GOVPH

2019 ASEAN WEEK IN SEOUL

Ambassador & Mrs. Noe A. Wong (center) at the PDOT-Seoul ASEAN Culture and Tourism Booth

Seoul, 19 June 2019 – The ASEAN-Korea Centre (AKC) and Seoul Metropolitan Government organized the 2019 ASEAN Week to celebrate the 30^th Anniversary of ASEAN-Korea Dialogue Relations and the 10^th Anniversary of the ASEAN-Korea Centre. The 2019 ASEAN Week, which was staged at the Seoul Plaza on 14-16 June 2019, was made up of three (3) special events with the aim of raising public awareness on ASEAN culture and tourism, namely: ASEAN-Korea Music Festival, ASEAN-Korea Fashion Festival and ASEAN Travel Talk and Picnic with ASEAN.

Ambassador Noe A. Wong and Mrs. Maria Elena Wong, together with the ASEAN Ambassadors and their spouses, attended the Opening Ceremony of the 2019 ASEAN Week where H.E. Lee Hyuk, Secretary General of the AKC, Hon. Park Won-soon, Mayor of Seoul, and Ambassador Singtong Lapisatepun of Thailand delivered welcome and congratulatory remarks.

The ASEAN-Korea Music Festival on 14 June 2019 featured ASEAN cultural performances and K-Pop idols. The Philippines was represented by the Kalumon Performing Ensemble from Davao City whose performance of indigenous and contemporary music and dances generated excitement and contributed to the festive spirit.

The ASEAN-Korea Fashion Festival on 15 June 2019 showcased both the traditional and contemporary fashion of ASEAN which were presented on the runway by Dr. Nana Keum, Honorary Ambassador of the ASEAN-Korea Centre, and the spouses of the ASEAN Ambassadors together with models from ASEAN countries. Apart from the ASEAN fashion designers, Korea’s acclaimed Hanbok designer Ms. Park Sul-nyeo also presented her Hanbok creations at the event. For the Philippines, Filip+Inna designer Lenora Luisa Cabili presented a collection of modern interpretation of the terno which showcased ancient techniques of weaving, embroidery and beadwork from different indigenous groups in the Philippines. Madame Maria Elena Wong, spouse of Philippine Ambassador to South Korea Noe A. Wong, and Diwa ng Davao 2018 Ms. Cindy Pauline Benedicto presented the terno on the runway together with Korean models.

The ASEAN Travel Talk and Picnic with ASEAN event on the last day featured a travel talk show with Korean singer Gwanghee Hwang. In addition, ASEAN lifestyle and design exhibitions were also showcased and booths related to culture and tourism were organized by the ASEAN Embassies. The Philippine Department of Tourism (PDOT)-Seoul led by Tourism Attaché Ms. Maria Corazon Jorda-Apo joined the ASEAN Culture and Tourism Booths at the event zone and raffled off two (2) Incheon-Clark-Incheon tickets courtesy of Philippine Airlines.

The ASEAN-Korea Centre (AKC) is an intergovernmental organization dedicated to promoting economic and socio-cultural cooperation between ASEAN and Korea. END

Ambassador Noe A. Wong (extreme left) and ASEAN Ambassadors with AKC Secretary Genera Lee Hyuk (4th from left) and Seoul City Mayor Park Won-soon (in Hanbok) during the

2019 ASEAN Week Opening Ceremony at Seoul Park

PH AGRI-PRODUCTS A HIT WITH FOOD BUYERS AT SEOUL FOOD 2019

His Excellency Ambassador Noe A. Wong poses with the Philippine Department of Agriculture Agribusiness delegation led by Undersecretary Francisco M. Villano Jr., together with Agriculture Attaché Maria Alilia G. Maghirang during the official opening of the Seoul Food International Food Exhibition 2019.

23 June 2019, Seoul – In celebration of the 70^th anniversary of PH-ROK bilateral relations, the PH Embassy, through the Philippine Agriculture Office in Seoul (PAO), and the Department of Agriculture’s Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service (AMAS), steered the PH’s successful participation in Seoul Food 2019: International Food Industry Exhibition with its biggest delegation yet.

Seoul Food 2019 was formally opened by the President and CEO of the Korea Trade Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), Mr. Kwon Pyung-oh, on 21 May 2019. PH Ambassador to South Korea Noe A. Wong also graced the formal opening and led the inauguration of the Philippine pavilion.

This year’s Seoul Food saw the participation of 1,532 food and food companies from 40 countries, including 18 exporters from the PH. These Filipino food companies showcased a variety of the country’s exportable agri-food commodities to the highly competitive market in Korea. These companies include: 1. Avante Agri-Products Phils., Inc., exporter of fresh banana, pineapple, papaya, mangoes, etc.; 2. Kape Isla Coffee Corporation, exporter of specialty arabica and robusta green coffee beans, etc.; 3. Fisherfarms, Inc., exporter of frozen milkfish, frozen shrimp, etc.; 4. Martsons Food Corporation, exporter of dried mangoes and dried pineapples; 5. Wellnesscare Int'l. Corp., exporter of organic coconut products, coconut oil, and coco sugar; 6. Phil-Union Frozen Food, Inc., exporter of crab meat, tuna, shrimp, squid, and octopus; 7. Eng Seng Food Products, exporter of durian, banana chips, etc.; 8. Mardak Global Export Inc., exporter of fruits preserves, frozen fruits, vegetables, and sauces; 9. C.O.P Pili Sweets and Pastries, exporter of pili nut-filled pastries and Y-nut roasted pil inut; 10. Sunburst Balay Tablea, exporter of tablea and fine chocolates; 11. Leonie Agri Corp., exporter of food supplement, chips, sundried tomatoes, and chili in oil; 12. Prime Fruits International. Inc., exporter of banana chips; 13. Pasciolco Agriventures, exporter of organic coco syrup and coco sugar; 14. The Superfood Grocer, exporter of raw cacao nibs, coco sugar, and non-dairy ice cream; 15. Bahaghari Global Food, Inc., exporter of banana chips, calamansi concentrate, and coco vinegar; 16. B G Fruits and Nuts Mfg. Corp, exporter of banana chips and coconut flour; 17. Amley Food Corporation, exporter of dried mango and mango juice; and 18. Destileria Limtuaco & Co. Inc, exporter pf fruit flavored liquer, wine, whisky, and cocktails. In addition to the above agri-food commodities, the Philippine pavilion also introduced okra to the Korean public.

The Philippines’ participation in the Seoul Food Expo was a resounding success as the Philippine agri-products showcased during the event attracted the keen interest of the public and potential buyers. END

2019 PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION

Philippine Embassy Seoul Flag Raising Ceremony

Seoul, 16 June 2019 – The Philippine Embassy in Seoul celebrated the 121^st Anniversary of the Proclamation of Philippine Independence on 12 June 2019 with a flag-raising ceremony at the Embassy grounds, followed by a traditional Filipino breakfast and a Freedom Hike at Namsan Trail.

The flag-raising ceremony, led by Ambassador & Mrs. Noe Wong, was attended by the officers and staff of the Philippine Embassy. Eighteen (18) Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) student officers and cadets who are currently attending the Joint Forces Military University, Korean Defense Language Institute, ROK Military Academy and ROK Airforce Academy also joined the celebration. Ambassador Noe A. Wong delivered the Independence Day Message of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte while Consul General Christian L. De Jesus read the message of Secretary of Foreign Affairs Teodoro L. Locsin Jr. The United Nations Command (UNC) Filipino Honor Guards raised the Philippine flag during the ceremony.

Following the traditional Filipino breakfast held at the Sentro Rizal Seoul, the Philippine Embassy officers and staff, the AFP Student Officers and Cadets and the UNC Honor Guards joined the Freedom Hike at the Namsan Trail which was organized by the Embassy’s Office of the Defense and Armed Forces Attaché (ODAFA).END

Freedom Hike participated in by Embassy personnel, AFP Student Officers and Cadetsand UNC Honor Guards