GOVPH

KINGS OF PINOY POP AND NCCA YOUTH AMBASSADORS SB19 VISIT SENTRO RIZAL AT THE PHILIPPINE EMBASSY IN SEOUL

28 August 2024, Seoul. The Philippine Embassy in Seoul was very pleased to welcome National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) Youth and Sentro Rizal Ambassadors SB19 to the Chancery on 28 August 2024. Considered trailblazers in bringing contemporary Asian pop music to the global stage, SB19 is an award-winning Philippine Pop boy group with a mission to promote the Filipino spirit, music, and culture worldwide.

SB19 members Pablo, Josh, Stell, Ken and Justin are also advocates of promoting Philippine arts and culture worldwide through Sentro Rizal. Sentro Rizal aims to promote Philippine arts, culture, and language throughout the world through the establishment of Philippine centers in various countries which initiate and organize cultural training programs and activities for overseas Filipinos. Sentro Rizal has thirty-eight (38) sites all over the world, including the Sentro Rizal Hall and Library located at the 2/F of the Philippine Embassy in Seoul which the group visited.

Ambassador Theresa Dizon-De Vega welcomed SB19 to the Sentro Rizal Library and expressed her appreciation for the band’s solid contribution to uplifting the Filipino identity through their music and stellar performance. Ambassador Dizon-De Vega also gave the band commemorative pins bearing the 75th anniversary logo of PH-ROK relations during their visit.

SB19 was in South Korea to receive the Voices of Asia Award, which honors their "groundbreaking contributions to Filipino music and their unwavering championing of P-pop on the global stage,” and which the group dedicated to the P-pop movement, Original Pilipino Music (OPM), and to every Filipino that shares their creativity and passion across Asia and the world. Filipina pop group Bini also received the same award.

The strong ties between the Philippines and the Republic of Korea are built through our people-to-people exchanges, particularly our shared affinity for music. In their role as Filipino music icons and cultural ambassadors, SB19 has been an active and solid partner of the Philippine Embassy in furthering PH-ROK cultural cooperation through numerous events, including headlining the 2024 Pistang Pinoy sa Korea Independence Day celebration in Busan last June and band member Josh Cullen’s solo stage at the ASEAN-Korea Music Festival Round in July 2024.

The Philippine Embassy in Seoul will continue to advocate and initiate activities that bring the Philippines and the Republic of Korea closer together through culture, music, and the arts. END

Liga ng Mga Barangay Bicol Regional Chapter Conducts Benchmarking Activity in the Republic of Korea

25 August 2024, Seoul. The Philippine Embassy in Seoul welcomed a 95-member delegation from the Liga ng Mga Barangay Bicol Regional Chapter consisting of barangay officials from the municipalities of Legazpi City, Pio Duran, and Daraga on their benchmarking activity in the Republic of Korea. The delegation was led by the Board Member Hisham B. Ismail, Regional LIGA President – Bicol Region.

On 21 August 2024, the delegation honored the sacrifices of the Philippine soldiers who served during the Korean War through a Wreath Laying Ceremony at the Roll of Honors at the War Memorial of Korea (WMOK). Mr. Ismail and senior members of the delegation were joined by Third Secretary and Vice Consul Reisha L. Olavario in a meeting with the Honorable Baek Seung-Joo, President of the War Memorial of Korea.

In their visit to the Embassy, the delegation was welcomed by Ambassador Theresa Dizon-De Vega and Minister and Consul General Romulo Victor Israel Jr. Ambassador Dizon-De Vega expressed her appreciation to the delegation for visiting the Embassy during a commemorative year of the 75^th Anniversary of PH-ROK diplomatic relations. She likewise conveyed that among the tasks of the Embassy is to facilitate more active and impactful subnational cooperation between the Philippines and Korea.

The delegation likewise received a briefing from Agriculture Attaché Lev Nikko Macalintal on Philippines-Korea agricultural relations with particular focus on the mandate of the Philippine Agriculture Office in Seoul (PAO-Seoul), agriculture data and PH-ROK agriculture projects. Agriculture Attaché Macalintal also discussed possible agriculture engagement with the ROK which may interest the Bicol region.

The Philippine Embassy will continue to provide assistance to PH local government entities in their efforts to obtain best practices from ROK local governments that may be implemented in their respective areas. END

PHL CALLS FOR ENHANCED WORKERS PROTECTION AT THE 2024 EPS CONFERENCE

21 August 2024, Seoul – Philippine Ambassador Ma. Theresa B. Dizon – De Vega joined the 2024 EPS Conference and Seminar organized by Korea’s Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) on 12 August 2024 in Lotte Hotel World, Seoul.

The conference was chaired by Minister Lee, Jung Sik of MOEL and co-chaired by President Lee Woo Young of the Human Resource Development Service Korea (HRDK). It was attended by the Ambassadors, Labor Attaches, and sending entities of the 17 EPS sending countries. During the meeting, the Labor Minister announced the direction and plans of the EPS towards a sustainable foreign workforce policy that will adequately support labor standards supervision across all types of foreign workers, and adaptable to the growing needs of the industry.  

In her statement, Ambassador de Vega said that the 20 years of cooperation on EPS is an important hallmark of the 75 years of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Korea, particularly on people-to-people ties. She commended the MOEL and HRDK for considering important reforms towards skills-based and longer-term employment of workers under the EPS. “As a pioneer sending country, we have seen how the EPS continually improved its processes and evolved in positive ways as it responded to the changing labor market needs and recommendations from its partner countries through regular dialogues”, the Ambassador said.

With continued expansion of the EPS in terms of number, new occupation and sectors, Ambassador de Vega proposed measures to further enhance the social protection and working condition of workers, particularly on repatriation, enforcement of leaves, and registration procedures for jobseekers. The MOEL responded positively to the views and recommendations of each of the participating Embassies.

As part of the program, Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac of the Department of Migrant Workers provided a recorded congratulatory message to the MOEL and HRDK on the occasion of the 20^th year of EPS. The story of Ms. Noname Pinggoy, former Filipino EPS worker, who was among the first batch of EPS workers who arrived in Korea 20 years ago, was also featured during the conference. On the other hand, Mr. Jayson Espana, former EPS worker and Ms. Josephine Infante of the DMW received citations for being a successful EPS returnee and best employee of the sending organization, respectively.

Labor Attache Ma. Celeste Valderrama of the Embassy’s Migrant Workers Office joined the Ambassador during the meeting.  END