 October 2019.

14 October 2019, Seoul – The Philippine Embassy, headed by PH Ambassador to ROK Noe A. Wong, successfully led the Philippine participation at the 2019 Itaewon Global Village Festival, Seoul’s representative global culture festival.

The Philippines’ participation this year is one of the commemorative activities of the Embassy to celebrate the 70^th Anniversary of the Establishment of PH-ROK Diplomatic Relations. This was highlighted by Yongsan-gu Mayor Sung Jang-hyun in his remarks. “From the Philippines, with whom Korea marks 70 years of diplomatic relations, we thank Philippine Ambassador Noe A. Wong, for allowing the traditional performance group and parade team to liven up the festival parade,” Mayor Sung said.

For his part, Ambassador Wong also underscored the deep friendship between the two countries, mentioning that “2019 is an important year for us as we celebrate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of Philippines-South Korea bilateral relations. This friendship between our two countries is defined by our shared history during the Korean War and is, in modern times, underpinned by our strong cooperation in all fields.”

The PH-ROK Parade at the Itaewon Global Village Festival showcased the local Higantes Festival of Angono, Rizal as well as local Filipino traditional dances such as tinikling and bulaklakan. Close to 400 Filipino and Korean nationals from various sectors in the local community participated in the PH-ROK Bayanihan Parade. The PH contingent was the largest among the 14 countries that participated in the Global Parade.

Apart from participating in the Global Parade, the Philippines, together with 36 other countries, operated cultural booths at the Festival. At the Philippine booth, people were invited to try on traditional Philippine attire and take a picture with one of the many tourist destinations in the country as their backdrop. Souvenir products, such as mini higantes figurines and shirts from Angono were also on sale at the booth.

Completing the PH participation in this year’s festival is the Philippine performance at the World Culture Contest. The Philippines, represented by the Korea-Filipino Community in Daegu, bested 11 other countries and bagged the gold prize with their performance of singkil, a folk dance of the Maranao people based on the epic legend Darangen.

Through this special event, the Philippines successfully highlighted the significance of 70 years of the bilateral relationship between the Philippines and Korea and further enhance mutual understanding between its peoples.

The Itaewon Global Village Festival, held every fall, brings together a fun mix of Korean traditions and foreign cultures and stands out as one of the most internationally diverse celebrations of Seoul. It is indeed a fantastic multicultural event where people learn about and experience different cultures. END

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Philippine Ambassador to South Korea Noe A. Wong, together with Madame Maria Elena Wong, pose with the members of the Korea-Filipino Community in Daegu after their winning performance at the World Culture Performance of the Itaewon Global Village Festival.