The Official Website of the Philippine Embassy in Seoul, Korea

PH EMBASSY HOSTS THE TOWNHALL MEETING WITH DMW

PR MTD 154 2024

06 December 2024, Seoul - The Philippine Embassy in Seoul, together with the Migrant Workers Office (MWO) – OWWA hosted the Townhall Meeting with the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) on 29 November 2024, Sunday at the Sentro Rizal Hall of the Embassy.

The meeting was attended by over 120 Filipino community leaders representing forty-five (45) organizations, migrant institutional partners and Employment Permit System (EPS) workers from all over Korea.

Ambassador Theresa Dizon – De Vega welcomed the DMW delegation headed by Undersecretary Felicitas Q. Bay. She highlighted the importance of the official visit in further strengthening the people to people ties between the Philippines and Korea, and pursuing efforts in promoting the welfare and interest of over 36,000 overseas Filipino workers in the country. The Ambassador recalled that Undersecretary Bay was instrumental in introducing innovative measures on EPS while she was assigned as Labor Attache in South Korea from 2010 to 2016, and noted that her official mission to ROK is doubly significant to the community as it is also her first overseas visit after her appointment as DMW Undersecretary.

Undersecretary Bay conveyed appreciation to the Ambassador for her strong support to the program and services of the DMW under the one-country-approach, and commended the continuing support and cooperation of the Filipino community organizations and their leaders in implementing these programs. She explained the new mandate and strengthened measures to promote the welfare and protect the rights of OFWs under RA 11641. She shared with the community leaders that her official mission includes senior-level discussions with concerned government agencies in Korea regarding the implementation status of the Pilot Project on the Caregivers and improvements on the Seasonal Workers Program.

The Undersecretary informed the community about the AKSYON Fund which distressed OFWs or their next-of-kin may avail of in cases of emergency or contingency for legal, medical, repatriation or financial aid, and assured them of appropriate assistance from the DMW through its overseas operating arm, the MWO, subject to existing guideline.

Director Rosemarie Duquez of the Pre-Employment and Government Placement Bureau discussed the directions and new program initiatives for Filipino EPS workers, while Director Geraldine Mendez of the Migrant Workers Protection Bureau presented the anti-illegal recruitment efforts and accomplishments of the DMW. The engaging open forum which followed after the presentations provided an important opportunity for the OFWs in Korea to clarify concerns, convey appreciation and offer recommendations regarding the EPS, welfare and reintegration services.

Also present during the Townhall Meeting were Deputy Chief of Mission and Consul General Romulo Victor Israel Jr., Vice Consul Jilliane Joyce D. Cornista, Labor Attache Ma. Celeste Valderrama, and Welfare Officer Cornelia DG Chanco. -END-

AMBASSADOR DIZON-DE VEGA DELIVERS LECTURE ON PHILIPPINES-REPUBLIC OF KOREA STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP TO SOGANG UNIVERSITY GRADUATE SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL STUDIES (GSIS) STUDENTS

[Above photo] Ambassador Theresa Dizon-De Vega discusses PH-ROK Strategic Partnership with Sogang University GSIS students on 13 November 2024. [Below photo left] Faculty members of the Sogang University GSIS led by Dean Jaechun Kim welcomed Ambassador Dizon-De Vega at the GSIS Department. [Below photo right] Filipino students of Sogang University pose for a photo with Ambassador Dizon-De Vega.

08 December 2024, Seoul. Ambassador Theresa Dizon-De Vega was a guest lecturer at the Global Special Lecture Series of the Graduate School of International Studies (GSIS) of Sogang University on 13 November 2024.

Highlighting the long-standing relationship between the Philippines and the Republic of Korea, Ambassador Dizon-De Vega presented a brief overview of our bilateral relations, the milestone commemoration of the 75^th Anniversary of PH-ROK diplomatic ties, and the elevation of our relations to that of a Strategic Partnership. The Ambassador likewise discussed key provisions of the Joint Declaration on the Strategic Partnership between PH-ROK, announced on 7 October 2024 in the Philippines.

The Ambassador presented the accomplishments and a future-oriented outlook for strengthened cooperation in the political, defense and security, trade and investments, people-to-people exchanges, and socio-cultural spheres between the Philippines and the Republic of Korea.

Ambassador Dizon-De Vega also shared the recent developments in the PH-ROK Free Trade Agreement and the benefits both countries will be able to fully reap once the agreement takes effect by the end of 2024 as well as on the PH-ROK Maritime Cooperation Dialogue, where issues of maritime concerns are discussed extensively. The PH-ROK MCD is the Republic of Korea’s first maritime cooperation dialogue with an ASEAN country.

Sogang University is a prestigious Jesuit university in South Korea. The university’s GSIS program is composed of international students from various countries, including the Philippines. Sogang University also has an education cooperation agreement with the Philippines’ Ateneo de Manila University.

The Philippine Embassy is proud to note that Filipino students in Sogang University are commended by their professors for excelling in their respective fields of studies with most of them having a good command of the Korean language. END

PHL EMBASSY DISCUSSES SUPPORT FOR FILIPINO STUDENTS IN KOREA WITH NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION

PR MTD 152 2024 NIIED

Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do. The Philippine Embassy in Seoul held a meeting with the National Institute for International Education (NIIED) on 2 December 2024 to discuss possible collaboration, developments in the South Korea education system, and concerns of Filipino students.

Discussions between Ambassador Maria Theresa B. Dizon-De Vega and NIIED President Han Sangshin were likewise joined by Deputy Chief of Mission and Consul General Romulo Victor M. Israel, Jr.; Third Secretary and Vice Consul Jilliane Joyce R. De Dumo-Cornista; Director Kim Youl; and Team Directors Kim Na Yun and Yu Mi Young.

The NIIED is an administrative agency under the Ministry of Education, which focuses on the internationalization of Korean education. Its responsibilities include attracting and supporting international students, managing the Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) program, administering the Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK), fostering international education exchange, supporting overseas Koreans, and enhancing foreign language education.

As of June 2024, there are 649 Filipino students in the ROK holding D-2 visas and 60 with D-10 job-seeker visas. The NIIED has a track record of supporting Filipino students in South Korea, including activities of the Filipino community organization Pinoy Iskolars sa Korea (PIKO)’s Academic Colloquium and the Philippine Embassy’s First Migration Webinar in 2023.

Both the Philippine Embassy and the NIIED committed to working together to address the Filipino students’ concerns and advance mutually beneficial initiatives, aligned with the Joint Declaration on the Strategic Partnership between the Republic of the Philippines and the Republic of Korea. END

MOU SIGNED BY THE PHILIPPINE NATIONAL BOBSLED LUGE AND SKELETON ASSOCIATION, INC. WITH KOREA

(PHOTOS – Top: Ambassador Ma. Theresa B. Dizon – De Vega is flanked on her immediate right by Consul (a.h.)Thelmo O. Cunanan, Jr., President & CEO of the Philippine National Bobsled Luge and Skeleton Association, Inc. and Deputy Mayor Seonghyun Hwang of Pyeongchang County. On her immediate left is President Chanmin Chyun of the Korea Bobsleigh Skeleton Federation and Secretary General Seoungku Kang of the 2018 Pyeongchang & 2024 Gangwon Legacy Foundation. Below: Ambassador Dizon – De Vega delivers a message congratulating the PNBLSA, KBSF, PGLF and Pyeongchang County on the historic signing of the MOU.)

5 December 2024, Seoul – A Memorandum of Understanding and Declaration of Friendship was recently signed between the Philippine National Bobsled Luge and Skeleton Association, (PNBSLA) Inc., the Korea Bobsleigh Skeleton Federation (KBSF), the 2018 Pyeongchang & 2024 Gangwon Legacy Foundation (PGLF) and Pyeongchang County at the Philippine Embassy in Seoul, South Korea. Signatories to the MOU are President Thelmo O. Cunanan, Jr. of the PNBSLA, President Chanmin Chyun of KBSF, Secretary General Seoungku Kang of PGLF and Deputy Mayor Seonghyun Hwang of Pyeongchang County.

Philippine Ambassador Theresa Dizon – De Vega witnessed the historic signing of the MOU between the Philippines and the Korean winter sports federations at the Sentro Rizal Conference Room of the Philippine Embassy in Seoul. The MOU binds the contracting parties to work together to further the aims of each party in the spirit of friendship and the development of the sports of bobsled and skeleton.

(PHOTOS: Top: In celebration of the 75^th anniversary of PH-KOR diplomatic relations, Ambassador Dizon – De Vega witnesses the historic signing of the MOU. Below: PNBLSA President Cunanan exchanging pleasantries with KBSF President Chanmin Chyun.)

The PNBLSA was founded and incorporated in 2017 by its President and CEO Thelmo O. Cunanan, Jr. it is the first sledding organization in ASEAN and the first ASEAN member of the International Bobsleigh Skeleton Federation (IBSF) based in Switzerland, which is also the Olympic governing body of both sports.

With the agreement, the Philippine National Bobsled contingent composed of seven (7) members from the Philippine Coast Guard arrived in Pyeongchang this November 2024 and have begun training under the tutelage of the Korea Bobsleigh Skeleton Federation (KBSF) and with the support of the Pyeongchang 2018 Legacy Foundation. The athletes are currently honing their skills and building up their physical conditioning in preparation for competition in the Korea Cup scheduled in February 2025.

Pyeongchang County is located in Gangwon province which is approximately 125 kilometers from Seoul. It is the winter sports capital of Korea and hosted the Pyeongchang Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2018 and is also the site of the Olympic Sliding Center for the sports of bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton. The Pyeongchang 2018 Legacy Foundation extends support programs for national winter sports federations for countries in tropical zones to train in Korea.

The MOU signing comes at a time when the Philippines and Korea are celebrating the 75^th Anniversary of the establishment of Diplomatic Relations. END