GOVPH

PHILIPPINE EMBASSY WELCOMES PEFTOK DESCENDANTS AND KOREAN WAR VETERANS TO SEOUL

Amb. & Mrs. Noe A. Wong (center) and Embassy officials with the descendants of Filipino veterans of the Korea War

Seoul, 18 July 2019. The celebration of the 70^th Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between the Philippines and Korea also highlights the important role played by the Philippine Expeditionary Forces to Korea (PEFTOK) during the Korean War. To date, the friendship forged between the Philippine veterans and the Koreans remains strong and continues to flourish.

On 25 June 2019, Ambassador Noe A. Wong hosted a dinner for twelve (12) descendants of Korean War veterans from the Philippines who were invited to Seoul by the Korea Freedom Federation Philippines (KFFP), a Korean nonprofit organization. The KFFP initiated a program in which descendants of Filipino Korean War veterans are invited to visit Seoul and its historical and cultural sites. This KFFP program serves as an expression of appreciation for the sacrifices of the Filipino veterans of the Korean War. Twelve descendants of Korean War veterans from the Philippines, ranging from the ages of 18 to 27, participated in the KFFP program. In his welcome remarks, Ambassador Wong expressed his appreciation to KFFP for its initiative to sustain the friendly relations between the Philippines and ROK. In reply, Mr. Lee Kyung Soo, President of KFFP stated his desire to continue honoring the services and memories of the PEFTOK veterans through their descendants.

The Embassy also received a delegation composed of PEFTOK veterans and their families headed by Department of National Defense (DND) Undersecretary Ernesto G. Carolina on 1 July 2019. The visit of the PEFTOK veterans and their families was organized by a Korean nonprofit organization, Korea and Her Neighbors (KHN), in celebration of the 70^th Anniversary of Philippines-Korea Diplomatic Relations. The KHN initiative hopes to create awareness among the young Korean generation about the Filipino veterans’ role in Korean modern history. In his welcome remarks, Ambassador Noe A. Wong spoke about meeting Koreans who often talked about the help they received from Filipino soldiers during the Korean War and how grateful they are to them. Undersecretary Carolina then delivered his brief remarks on behalf of the veterans and presented Ambassador Wong with the book Filipinos In The Korean War by Cesar P. Pobre.

The Korean War began on 25 June 1950.The Philippines was the first Asian country to respond to the call by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), then headed by General Carlos P. Romulo, to send combat troops in the defense of South Korea from the invasion of the North. PEFTOK was composed of 7,420 soldiers and their bravery and combat proficiency stood out especially during the Battle of Yuldong and the Battle of Eerie Hill. PEFTOK casualties included 116 Killed in Action, 299 Wounded in Action, 57 Missing in Action and 41 Repatriated Prisoners of War. END

Amb. Noe A. Wong and DND Undersecretary Ernesto G. Carolina (center) pose with the PEFTOK Veterans and their families (in blue vests).

PHILIPPINE EMBASSY IN SEOUL HOLDS PIONEERING LABOR SEMINAR FOR NEW FILIPINO EPS WORKERS

The 45 participants to the Labor Seminar for Newly Arrived EPS Workers pose with Consul General Christian de Jesus, Embassy officers, and resource persons during the closing ceremony.

Seoul, 14 July 2019 – The Philippine Embassy conducted the first Labor Seminar for Newly Arrived Filipino EPS workers on 14 July 2019 at the Sentro Rizal of the Philippine Embassy - Seoul.

The seminar is a pioneering post-arrival program launched by the Embassy, through the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Seoul (POLO-OWWA) for all Filipino EPS workers with less than one (1) year stay in Korea to provide them with guidance on successfully working and living in Korea.

The seminar discussed the basic employment terms of EPS workers such as wages, hours of work, grounds for work transfer and re-entry, healthcare and medical benefits, and insurance in case of death, sickness, injury and departure. It also covered the various programs and services of the Embassy and POLO-OWWA, including the contingency and security plans for Filipinos in Korea. The participants went through a financial goal setting exercise, and received practical tips for establishing positive relationships with employers, co-workers and their communities.

In his closing message, Consul General Christian de Jesus enjoined the participants to be ambassadors of goodwill and continue to demonstrate the traits that the global Filipinos are known for: highly skilled, hardworking, dependable, and diligent. As newcomers in Korea, he encouraged them to be actively engaged in FilCom and Embassy activities, and get in touch with the Embassy on their various concerns.  

One of the highlights of the seminar was the inspiring story shared by Mr. Jhumar Tablatin, an EPS worker since 2014 and current Chairman of Sulyapinoy, who underscored the importance of initiative, continuous learning, work life balance, and engagement in FilCom work as key to a rewarding work and life of EPS worker. “Learn to save, learn to invest while you can, and focus on achieving your goal, because we never know what is ahead of us”, he said.  

Aside from Mr. Tablatin, other guest speakers include Elena dela Cruz of the Seoul Global Center, Hee Jim Kee of National Health Insurance Service, Merlyn Lucenta of Samsung Fire Insurance, and JayR Manalo of FEWA. From the Embassy, Labor Attache Maya Valderrama, Welfare Officer Pops Deuna, Asst. Labor Attache Terelou Pimentel, Defense Attache Armil Angeles, and Second Secretary Mildred Abordo also acted as resource persons during the seminar.

The Embassy will continue to offer the seminar as a regular program for newly arrived Filipino EPS Workers. Interested persons may contact POLO OWWA at (822)37853634/ 5 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for details. END

Consul General Christian de Jesus congratulates the participants during his closing Message.

Labor Attache Maya Valderrama moderates the question and answer portion of the seminar.

PHILIPPINE EMBASSY IN SEOUL HOLDS GRADUATION CEREMONY FOR PARTICIPANTS OF REINTEGRATION TRAINING PROGRAM

Ambassador Noe A. Wong with PE Seoul officials and staff pose with the trainers and graduates of the Reintegration Training Program during the graduation ceremony on 30 June 2019 at Sentro Rizal, Philippine Embassy-Seoul.

Seoul, 30 June 2019 – Ambassador Noe A. Wong led in the conferment of Certificates to ninety-five (95) OFW-participants who completed the various livelihood seminars conducted by POLO OWWA for the 1^st semester of 2019 during the Graduation Ceremony of the Reintegration Training Program held on 30 June 2019 at the Sentro Rizal, Philippine Embassy – Seoul.

In his message, Ambassador Wong lauded the extraordinary talent and competence of Filipinos overseas and encouraged them to value and love their work. He stated that Filipinos in Korea are very fortunate to have employment opportunities with good remuneration package and social protection under Korea’s Employment Permit System (EPS). He enjoined the graduates to continue to participate in the National Reintegration Programs, which is the primary program of the Philippine government for OFWs, internalize what they learn, and cascade these skills even to the members of their families to maximize the benefits of overseas employment and ensure their successful return and reintegration.

The Ambassador also announced the forthcoming activities that the Embassy has lined up to commemorate the 70^th year of Bilateral Relations of the Philippines and Korea this year. The said activities include the Diplomatic Reception, PHL-ROK Bayanihan Parade, Commemoration of the Landing of the Philippine Expeditionary Forces to Korea and others.

On behalf of the participants, Mrs. Geraldine Mortel expressed appreciation for the training programs conducted by the Embassy through POLO OWWA, to their teachers, and the highly interactive format of the training that enabled them to immediately apply their learnings. Barely two (2) weeks after attending the Longganisa and Tofu Making Training, Ms Mortel said that she was already able to develop and sell her longganisa products, and has been receiving steady orders ever since.

Assisting Ambassador Wong during the Graduation Ceremony were Labor Attache Ma. Celeste Valderrama, Welfare Officer Pops Deuna, Asst. Labor Attache Terelou Pimentel, Second Secretary Mildred Abordo, and OWWA Interpreter Joey Fiedacan.

For the first semester of 2019, POLO OWWA conducted the following training: Traditional Korea Wine Making, Basic Photography Class, Basic Sewing and Dressmaking Class, Basic Massage Therapy Training, and Longganisa and Tofu Making Training. OFWs in Korea are invited to participate in forthcoming training for the 2^nd half of 2019, which includes Advanced Sewing Class, Financial Education, Agri-Entrepreneurship Training, Table Setting, and Flower Arrangement Seminars, and others. Interested persons may call (822)37853634/5. END

Ambassador Noe A. Wong delivers his inspirational message to the graduates of the Reintegration Training Program.