GOVPH

PH EMBASSY PARTICIPATES IN UN WOMEN SPECIAL LECTURE ON ENGAGING MEN FOR ENDING GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE

03 December 2023, Seoul. As part of the Philippines’ advocacy for inclusive gender and development and in observance of the 18-day campaign to end Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC), the Gender and Development (GAD) section of the Philippine Embassy in Seoul participated in a special lecture on “Engaging Men for Ending Gender-Based Violence” on 30 November 2023 organized by the UN Women Centre of Excellence for Gender Equality (the Center) in the Republic of Korea.

The Special Lecture discussed that impact and importance of engaging men and boys in the work to eliminate violence against women to dismantle the structure that perpetuates violence and discrimination.

The lecture also emphasized the importance of embedding the values of empathy and equality into the fabric of society and redefine masculinity not as a form of dominance but as a source of support and solidarity.

Dr. Gary Barker, President and CEO of Equimundo Center for Masculinities and Social Justice, delivered a keynote lecture entitled “Talking about Manhood: What Men Have to Do with Ending Gender-Based Violence, and How Men Benefit from Gender Equality,” highlighting various factors on how men’s lives are affected by ideas about manhood and how it looks like to engage men to be allies in the work towards ending violence against women.

The Centre’s Director Jeongshim Lee welcomed all the participants including Minister Kim Hyunsook of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family (MOGEF), Dr. Eun Mee Kim, President of Ewha Womans University who was recently appointed as UN Women’s Goodwill Ambassador for the Republic of Korea, Regional Director Alia El-Yassir of the UN Women Asia and the Pacific, members of the diplomatic corps, and relevant stakeholders in the ROK.

The Philippine Embassy in ROK participated in the forum in support of engaging men and boys as being not only beneficial but also crucial in gender and development, and acknowledging that they too are part of the fabric of community that can stop the cycle of abuse and inequality.

The Embassy strongly supports advocacies for the prevention and elimination of violence against women (VAW) and inclusive participation in gender and development in the Philippines and the global community. END

PHILIPPINE EMBASSY CONDUCTS SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AND SAFETY SEMINAR IN OBSERVANCE OF THE 18-DAY CAMPAIGN TO END VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND CHILDREN (VAWC) FROM 25 NOVEMBER TO 12 DECEMBER 2023

03 December 2023, Seoul. The Philippine Embassy in Seoul spearheaded by its Gender and Development (GAD) Unit conducted a Situational Awareness and Safety Seminar for the members of the Filipino Community in the Republic of Korea on 03 December 2023 at the Sentro Rizal Hall of the Embassy. The seminar is in observance of the Presidential Proclamation No. 1172 s. 2006 on the “18-Day Campaign to End Violence Against Women in the Philippines” from 25 November to 12 December 2023 and the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. 

The Philippine Embassy supports the Philippine government’s mandate to eradicate violence against women and children by helping the community to gain knowledge and overcome fear through learning and application of easy-to-use techniques such as awareness in combination with safety strategies and physical techniques to prevent, resist, and escape violence against women and children.

In her opening remarks, Ambassador Theresa Dizon-De Vega emphasized the importance of practicing situational awareness and self-defense, especially for women and children even in countries with high safety indexes such as South Korea.  

Police Officer Yoo Seon-Jun of the Yongsan Police Station provided an overview of situational awareness and safety and discussed prevalent violence against women and children issues in South Korea such as cyberbullying, stalking, workplace harassment, dating violence, and various forms of domestic abuse. Establishing boundaries in the workplace, paying attention to your surroundings, trusting your instincts, carrying a protection device, having a strong support system aware of your situation, and knowing the safety and emergency hotlines in your area are some very important tips shared during the session. 

Foreigners in South Korea can contact the emergency response centers and seek available remedies from relevant authorities when faced with an emergency, including VAWC-related situations. 

The Hwaseong Filipino Taekwondo Group, a Kukkiwon (World Taekwondo Headquarters) recognized group based in Suwon, engaged the participants in a practical demonstration of basic, easy-to-learn self-defense skills especially for women. The self-defense demonstration also emphasized that the best self-defense is to remove one’s self from a potentially violent situation that may cause harm. 

In line with the promotion of women’s health and the recent market access of the Philippine Hass avocado in ROK, the Philippine Embassy prepared a healthy avocado burger for seminar participants. Rich in vitamins and minerals beneficial to women’s reproductive health and metabolism, Philippine hass avocados are now available in major South Korean supermarkets and grocery stores. END

PHL MENTOR AND DELEGATES PARTICIPATE IN 2023 YOUTH CAMP FOR ASEAN & FRIENDS’ ENGAGEMENT (YCAFE)

4 December 2023, Seoul. Philippine mentor Dr. Joeffrey M. Calimag and delegates Diana Kassandra Almarez, Albertine June Din, Symon Dela Cruz, John Axel Orencia, and Christine Joy Pacilan, participated in the 2023 Youth Camp for ASEAN & Friends’ Engagement (YCAFE) held from November 27 to December 2, 2023 in Seoul and Busan, South Korea.

Organized by the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Asian Exchange Association, YCAFE was established to “promote closer ASEAN-Korea partnership through increased understanding and awareness among the youth in the region, raise awareness on the common challenges facing the Indo-Pacific region and identify the role of youth in promoting peace and prosperity, and build networks and facilitate exchange and communication among the youths of ASEAN, Korea and the United States.” Now on its second run, around 52 delegates from South Korea, ASEAN countries and East Timor participated this time.

Dr. Calimag, who also serves as the President of the Council of ASEAN Professors in Korea, mentored the delegates and guided them on key insights which could further strengthen the role of the youth in pursuing a “free, peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific.” The result was an exhaustive Youth’s Manifesto which tackled various critical subtopics including education, language, sustainable community development, gender equality, cultural diversity and inclusivity, cybersecurity, use of artificial intelligence and disinformation, conflict resolution and diplomacy, food security, regional payment connectivity, digital and creative economies, and sustainable energy, to name a few. Dr. Calimag said that the Manifesto is representative of the youth’s ability to think out of the box and focus on addressing the “important gap” between policies and the realities on the ground.

On the side, the delegates experienced Korean culture first-hand and visited important sites of Korea-ASEAN exchange and cooperation, including the ASEAN Culture House and Nurimaru APEC House in Busan.

The youth camp was capped by a Farewell Dinner, which was attended by Third Secretary & Vice Consul Jill De Dumo-Cornista, and featured the reading of the Youth’s Manifesto, and awarding of outstanding teams and certificates of participation. The next run of YCAFE is expected to begin in August 2024. END