GOVPH

PHILIPPINES AFFIRM IMPORTANCE OF INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AT THE 10th ASEAN CONNECTIVITY FORUM IN SEOUL

Upper left: Undersecretary Angelo Nuestro of the DICT delivers the Philippine presentation at the ASEAN Connectivity Forum. The forum was attended by experts from ASEAN Member States, ASEAN External Partners, government officials and heads of diplomatic missions in Seoul, and the private sector. Lower right: Ambassador Theresa Dizon-De Vega and former US Amb. Scot Marciel who now represents BowerGroup Asia discuss regional developments in ASEAN at the sidelines of the forum.

27 December 2022, Seoul - The Philippines, led by Department of Information, Communications, and Technology (DICT) Undersecretary Angelo Nuestro participated in the ASEAN Expanded Connectivity Forum hosted by the ROK Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the ASEAN-Korea Centre on 8 December 2022. With the theme “Advancing ASEAN Connectivity through Partnerships among Dialogue Partners”, the dialogue focused on cooperation through a nexus among the connectivity initiatives of ASEAN external partners. The forum was also attended by Deputy Minister for Political Affairs Choi Youngsam, Secretary General of ASEAN-Korea Centre Kim Hae Yong, and connectivity experts from ASEAN External Partners including ROK, US, Japan, Australia, and the European Union. 

During the forum, Undersecretary Nuestro highlighted the Philippines’ Five Phases of the National Broadband Plan (NBP) which aims to provide faster, more efficient, and equitable broadband connectivity for the Philippines, including its remote areas. The Undersecretary also affirmed the importance of international cooperation with official development partners, including ASEAN external partners, to carry out extensive infrastructure investments in select regions. The Philippines likewise highlighted its active sub-regional cooperation initiatives in Digital Startup Development and Acceleration Program and its chairing of the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) ICT cluster for the period 2022-2025.

Ambassador Theresa Dizon-De Vega, Commercial Counselor Jose Ma. Dinsay, Third Secretary and Vice Consul Reisha Olavario, and Mr. Angelo Ezekiel Nuestro of the DICT also formed part of the Philippine delegation. END

TEAM PHILIPPINES IN ROK HOLDS ANNUAL PLANNING CONFERENCE FOR 2023

Amb. Dizon-De Vega presides over the Annual Planning Conference for 2023 at the Sentro Rizal, PH Embassy, Seoul 

26 December 2022, Seoul. Ambassador Theresa Dizon-De Vega led the Annual Planning Conference of Team Philippines in Korea at the Sentro Rizal Hall of the Philippine Embassy on 15 December 2022.

The yearly exercise is conducted to address challenges faced in 2022, identify major projects for 2023, and ensure that plans and programs of the Philippine Embassy and its attached agencies are undertaken in a coordinated manner.

Ambassador Dizon-De Vega, Embassy section heads and heads of attached services discussed gains in Philippines-Korea political and economic, consular, cultural, labor, and people-to-people relations and priorities for 2023.

Potential activities to mark 75^th years of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Korea from 2024-25 were likewise discussed. Aside from the ongoing and future renovations of the Consular and other public areas of the Embassy, frontline services and programs for 2023 including outreach missions and mobile overseas voting registration were likewise identified for implementation. A full slate of cultural and public diplomacy activities was likewise drawn up in anticipation of more in-person events in the coming year.

Participants in the conference included Minister and Consul General Romulo VictorIsrael, Jr. and Third Secretaries and Vice Consuls Reisha Olavario and Jilliane De Dumo-Cornista, Col. Enriqueto Deocadez Jr. PA, Commercial Counsellor Jose Ma. Dinsay, Tourism Director Maria Corazon Jorda-Apo, Agriculture Attache Maria Alilia Maghirang, Second Secretary Ernest Joseph Diga, Cultural Attache Anthony Cornista, Property Officer Anna Gabrielle Guinto, POLO Officer-in-Charge Mr. Manolito Barotilla, and PAG-IBIG representative Mr. James Lumantas. END

PH AMBASSADOR DIZON-DE VEGA JOINS THE CHRISTMAS PROGRAM OF THE MULTICULTURAL FAMILY MUSIC BROADCASTING

22 December 2022, Seoul – Philippine Ambassador Theresa Dizon-De Vega joined host Ms. Gennie Kim for the Christmas Program of the Multicultural Family Music Broadcasting where they both recalled significant developments in Philippines-Korea relations in 2022 and the Embassy’s plans and programs for 2023.

The Philippine Embassy’s participation in the monthly Multicultural Family Music Broadcasting Program for Filipinos will be renewed in 2023 to ensure that newsworthy developments and updated information are delivered to Filipinos in the Republic of Korea.

The Christmas Program featuring Ambassador Theresa Dizon-De Vega will air from 23-24 December (3:00a.m., 9:00a.m., 3:00p.m. and 9:00p.m.) and 25 December (3:00p.m.) on the audio channel of the Multicultural Family Music Broadcasting.  END