GOVPH

PHILIPPINES JOINS CALL TO STRENGTHEN CAPACITIES FOR PANDEMIC RESPONSE IN THE WORLD BIO SUMMIT 2023

05 December 2023, Seoul. Philippines participated in the World Bio Summit (WBS) 2023 held from 20 to 21 November 2023 at the Conrad Hotel Seoul. The summit was jointly hosted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) of the Republic of Korea and the World Health Organization (WHO) under the theme “Strengthening Capacities for Pandemic Response: Preparation of Workforce, Business and Civil Society,” to discuss strategies in response to another potential pandemic and infectious disease threats.

Department of Health Assistant Secretary Atty. Charade B. Mercado-Grande and Ms. Jessabelle E. Basa, Head of the Quality Assurance Department – Biologicals Manufacturing Division – Research Institute for Tropical Medicine represented the Philippines in the summit. Philippine Embassy officials Ambassador Theresa Dizon-De Vega and Third Secretary and Vice Consul Reisha L. Olavario also attended the summit.

The two-day summit convened four sessions with in-depth discussions on strengthening vaccine, pharmaceutical, and diagnostics manufacturing and regulatory oversight, accelerating pandemic therapeutics development and manufacturing, international support strategies for the growth of the global In Vitro Diagnostics industry and strengthening global preparedness through the 100-Days mission program, a Coalition for Pandemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) program supported by the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) envisioned to reduce the time taken to develop safe and effective vaccines. Bilateral meetings and workshops were also held at the sidelines of the summit.

The World Bio Summit, now on its second edition, is a constructive platform for governments, international organizations, industry stakeholders and civil society to share experience, knowledge and insights from the COVID-19 pandemic. It further aims to lay a solid foundation to enhance global cooperation by establishing a secure health system capable of addressing threats to human health and responding to infectious diseases. The summit encourages stakeholders to take a proactive response to health crisis that may arise in the future. END

PHILIPPINES FIRST PRIZE WINNERS IN THE TALK TALK KOREA CONTEST

30 November 2023. Seoul – The 2023 K-Wave Festival recently held the Talk Talk Korea Contest, an annual international competition organized by the Korean Culture and Information Service (KOCIS), established to promote Korea’s national image and cultural heritage on a global stage. KOCIS is also an affiliate of the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism.

With this years’ theme "Unveil the Diversity of Korea", Talk Talk Korea received over 52,000 entries worldwide which were in the form of photographs, webtoons, essays, videos, and drawings which highlighted various aspects of Korea such as K-Culture, K-Music, K-Food, and K-Beauty. 

First Prize winners from the Philippines were Francis "Aya" Nacionales in the K-Culture category with her essay on the Korean culture in Subways and Amiel Giann Surla aka Sunshine Myung in the K-Music category for her Creative Conceptual Dance Cover.

Aya is presently working on her Masters degree in Medicine (Biomedical Science) at the Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul while Giann who virtually attended the awarding ceremonies is currently a student at the Clark College of Science and Technology in Pampanga, Philippines.

The contest ran from July 17 to September 17 and the awarding ceremony was held at the National Theatre of Korea last November 4, 2023 in Seoul. The Philippine Embassy in Korea congratulates Aya and Giann on their achievements. END

Photo: Winners of the 2023 K-Wave Festival - Talk Talk Korea contest.

PHILIPPINE EMBASSY CONDUCTS CONSULAR OUTREACH SERVICE AND OVERSEAS VOTER MOBILE REGISTRATION IN CHANGWON AND PYEONGTAEK

03 December 2023, Seoul. The Philippine Embassy conducted consular outreach missions in Changwon, the capital city of Gyeongsangnam Province, and Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, on 22 and 29 October 2023, respectively, with the cooperation of and in partnership with the Filipino organizers of the Migrant Multicultural Festival in Changwon through Ms. Anna Sumayod, and the Pyeongtaek Migrant Welfare Center. Led by Consul General Romulo Victor Israel Jr. and Vice Consul Jill De Dumo-Cornista, the consular teams rendered a total of 29 units of consular and Assistance to Nationals services to members of the Filipino community.

Representatives from Pag-IBIG and OWWA also joined the outreach and rendered a combined 58 services, including information dissemination and renewal of OWWA membership, and opening of Pag-IBIG regular and MP2 accounts. The Embassy also conducted an Overseas Voter Mobile Registration and processed the application of 24 Overseas Filipino Voters.

As it did earlier this year with Filipino Community and religious organizations, the Embassy looks forward to working with more Filipino Community organizations as partners in promoting Overseas Voter Registration among the growing Filipino population in Korea. END