GOVPH

PH SEAFOOD PRODUCTS ATTRACT BUYERS AT THE ASEAN TRADE FAIR ON SEAFOOD

H.E. Raul S. Hernandez, PH Ambassador to Korea and Commercial Counselor Jose Ma. Dinsay (fourth and third from left) join hands with H.E. Lee Hyuk, ASEAN-Korea Centre Secretary General, H.E. Nguyen Vu Tu, Ambassador of Vietnam, H.E. Dato’ Mohd Ashri Muda, Ambassador of Malaysia, Commercial Counselors of other ASEAN member countries and ASEAN-Korea Centre officials during the Formal Opening Ceremony of the ASEAN Trade Fair on Seafood that was held on 22 April 2019 at the COEX Convention Center in Gangnam-gu, Seoul.

28 April 2019, Seoul - H.E. Raul S. Hernandez, Philippine Ambassador to Korea, was a Guest of Honor at the Grand Opening of the ASEAN Trade Fair on Seafood that was held on 22 April 2019 at the COEX Convention Center in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. This event was held in conjunction with the Seoul International Seafood Show, the largest international seafood exhibition in Seoul.

The ASEAN Trade Fair on Seafood was organized by the ASEAN-Korea Centre (AKC) to expand seafood trade between Korea and member countries of ASEAN in view of the exponential growth in the demand and supply of seafood, a major agricultural commodity traded around the world.

Major seafood exporters from the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam exhibited their seafood products during this event. The PH Embassy through the PH Trade and Investment Center and in partnership with the DTI’s Export Marketing Bureau organized the participation of PH seafood exporters in the event.

Ambassador Hernandez, along with ASEAN Secretary General Lee Hyuk, H.E. Nguyen Vu Tu, Ambassador of Vietnam, H.E. Dato’ Mohd Ashri Muda, Ambassador of Malaysia, Commercial Counselor Jose Ma. Dinsay and other Commercial Counselors, toured the pavilions of the participating ASEAN member countries and sampled the varied seafood offerings at each pavilion.

At the Philippine pavilion, nine seafood exporters showcased to the dignitaries and visitors a wide variety of seafood products encompassing fresh yellowfin tuna; frozen tuna, mahi, crabs, shrimps, milkfish and octopus; dried and smoked fish; seafood-based condiments such as sautéed shrimp paste and fish sauce; snacks such as crispy anchovies, crispy squid and dried fish; and bottled milkfish, herring and sardines. The dignitaries were able to taste unique Philippine seafood delicacies such as marinated milkfish, sardines and the famous fresh tuna from Mindanao at the Philippine pavilion.

The Philippines’ participation in the ASEAN Trade Fair was a resounding success as the PH seafood exporters were able to link up with Korean buyers and to secure business deals.

H.E. Raul S. Hernandez, PH Ambassador to Korea, ASEAN-Korea Centre Secretary General Lee Hyuk, Ms. Kalene Ann M. Ebora, Trade-Industry Development Specialist of the DTI’s Export Marketing Bureau and representatives of 9 PH seafood exporting companies pose at the Philippine pavilion, ASEAN Trade Fair on Seafood.

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PH EMBASSY IN SEOUL CAPS NATIONAL WOMEN’S MONTH WITH A FORUM AND PAINTING EXHIBITION

Ambassador Raul S. Hernandez (leftmost) with guest speakers, Ms. Youngha Go (2^nd from left), Ms. Kim Hooran (middle), Ms. Susan MacDonald (2^nd from right), and Madame Maria Ana A. Hernandez (rightmost) during the Women’s Month Forum organized by the Embassy for some 60 Filipino female community leaders in South Korea.

SEOUL, 31 March 2019 – The Philippine Embassy in Seoul, in celebration of National Women’s Month and as part of its Gender and Development efforts to advance women empowerment, organized a forum and a painting exhibition at the Embassy for over 60 female members of the Filipino community in South Korea.

The event featured four guest speakers: Ms. Young Ha Go, CEO of AMC Asia and AHAVA Korea; Ms. Hooran Kim, general news section editor at The Korea Herald, the largest English-language daily published in Seoul; Ms. Susan MacDonald, the first-ever female executive and Director of the Market Intelligence Team at SYS Global, an affiliate company of ET Land, one of the largest consumer retail/online electronics companies and private conglomerates in South Korea; and Madame Ana A. Hernandez, author of the books “Binibining Stewardess: Mga Kuwento ng Flight Attendant at Iba Pa” and “Welcome Aboard! The Ultimate Flight Attendant Guide for a Successful Sky -high Career,” and the spouse of Philippine Ambassador to South Korea Raul S. Hernandez.

Under the overarching theme, “We Make Change Work for Women,” the forum was devoted to celebrating and promoting women empowerment and the greater participation of female leaders in the Korean community. The discussions centered on the role of women in galvanizing change in an otherwise traditionally male-dominated society. The guest speakers also candidly shared their personal experiences on balancing family life and career and offered insights on how Filipinas in South Korea can bring about positive change through meaningful engagements.

Ambassador Hernandez, in his opening remarks, highlighted the great strides which the Philippines has made in recent years in terms of narrowing gender gaps, as supported by data from the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report in 2018 where the Philippines ranked 8^th out of 149 countries surveyed.

After the 2-hour forum, the guests witnessed the opening of the Embassy’s National Women’s Month Painting Exhibition. The exhibition featured artworks of Madame Ana Hernandez, Attache Cheryl Navarro, and FilCom member Mr. Michael Popatco. A total of 26 pieces depicting the influence of women in todays’ society were put on display.

The participants of the event were treated to a musical performance by MERJ, a local singing group that performs at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Seoul, as well Filipino fare such as pansit palabok, maja blanca, and puto.

Ambassador Hernandez (front row, middle), together with the guest speakers, pose with Embassy officials and staff and the members of the Filipino Community after the 2-hour Women’s Month forum.

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PH PARTNERS WITH KAMICO TO ESTABLISH A KOREA AGRIMACHINERY PROCESSING COMPLEX IN THE PH

PH Ambassador to Korea Raul S.Hernandez with KAMICO Chairman Shin Gil Kim (6^th and 7^th from left, respectively), Agriculture Attaché Aleli Maghirang (extreme right), diplomats and CEOs of member companies of KAMICO at the inauguration of the KAMICO Chairman, 26 March 2019, Korea Agricultural Machinery Global Center in Cheonan City, Chungnam Province, Korea.

PH Ambassador to South Korea Raul S. Hernandez joined other dignitaries and diplomats at the inaugural ceremony of Mr. Shin Gil Kim as the 29^th Chairman of the Korea Agriculture Machinery Industry Cooperative (KAMICO) on 26 March 2019 at the Korea Agricultural Machinery Global Center in Cheonan City, Chungnam province, South Korea. He was accompanied by Agriculture Attaché Aleli Maghirang and Attaché Jhoanna Jarasa.

In his congratulatory remarks, Ambassador Hernandez congratulated Chairman Kim on his successful re-election as the head of KAMICO, a prestigious organization of agricultural machinery manufacturers in Korea, and paid tribute to the close friendship and partnership between the Philippines and Korea, specifically in the field of agriculture through active collaboration between KAMICO, the Philippine Embassy, and the Department of Agriculture.

Ambassador Hernandez also commended KAMICO for its invaluable assistance in the mechanization of the Philippines’ agricultural sector through the sharing of Korea’s agricultural technologies and expressed hope to further cement this partnership between the Philippine government and KAMICO soon through the establishment of the Korea AgriMachinery Processing Complex in the Philippines, with the generous support of Chairman Kim and CEOs from KAMICO's major companies.

The Ambassador further expressed appreciation to KAMICO for selecting the Philippines as the venue of KAMICO’s seminar for CEOs of member companies which was successfully held in Cebu and Bohol from 27 June-1 July 2018.

For his part, Chairman Kim acknowledged with appreciation the speech of Ambassador Hernandez calling him his brother and conveyed KAMICO’s intent to pursue the establishment of the Korea AgriMachinery Processing Complex in the Philippines which he called “one of the promising export countries for Korea in Southeast Asia.”

Chairman Kim also expounded on the future plans of KAMICO, which include driving innovative growth in the 4^th Industrial Revolution in the area of agricultural machineries; extending KAMICO’s support for famous agricultural expositions overseas such as the AGRILINK FOOD LINK AQUALINK Exhibition to be held at the World Trade Center in Manila on 3 to 5 October 2019; establishing an Export Promotion Headquarters to provide customized support to KAMICO member companies seeking to expand their business overseas; and establishing agriculture machinery complexes abroad.

Aside from the inaugural ceremony, Chairman Kim had a separate meeting with Ambassador Hernandez and other diplomats and hosted a luncheon for dignitaries and members of KAMICO. After the luncheon, Ambassador Hernandez and the PH delegation were provided a special tour of the Korea Agricultural Machinery Global Center which showcased the latest advances in Korean agricultural machineries.

PH Ambassador to Korea Raul S. Hernandez (center) with the 29^th KAMICO Chairman ShinGil Kim (2^nd from right), Agriculture Attaché Maria Alilia Maghirang (1^st from right) and Attaché Jhoanna Jarasa at the inaugural ceremony.

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