The Official Website of the Philippine Embassy in Seoul, Korea

AWARD-WINNING PHILIPPINE FILM “JOHN DENVER TRENDING” OPENS IN KOREA

Ambassador Dizon-De Vega, Korean artist Jung Hoseung, and NEWONE CEO Sony Won welcome guests at a special screening of “John Denver Trending” at CGV Apgujeong

27 November 2022, Seoul – Internationally-acclaimed Philippine film "John Denver Trending" opened this week at the CGV Apgujeong, Lotte Cinema World Tower and Megabox movie theatres located in key Korean cities. It is the first Filipino film to receive a wide commercial release throughout Korea.

A special screening organized by Cinema NEWONE, the Korean distributor of "John Denver Trending", was held on 23 November at the CGV Apgujeong theater. NEWONE CEO Mr. Sony Won welcomed the viewers and hoped that this would be the first, among future commercial screenings of Filipino films in Korea. Mr. Won is a film producer, director, and specializes in the distribution of Asian films in Korea.

Philippine Ambassador Theresa Dizon– De Vega with Vice Consul Jill De Dumo-Cornista, Cultural Officer Anthony Cornista, and Assistant Vivienne Velasquez lent support at the screening and thanked the Korean audience for viewing the film as well as acknowledging the efforts of Mr. Sony Won in actively promoting and distributing “John Denver Trending” to a wider audience in Korea.

"John Denver Trending" has won 15 awards at film festivals around the world, including notching a nomination for Best Film in the New Currents competition section of the 24th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), and 6 awards including Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Original Song, Editing, Cinematography, and the NETPAC Jury Award at the 15th Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival (2019). It likewise won Best Project at the 5^th Hanoi International Film Festival (2018). The movie was shot entirely in the Municipality of Pandan, in Antique, Philippines. The film’s production received support from the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP).

Film Director Arden Rod Condez wrote a screenplay based on various events that emerged through social media and created a thought-provoking film with a social message based on true stories. In particular, the film depicts the complex problems of modern society, which is undergoing rapid digitization, along with a strong message on online and physical bullying that will resonate across generations. END

Philippines Roadshow 2022 features Bohol as Winter Holiday Travel Destination

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Philippine Ambassador Dizon-De Vega delivers welcome remarks during the Philippines Roadshow 2022. Amb. Dizon-De Vega with Tourism Director Maria Corazon Jorda-Apo of the Philippine Department of Tourism – Korea, Mr. Juyoul Choi, COO of Marketing Highlands and Mr. Seung Gyu Park, CEO of Pan Asia Air.

27 November 2022, Seoul. The Philippine Department of Tourism – Korea, headed by Tourism Director Maria Corazon Jorda-Apo in cooperation with Marketing Highlands (MH) organized two Travel Roadshow Events in Busan and Seoul on 4 and 22 November 2022, respectively. The Philippines Roadshow 2022 featured Bohol as a winter holiday travel destination.

Philippine Ambassador Theresa Dizon-De Vega in her remarks at both events highlighted the many tourist offerings of Bohol such as its ecological attractions, heritage sites, and adventure activities.

During the promotional events, Marketing Highlands introduced Royal Air’s chartered flights from Korea to Bohol from December 2022 up to March 2023 which the companies hope will help to increase visitor arrivals to the Philippines. END

PHILIPPINE AMBASSADOR PARTICIPATES IN THE GLOBAL KOREA FORUM 2022 ROUNDTABLE: TOWARDS A BETTER ROK-ASEAN COOPERATION

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(Top photo) Philippine Ambassador Theresa Dizon-De Vega with the rest of the ASEAN Ambassadors and representatives poses for a group photo with KIEP President Kim Heungchong (5^th from the left) and NRC Chairperson Jung Hae-gu (6^th from left). (Bottom photo) Ambassador Theresa Dizon-De Vega delivers her intervention on ROK-ASEAN Cooperation.

SEOUL, 25 November 2022 – Philippine Ambassador Theresa Dizon-De Vega participated in the Global Korea Forum 2022 Roundtable held at the ASEM Ballroom of the Convention & Exhibition Center in Gangnam, Seoul. The event was organized and hosted by the National Research Council for Economics, Humanities and Social Sciences (NRC), and the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP).

In her intervention, Ambassador Dizon-De Vega mentioned how during the bilateral meeting between PH President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. and ROK President Yoon Suk-Yeol at the recent 40th and 41st ASEAN Summit, the new ROK Indo-Pacific Strategy and the Korea-ASEAN Solidarity Initiative was supported by the President Marcos. The Philippines noted how this initiative is a welcome manifestation of the ROK Government’s commitment to further solidifying ROK’s relationship with ASEAN countries.

The Ambassador likewise emphasized that the Philippines commits its further cooperation in this undertaking with ASEAN centrality at its core, and looks forward to accelerating this new era of cooperation.END

PHILIPPINE EMBASSY HOLDS FIRST FACE-TO-FACE KYRR SEMINAR ON RIGHTS OF FILIPINO WOMEN AND CHILDREN IN SOUTH KOREA

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Ambassador Theresa Dizon-De Vega; resource persons and participants at the KYRR

27 November 2022, Seoul. The Philippine Embassy conducted its first face-to-face seminar since the pandemic under the Know Your Rights and Responsibilities Seminar Series on the topic of “Rights of Filipino Women and Children in South Korea” on 19 November 2022 at the Seoul Global Center.

In her opening remarks, Ambassador Ma. Theresa B. Dizon-De Vega said that South Korea is one of the top destinations for Filipino marriage migrants all over the world. She believes that it is important for the Philippine Embassy to work with marriage migrants, counselors, and Filipino community leaders alike to re-orient them on the South Korean culture on marriage, and equip them with the knowledge necessary for dealing with critical issues, including divorce, child custody, and domestic violence. Ambassador Dizon-De Vega likewise shared that the activity was also intended to be a networking session for both marriage migrants and Filipino counselors and Korean experts to get to know each other, share stories and experiences, and render wise advice to each other.

Attended by nearly 50 participants both online and offline, the seminar featured experts who discussed various aspects of multicultural family life in South Korea, including the Filipino-Korean Heritage Association’s President and former member of the Korean National Assembly, Ms. Jasmine Lee, on ROK policies on multicultural families; the Filipino-Korea Spouses Association’s President, Ms. Fe Gimarino-Kim, on experiences of multicultural families; Windows of Asia NGO’s Public Interest Lawyer, Atty. Eun Hye Lee, on Korean laws against domestic violence; Korea Legal Aid Corporation’s Head of Legal Assistance, Atty. Wi Seung Yong, on Korean laws on divorce, child custody, and child support; Advocates of Public Interest Law’s Atty. Soo-yeon Jun on Korean laws against trafficking; and the Migrant Women’s Right Center’s Deputy Director, Ms. Hyejeong Kim, on the marriage migrant support system in South Korea.

The seminar was held in commemoration of the International Month for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Children and in observance of the Philippines’ 18-Day Campaign to End Violence Against Women, an advocacy campaign observed annually by the Republic of the Philippines as mandated by Proclamation 1172 s. 2006. The seminar was also held in furtherance of the Embassy’s Gender and Development program.

Filipinos in Korea experiencing domestic violence and abuse may seek the Philippine Embassy’s assistance by contacting its Assistance-to-Nationals hotline at +8210-9263-8119 or our Emergency Hotline at +8210-9365-2312. END

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