GOVPH

PH Embassy Joins Opening of ASEAN Culture House Exhibition “To a Faraway Friend: Beyond Afro-Southwest Asian Affinities”

06 July 2022, Seoul – Philippine Embassy Cultural Officer Anthony Cornista at the opening of the exhibition “To A Faraway Friend: Beyond Afro-Southeast Asian Affinities, co-organized by the Korea Foundation (KF) and the ASEAN Culture House (ACH), held from 02 to 03 July 2022, at the ACH in Busan City, Republic of Korea.

This is the third series of Afro-Southeast Asian Affinities exhibitions after Singapore and Manila. The event which was conceived as a long-term research exhibition highlighted the regional connection and exchanges between Africa and the Southeast Asia region, as well as their relation to the Republic of Korea. The exhibition was conceived to also offer opportunities to examine ASEAN’S regionalism and history re-interpreted from a geopolitical perspective along with the artworks and cultural context.

The contents and themes of the exhibition is the result of research by three (3) curators of the exhibition, namely; Mr. Carlos Quijon, Jr., (Philippines), Ms. Nayoung Jeong (Korea), and Mr. Jason Wee (Singapore).

Mr. Quijon’s Afro-Southeast Asian Affinities research covered the first large-scale Asian-African Conference, also known as the Bandung Conference which was a meeting of mostly newly independent Asian and African states held in April, 1955 in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia.

The visit of President Diosdado Macapagal to three African countries namely; Liberia, Monrovia, Tananarive in 1963 was cited along with the visit of US Attorney-General Robert F. Kennedy to Korea and through Southeast Asia in 1964.

The ASEAN Culture House in Busan has both permanent and special exhibits focusing on ASEAN, including Philippine content year-round and is open to the public. END

PHILIPPINE EMBASSY PARTICIPATES IN THE ASEAN MARKET 2022 AT THE ASEAN CULTURE HOUSE IN BUSAN, ROK

05 July 2022, Seoul – The Philippine Embassy in Seoul participated in the ASEAN Market 2022 from 02 to 03 July 2022 held at the ASEAN Culture House (ACH) in Busan, Republic of Korea.

Products that were displayed at the Philippine booth from the Philippine Trade and Investment Center in Seoul’s suppliers network included: Lakan (craft distilled coconut liquor) by Philippine Craft Distillers, Inc., Kape Danlayan by Pinagdanlayan Multi-purpose Cooperative, Mama Sita’s Spiced Tuba Vinegar, Fermented Coconut Nectar, Sinamak Spiced Vinegar and Achuette Annatto Power by Marigold Manufacturing Corporation, Miki’s Dried Taro, Turmeric and Purple Yam powder by Fenor Food Products, Florence Coconut Gel and Palm Nut (Kaong) by Pixcel Transglobal Foods Inc. and Pacific Isles’ Nata De Coco by Mardak Global Export Inc. Additional products provided by the Philippine Agriculture Office in Seoul included Paradise Mango Rum by Destileria Limtuaco & Co banana chips, pili nuts, turmeric powder, durian candy, fresh bananas, mangoes and pineapples.

During the opening of the fair, Mr. Jong-kook Rhee, Executive Vice President of the Korea Foundation and Mr. In-hyuck Lee, Director-General of the ASEAN Culture House visited the Philippine booth. Director-General Lee was pleased to witness the Philippines’ active participation in the ASEAN Market 2022. The ACH estimates about 20,000 people visited the trade fair.

Lakan and Paradise Mango Rum wine tasting was offered to interested visitors. Mama Sita’s vinegar, Miki’s dried taro and purple yam powder, Florence’s bottled Kaong and Pacific Isles’ nata de coco, ES trading’s durian products and Bahaghari’s banana chips were also a hit with visitors. The Philippine booth was situated beside the Philippine Jeepney on display at the ACH, where many visitors especially those with families enjoyed taking photos. Philippine tourism brochures were likewise distributed at the fair. END

PHILIPPINES AND REPUBLIC OF KOREA SIGN AGREEMENTS FOR AGRICULTURAL MECHANIZATION AND MODERNIZATION

7 July 2022, Seoul – The Philippine Embassy in Korea witnessed the signing ceremony of three new Memoranda of Agreements (MOAs) between the Department of Agriculture – Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (DA-PhilMech) and the Korea Agricultural Machinery Industry Cooperative (KAMICO) and three Korean firms Sungboo Co., Ltd., Bulls Company Ltd., and Leehwa Industry Company on 20 June 2022 at the KAMICO Center in Cheonan. The agreements are pursuant to the continuing PH-ROK technical cooperation in agricultural machinery development since 2016.

In her remarks, Philippine Ambassador to Korea Theresa Dizon-De Vega highly commended these initiatives and its contributions to the Philippine government’s initiatives towards the full mechanization and modernization of the Philippine agriculture sector. Ambassador Dizon-De Vega underscored that the MOAs draw on the strengths of the Republic of Korea in agricultural mechanization and modernization and the Philippines’ readiness and capacity for innovation and manufacturing of agricultural implements and machinery in bringing about full agricultural mechanization and modernization. The success of the agreement will truly be felt in the positive impact this will have on the work of farmers and farming enterprises particularly in the vital Philippine agricultural sectors such as mango, corn, and onion farming.

PhilMech Executive Director Dr. Dionisio Alvindia represented the Philippines while KAMICO Chairman Kim Shin Gil, CEO Young Yoon Jang of Sungboo Co. Ltd., CEO Young Jo Nam of Bulls Company Ltd., and CEO Sok Jin Lee of Leehwa Industry Company were also present in witnessing the signing of MOAs on onion production system, mango spraying, fruit bagging and harvesting and an amendment on the MOA on technical cooperation for development of village-level corn-milling machine.

The Philippine Agriculture Office in Seoul headed by Agriculture Attaché Ms. Maria Alilia G. Maghirang was in close coordination with KAMICO on this significant initiative for the agriculture sector. END