GOVPH

PHILIPPINES PUSHES FOR SPACE VALUE CHAIN AND LOCAL SPACE ECONOMY AND INDUSTRY IN MEETING WITH KOREAN AEROSPACE EXECUTIVES

27 February 2024, Daejeon - The Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) led by Director General Joel Joseph Marciano Jr. conducted a technical visit to the Republic of Korea from 12 to 14 February 2024. Director General Marciano met with Perigee Aerospace Inc. officials at their Rocket Development Complex (RDC) located in Okcheon-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do, ROK. Philippine Ambassador to the Republic of Korea H.E. Theresa Dizon-De Vega, as well as members of the Embassy’s economic team, Third Secretary and Vice Consul Reisha Olavario, and Commercial Counselor Jose Ma. Dinsay also joined the meeting. 

Mr. Yoon Shin, Founder & CEO of Perigee Aerospace Inc. discussed areas of cooperation within the scope of the 2022 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with PhilSA. Perigee Aerospace Inc. also provided a tour of their Okcheon RDC facilities. 

This was followed by a visit to the Perigee Aerospace Inc.’s office in Daejeon, ROK where PhilSA DG Marciano Jr. gave a presentation on the Philippine Space Agency’s mandate, plans, and space diplomacy projects.

Both sides also discussed future collaboration for the launch and reuse of small space launch vehicles (SLVs) in the Philippines and the development status of Perigee Aerospace’s Blue Whale 1, a two-stage launch vehicle undergoing testing with a launch planned off the coast of Jeju Island. On 14 February 2024, PhilSA Science Research Specialist Sonny Cac Jr. and Commercial Counselor Dinsay traveled to Jeju Island, ROK for a visit to Perigee’s Jeju branch office, followed by an introductory meeting with the Mechanical Engineering Department of Jeju University the Space Mobility Division of Jeju Self-Governing Province.

Discussions were likewise held on cooperation for future test launches, vehicle stage recovery for reuse, and possible Perigee commercial operations within the Philippines. 

To spur space talent and development in the Philippines, PhilSA and Perigee discussed possible collaboration in specialized educational programs on space industry development, particularly on the manufacturing and practical use of space launch vehicles.

Ambassador Theresa Dizon-De Vega welcomed the close collaboration of PhilSA and Perigee. The Ambassador also expressed optimism in stronger Philippines – Republic of Korea cooperation on space research, industry promotion, and development upon the launch of the new Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) sometime in 2024. END 

MEMBERS OF THE 22ND QUEZON CITY COUNCIL CONDUCTS BENCHMARKING ACTIVITY IN THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA TO LEARN INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO LEGISLATIVE FUNCTIONS

28 February 2024, Seoul. The Philippine Embassy in Seoul welcomed the delegation from the 22^nd Quezon City Council headed by Hon. Gian Carlo G. Sotto, Vice Mayor of Quezon City on a benchmarking activity in the Republic of Korea from 19 to 23 February 2024. The activity is part of the City Government of Quezon City’s efforts to craft future-forward legislation tied to the automation of various government services such as electronic recordkeeping standards, online public consultation, digital voting authorization guidelines, remote participation protocols, cybersecurity training, digitalization and document management, and public access to digital archives.

The Philippine Embassy in Seoul, led by Ambassador Theresa Dizon-De Vega, assisted the Quezon City Council delegation during the 3-day benchmarking activity which included meetings with key ROK public officials for city-to-city cooperation and international partnerships. The delegation met with Honorable Lee Dong-Hwan, Mayor of Goyang City to discuss smart city best practices and future city-to-city cooperation,  Hon. Hyeonki Kim, Chairman of the Seoul Metropolitan Council for productive exchanges on a fully digitalized city council, and the Digital Services Division of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea to gain insights on digital platform policies of the Republic of Korea. The Seoul Metropolitan Government also provided the delegation with a briefing through the Seoul Transport Operation Information Service (TOPIS) monitoring real-time traffic conditions and rapid response to incidents, utilizing a cutting-edge traffic information system which integrates and manages transport information (including flow and unexpected incidents) in Seoul.

In cooperation with the WeGO Secretariat headed by Secretary General Jung Sook Park, the Quezon City Council delegation also attended the WeGO 2024 Activities Kick-Off Event and received briefings on smart city best practices from Goyang City, Seoul Tourism Office, Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZ) Promotion Center and Incheon Smart City Corporation.

The Philippine Embassy in Seoul will continue to support visiting delegations from various local government units (LGU’s) in the Philippines acknowledging their significant role in pursuing inclusive and good governance practices and sustainable development. END

PHILIPPINES AND KOREA CELEBRATE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS

10 March 2024, Seoul - The Philippine Embassy in Seoul marked the start of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties with the Republic of Korea with a launch reception, highlighting both nations’ shared sacrifices and deep cooperation across various fields since 1949. The reception was held on 05 March 2024 with guests from the Korean government, private sector, diplomatic corps, and other international partners.

Philippine Ambassador to the Republic of Korea Theresa Dizon-De Vega underscored that the long-standing relationship goes way back before the establishment of formal relations on March 3, 1949, sharing the story of early exchanges such as that of Moon Soon-deuk, a well-known figure in Korean merchant maritime annals, who over two centuries ago in 1801 learned the Filipino language and served as the first interpreter for Filipinos who were shipwrecked off the coast of Jeju Island.

Ambassador Dizon-De Vega invited those present to experience commemorative events and activities throughout the 75th anniversary year which will continue to draw inspiration from our dynamic people-to-people ties – a shared affinity that pre-dates Filipinos’ fascination with the Hallyu Wave and our Korean friends' love for the Philippines’ welcoming tropical isles.

Guest-of-Honor MOFA Director General for ASEAN Kim Dong-bae conveyed that the next 75 years of PH-ROK relations will be anchored on a more profound and strategic thrust. He also informed the guests that both sides “expect the elevation of our bilateral relations to a Strategic Partnership in the months ahead, not years.” He also expressed appreciation for the Philippine Embassy’s projects to foster mutual understanding through food and the media, and highlighted that the concept of 'jeong(정)' or warm feeling of attachment is one of the many shared values between the Philippines and the Republic of Korea.

H.E. Ban Ki-Moon, President and Chair of the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), and 8th Secretary General of the UN General Assembly was the night’s special guest. He said he felt compelled to attend the reception due to his very successful recent meetings in the Philippines advocating for global climate resiliency with HE President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., President Masatsugu Asakawa of the Asian Development Bank, several ministers and Senators including Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, Senate President Pro Tempore and Climate Champion Loren Legarda, and many members of the diplomatic corps in Manila last week. During his speech, H.E. Ban recalled the valiant sacrifice of the 7,420 Philippine Expeditionary Forces to Korea (PEFTOK) soldiers who fought together with Korean soldiers during the 1950s Korean War. “I cannot imagine the bravery of those young Filipinos — many of whom probably could not find Korea on a map before — coming all the way to Korea in defense of freedom,” he said.

Guests also enjoyed watching a highlight reel showcasing more than seven decades of long-standing and dynamic ties, along with a special message from Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique A. Manalo who stated, “as the Pearl of the Orient and the Land of the Morning Calm celebrate the 75th year milestone, I look forward to new areas of cooperation for the mutual benefit of our two countries and our peoples.”

The Philippine Embassy also provided guests with a video preview of its year-long activities to celebrate the 75^th anniversary.

The guests enjoyed Filipino favorites such as chicken adobo, sinigang, and mango desserts and took home Filipino food products and fresh pineapples as part of the reception’s gift box. To celebrate South Korea being the number one source of inbound tourist arrivals to the Philippines in 2023, travel partner JinAir raffled two roundtrip tickets to the Philippines.

The Philippine Embassy in Seoul will celebrate the diamond jubilee of our relations throughout the year through projects and initiatives that will continue to strengthen our political, economic, cultural, and people-to-people ties and further elevate the partnership between the Philippines and Korea. We invite the public to follow our official pages for more details on activities throughout this milestone year. END