GOVPH

PH AMBASSADOR MEETS WITH ROK DEPUTY TRADE MINISTER TO DISCUSS ENERGY AND TRADE COOPERATION

12 September 2022, SEOUL - Philippine Ambassador to the Republic of Korea Ambassador Ma. Theresa B. Dizon-De Vega met with Trade, Industry and Energy Deputy Minister Jeong Daejin on 31 August 2022 to discuss energy and trade cooperation.

Both sides agreed that the significance of energy security is increasing. Ambassador De Vega reiterated the importance of PH and ROK collaboration in the renewable energy sector and in the safe nuclear energy technology.

The officials likewise discussed emerging areas of trade cooperation such as high value minerals through safe mining and other natural resources as well as building the electric vehicle ecosystem. Both sides also agreed on the importance of bilateral and regional free trade agreements to help buoy the regional and global economy, and looked forward to the timely signing and ratification of the PH-ROK Free Trade Agreement and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP), respectively.

Ambassador De Vega and Deputy Minister Jeong concluded the meeting by sharing robust expectations for the convening of the Philippines - Korea Joint Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation Meeting (JCTEC) this year. END 

PHILIPPINE EMBASSY HOLDS “UGNAYAN SA SOUTH KOREA” WITH COMMISSION ON FILIPINOS OVERSEAS

3 September 2022, Seoul. The Philippine Embassy, in cooperation with the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO), held a town hall meeting in hybrid format entitled “Ugnayan sa South Korea” with members of the Filipino community in South Korea on 03 September 2022 at the Sentro Rizal Hall.

In her opening remarks, Ambassador Theresa Dizon-De Vega emphasized the need for welfare and assistance programs that would cater to the growing number of Filipino marriage migrants in South Korea and their families, particularly the second and third generation children, in order for them to reconnect to their Filipino roots. She also encouraged the further development of the pre-departure orientation to prepare marriage migrants for the South Korean family life, culture, and the support systems available to them.

The CFO delegation, led by Undersecretary Abdulgani Macatoman, committed to making representations to the relevant government agencies and policy makers on issues concerning Filipino marriage migrants. They also presented their programs, such as the BaLinkBayan, a one-stop online portal for diaspora engagement where OFWs can access government services online, financial literacy programs, and find resources on start-up entrepreneurship. He likewise invited overseas Filipinos to view his program on entrepreneurship geared towards Filipinos abroad.

The CFO delegation also invited the participants to submit nominations for the upcoming 2023 Presidential Awards for Filipino Individuals and Organizations Overseas, noting that many of the previous awardees also came from the Filipino community leaders in, such as 2021 Banaag Awardee, Dr. Ariel Bernardo; past Media Advocate Awardees, Mr. Nash Ang and Ms. Gennie Kim; 2014 Pamana ng Pilipino Awardee, Ms. Jasmine Lee; and 2008 Banaag Awardee, the Filipino Korean Spouses Association (FKSA).

The Ugnayan is one of the flagship programs of the CFO which features a series of gatherings with Filipino communities in various regions of the world and engages them on topics such as financial freedom and the campaign against human trafficking. The CFO delegation also met with various institutions and NGOs, such as the Seoul Counseling Center for Migrant Women and Advocates for Public Interest Law in South Korea (APIL), for possible cooperation. END

PHILIPPINES PARTICIPATES IN THE ASIA-PACIFIC PARLIAMENTARY FORUM ON GLOBAL HEALTH AND THE EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT COURSE ON SOCIAL HEALTH INSURANCE SERVICE

4 September 2022 – Senator Pia Cayetano represented the Philippines during the 6^th Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum on Global Health, and the Executive Leadership Development Course on Social Health Insurance Service held in Conrad Seoul Hotel from 24-26 September 2022. Philippine Ambassador Theresa Dizon-De Vega joined the esteemed Senator during the meetings. The 6^th APPFGH Forum was hosted by the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea and is supported by the World Health Organization (WHO).

As the Vice-Chair of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, Senator Cayetano shared during her intervention challenges of Philippine human health resources, and the importance of building a resilient national health system through the “Doktor Para sa Bayan” bill of the Philippines which incorporates futures thinking tools to not just provide for scholarships for doctors but to ensure that there is infrastructure, budget, and capacity building for all the state universities and colleges training future PH doctors. The Senator was likewise an engaged participant in sessions on health innovation and discussions on opportunities for Parliamentarians to support health system resilience, where WHO discussed legally binding agreements such as treaties that members of parliaments can use as tools to strengthen healthcare systems. Senator Cayetano also had the opportunity to see first-hand how the Republic of Korea uses virtual reality and technological advancements in teaching medicine and the related sciences, as well as utilizing government-collected data from health centers public health safety through a field visit to key centers of health innovation centers such as the Seoul National University and the Korea Social Security System.

Speakers of Parliament, ministers or parliamentarians from the following countries also participated in the Forum: Cambodia, Fiji, Japan, Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Mongolia, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Viet Nam.

After the 6^th APPFGH, Senator Cayetano also attended the Executive Leadership Development Course on Social Health Insurance, a lecture that provided an overview of universal health care in Korea, and compared them with other countries. The esteemed Senator is a proponent of the Philippine Universal Health Care system and has made significant amendments to the bill to make better payment systems benefitting the public. END