GOVPH

PHILIPPINE EMBASSY ADMINISTERS OATH TO OFFICERS OF ILOCANOS IN SOUTH KOREA AND KABABAIHAN SA KOREA

21 May 2023, Seoul. Ambassador Theresa B. Dizon-De Vega administered the oath-taking of the officers of two Filipino community organizations, Ilocanos in South Korea (ISK) and the Kababaihan sa South Korea (KSK), on 21 May 2023 at the Sentro Rizal Hall of the Philippine Embassy.

Organized in 2018, ISK has been conducting various programs for their members and the Filipino community in South Korea, including sports festivals and community outreach. Led by its President Ms. Cherry Lyn Tolentino, ISK expressed their continued commitment to support Embassy activities geared towards the uplifting of the general welfare and profile of the Filipino community.

Also on the same date, the Ambassador presented the KSK with their Certificate of Registration as a new Filipino community organization. The organization, led by its first President Ms. Amabella A. Lee, aims to, among others, support women and assist them in developing their potential as “creative leaders, change-makers, and collaborators” in their respective communities or workplace.

Witnessing the recognition and oath-taking were Consul General Romulo Victor “Jun” Israel, Jr., Vice Consul Jill De Dumo-Cornista, and Cultural Officer Anthony Cornista.

The Philippine Embassy continues to accept new registration, renewal, or administration of oaths for the induction of newly elected officers of Filipino community organizations in South Korea. For more information, please visit http://www.philembassy-seoul.com/filipino_community.asp. END

PHILIPPINE EMBASSY AND FILIPINO COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION UNITED FIL-KOREAN FAMILIES (UFF) PARTICIPATES IN THE BUSAN GLOBAL GATHERING 2023

20 May 2023, Busan – The Philippine Embassy participated in the 18th Busan Global Gathering 2023 multicultural festival on 20 May 2023 in Busan, South Korea together with the United Fil-Korean Families (UFF), a Filipino Community organization based in Busan led by its President Maria Cherry Baek and Vice President Darreliza Ramos.

The UFF members came in full force donning traditional Filipino attire. Master Hongjae Baek and his partner, Ms. Nayeong Yeo, both children of multicultural families, won first place in the national costume competition. The designers of their winning Filipiniana attire are Mr. Vrian Jhet Federico, also from a multicultural family, and Ms. Linda Lee.

The “Flores de Mayo” themed UFF booth highlighted the rich and vibrant culture of the Philippines, showcased the Filipino talent and creativity and offered Filipino delicacies and tourism brochures to the multicultural crowd.

The Busan Global Gathering Festival 2023, with its theme “A Global City, Connecting the World” was participated in by Ambassador Dizon – De Vega and other members of the diplomatic corps based in Seoul who graced the VIP Reception and Opening Ceremony of the festival hosted by the Busan Foundation for International Cooperation (BFIC), and held at the Busan Cinema Center. The Embassy’s Cultural Officer Anthony Cornista likewise attended the activity.

Opening Remarks were delivered by the Secretary-General of the BFIC, Mr. Hwang Ki-sik, while Ms. Song Kyung-ju, of the Busan Metropolitan City delivered the Welcome Remarks. The Busan Metropolitan Council was represented by Mr. Choi Young-jin who delivered his congratulatory remarks.

The Korean Ministry of Justice – Busan Immigration Office, World Expo 2030 Busan, Women and Multicultural Family Support Center and Busan Foreign Residents Center Outreach Counseling and other government offices also offered their services to the visitors of the festival. On the part of the Filipino Community, second generation Filipino-Koreans and Filipino students based in Busan served as volunteers with the Youth Multicultural International Service Corps for the event. END

PHILIPPINE EMBASSY IN KOREA CELEBRATES 125th ANNIVERSARY OF PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENCE AND NATIONHOOD

12 June 2023, SEOUL - To commemorate the 125th anniversary of Philippine Independence and Nationhood, the Embassy led by Philippine Ambassador to the Republic of Korea Ma. Theresa Dizon-De Vega hosted a diplomatic reception on 8 June 2023 at the Grand Hyatt, Seoul. Some 200 members of the diplomatic corps, business sector, academe, and ROK government officials joined the Philippines in celebrating 125 years of independence.

In her remarks, Ambassador Dizon-De Vega paid tribute to the enduring partnership between the Philippines and the Republic of Korea, “From standing shoulder-to-shoulder during the Korean War to our constantly evolving and progressive engagement in the political, security, defense, economic, cultural, labor, tourism, and people-to-people areas – ours is both a historic and dynamic partnership.” 

“In the past twelve months since the last celebration of our National Day, Philippines-Korea relations have never been more robust,” the Ambassador added. She underscored that both nations continue close cooperation on various fronts, including established official dialogue mechanisms for renewed cooperation in the Maritime, Fisheries, and Science and Technology areas and reinvigorated exchanges from several Ministerial-level visits, Parliamentary Delegations, Local Government visits, cultural cooperation, and investment missions, as well as Minister-level and Leaders-level engagements between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and President Yoon Seok-Yul and Foreign Minister Enrique Manalo and Foreign Minister Park Jin.

Ambassador Dizon-De Vega also renewed the Philippines’ commitment as a long-standing friend and partner of the Republic of Korea especially in promoting inclusivity, “The Philippines renews its commitment to work closely with our Korean partners and friends as well as other countries in promoting greater inclusiveness and multiculturalism as we embrace both the things that make us unique and those which unite us.”

The reception was made special by the attendance of Guest of Honor Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Political Affairs Choi Youngsam. Deputy Minister Choi extended his congratulations in behalf of the people and the government of the Republic of Korea. He lauded Ambassador Dizon-De Vega for her “outstanding work in bringing the people of our two nations closer together,” noting that he has himself read the news articles on the Embassy’s gastrodiplomacy initiatives.

Deputy Minister Choi also highlighted that Philippine and ROK relations are enjoying a high momentum brought by the high-level exchanges at almost all levels, with Koreans as the top tourist arrivals in the Philippines and the record high bilateral trade volume of 18 billion USD in 2022.

Other notable guests included Ministry of Foreign Affairs Deputy Minister for Public Diplomacy Lee Sanghwa, Ms. Jasmine Lee, former National Assembly member and now a member of the Presidential Committee on National Cohesion, and Dean of the Diplomatic Corps Ambassador Carlos Victor Boungou also the non-resident Ambassador of the Republic of Gabon to the Philippines who joined Ambassador Dizon-De Vega and Deputy Minister Choi on stage for the commemorative cake cutting ceremony.

To celebrate ROK’s top spot as the number one source of tourist arrivals for the Philippines in 2022, the Philippine Embassy through the Philippine Department of Tourism in Korea and travel partners Philippine Airlines, JPark Water Resort, and The Crimson Mactan raffled off roundtrip tickets with hotel stays from Incheon to Cebu to two lucky winners, both coming from the diplomatic corps.

The event was capped by a well-received performance by Ms. Mishka Antoinette R. Camulte who sang beautiful renditions of Filipino and Korean favorites, Umagang Kay Ganda and Areum Dau Nara. Both songs symbolize shared Philippine and Korean values of hope, resilience, and nation building. END