The Official Website of the Philippine Embassy in Seoul, Korea

PHILIPPINE CONTEMPORARY ART SHOWCASED IN SEOUL EXHIBIT

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(L-R) Mr. Cesar Villalon Jr. of Drawing Room Gallery, Mrs. Villalon, Mme. Elena Wong, Amb. Noe A. Wong (center), Filipino artists Ms. Kitty Kaburo, Mr. Ged Merino and Lui Medina

Seoul, 10 September 2019 - Philippine contemporary art took center stage in Seoul through the Exhibition entitled “The Hybridity and Dynamism of the Contemporary Art of the Philippines” held at the Insa Art Center from 4-10 September 2019. The Exhibit was organized by the HansaeYes24 Foundation and supported by the Philippine Embassy, the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the ASEAN Korea Centre and the ASEAN Culture House. This extraordinary exhibit is part of the series of cultural events celebrating the 70^th Anniversary of Philippines-Korea Diplomatic Relations this year.

The HansaeYes24 Foundation presented the works of 11 Philippine artists, namely, Victor Balanon, Zean Cabangis, Chati Coronel, Patricia Perez Eustaquio, Alvin Gregorio, England Hilgado, Kitty Kaburo, Lui Medina, Ged Merino, Norberto Roldan, and John Frank Sabado.

At the opening ceremony of the Exhibit, Dr. Cho Youngsoo, Chairperson of the HansaeYes24 Foundation, remarked that the Philippines is the first ASEAN country to establish diplomatic ties with Korea and that the two countries are celebrating 70 years of diplomatic relations in 2019. HansaeYes24 Foundation expressed the hope that the exhibit will be a great opportunity to broaden the Korean’s understanding of the lives and culture of the Filipinos.

For his part, Ambassador Noe A. Wong thanked the HansaeYes 24 Foundation for the initiative to showcase Philippine contemporary art, contributing to the meaning and excitement of the celebrations of the 70^th anniversary of Philippines-Korea relations. Moreover, Ambassador Wong stressed that the exhibit not only featured Philippine contemporary artworks but also the Filipino artists’ talent, experimentation, and originality which proved their ability to stand among the world’s best.

Mr. Heong Seok-In, Director General for Public Diplomacy and Cultural Affairs of the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, praised the exhibit as a representation of private public diplomacy which introduces various arts from Asian countries.

Curator Ms. Choi Eunju described the Filipino artists participating in the exhibit as “serious in their approach to various current issues, conscious of the tradition of Filipino art and reflecting modern characteristics and trends.” She also explained that the traces of artists’ agonizing over the social function of art are revealed in the artworks.

Filipino-American artist Ged Merino described the exhibit as an expression of the diversity of the Filipino and his ingenuity in spirit which is reflected in Philippine art.

The opening reception of the Exhibit was well-attended. Prior to the opening of the Exhibit, an article entitled “Filipino art showcases diversity, dynamism” was published in the Korea Times. A souvenir book, “PHILIPPINES: The Hybridity and Dynamism of Contemporary Art of the Philippines,” was also published by HansaeYes24 Foundation.

The HansaeYes24 Foundation engages in various activities to strengthen the relationship between Korea and its economic partner countries. The Foundation supports and nurtures activities such as overseas volunteer service program, scholarship program, culture and arts program and academic research program. END

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(L-R) Amb. Noe A. Wong, HansaeYes24 Foundation Chairperson Dr. Cho Youngsoo and Ms. Choi Eunju, Exhibit Curator and Director of Daegu Art Museum

PHILIPPINE EMBASSY PARTICIPATES IN THE COMMEMORATIVE EVENTS OF 15 YEARS OF KOREA’S EMPLOYMENT PERMIT SYSTEM

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Ambassador Noe A. Wong with HRD Korea President Kim Dong-Man, members of the Diplomatic Corps, and Heads of EPS-sending institutions

8 September 2019, Seoul. The Philippine Embassy participated in the 2019 Foreign Workers Festival and the 2019 Employment Permit System (EPS) Conference hosted by the Human Resource Development Korea (HRDK) today. Both events commemorated the 15^th year of EPS which began in 2004.

Addressing more than a thousand participants in the Festival, Philippine Ambassador Noe A. Wong lauded the HRD Korea for 15 years of enduring cooperation on foreign workforce development under the EPS. He cited that the Philippines was the first country to sign the MOU and deploy the first 92 EPS workers who arrived at Incheon in 2004. Since then, the EPS has helped fulfil the youthful dreams of over 57,000 Filipino EPS workers for remunerative work and a better future for their families. Ambassador Wong highlighted the commemoration of the 70^th year of Diplomatic Relations between the Philippines and Korea this year and affirmed the country’s commitment for deepening cooperation on various areas including the EPS.

In his message, President Kim Dong Man attributed the dynamism of small and medium sized firms in Korea to the productivity of the EPS workers. He expressed the commitment of the HRDK to continually ensure the orderly sojourn, human rights protection, and integrated social support for all EPS workers through community activities such as the Foreign Workers Festival.

During the EPS Conference, the HRDK awarded the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) with a Plaque of Appreciation for 15 years of cooperation on EPS.

Also present during the commemorative events were POEA Deputy Administrator Villamor Ventura S. Plan, Director Rene Limjuco, Labor Attaché Ma. Celeste M. Valderrama, Assistant Labor Attaché Teresa Lourdes L. Pimentel, Welfare Officer Aniceta G. Deuna, and POLO personnel.

The 2019 Foreign Workers Festival featured cultural and musical performances, country booths, and various services for the EPS workers. On the other hand, the 2019 EPS Conference discussed the milestone accomplishments for the last 15 years, the introduction of new program and facilities, country’s best practices, and future plans for enhancing the implementation of the EPS. END

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Ambassador Noe A. Wong with Labor Attaché Ma. Celeste M. Valderrama, Assistant Labor Attaché Teresa Lourdes L. Pimentel, Welfare Officer Aniceta G. Deuna, and POLO personnel at the Philippine booth

PHILIPPINES PARTICIPATES IN THE 2019 SEOUL FRIENDSHIP FESTIVAL

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Embassy personnel promoting our tropical fruits, San Miguel Beer and Philippine food at the World Food Fair.

Seoul, 3 September 2019 – The Philippine Embassy in Seoul highlighted its celebration this year of the 70^th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations between the Philippines and Korea during its participation in the 2019 Seoul Friendship Festival held at the Seoul Plaza on 31 August and 1 September.

The Embassy actively participated in three events – the World Food Fair, the World Culture and Tourism Fair and the Music Café.

At the World Food Fair, the Philippine booth promoted Philippine fresh fruits such as cavendish bananas and pineapples that were donated by the Del Monte Fresh Produce Korea Ltd. Meanwhile, the Philippine Agriculture Office-Seoul and Dole Korea Ltd. promoted papayas and senorita bananas, fresh produce that were introduced to the Korean market in 2015 and 2018, respectively. The San Miguel beer enjoyed by festival visitors was courtesy of San Mi Korea. Chicken and pork adobo, an iconic Filipino dish, was also popular with the visitors at the Philippine booth.

The Philippine Department of Tourism-Korea (PDOT-Korea) organized a booth at the World Culture and Tourism Fair with a “beach theme.” Aside from tourism information dissemination, PDOT-Korea hosted entertaining activities such as Virtual Reality (VR) viewing and roulette and rock-per-scissors games. At the end of the fair, PDOT-Korea raffled off two (2) roundtrip airline tickets to the Philippines courtesy of Cebu Pacific Air.

This year, for the first time, the Embassy participated in the Fair’s Music Café with the Cordillera Brotherhood Organization (CBO) performing the cañao, war, courtship and banga dances at the Open Lounge of the Seoul City Hall. CBO’s wonderful performances highlighted the rich and diverse culture of the Philippines. The CBO also performed cañao with Ambassador Noe A. Wong in front of the Philippine booth, which attracted the interests of many visitors at the Fair.

The Seoul Friendship Festival is an annual event hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government to promote cultural diversity through fun activities and performances. It is considered the largest multicultural festival in Seoul representing over 60 countries. END

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PDOT-Korea's "beach theme" booth at the World Culture and Tourism Fair.

PHILIPPINE EMBASSY IN SEOUL HOLDS TRABAHO, NEGOSYO, KABUHAYAN SEMINAR FOR FILIPINOS IN KOREA

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Ambassador Noe A. Wong with participants, resource persons and Embassy officers during the Trabaho, Negosyo, Kabuhayan Seminar

25 August 2019, Seoul. One hundred seven (107) Filipinos in Korea attended the Trabaho, Negosyo, Kabuhayan (TNK) Seminar organized by the Philippine Embassy, through the joint efforts of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO), the Philippine Trade and Investment Center (PTIC) and the Embassy’s Consular Section on Sunday, 25 August 2019 in Seoul.

Ambassador Noe A. Wong commended the participants on their continued interest in preparing themselves for their future, and noted the impressive number of attendees to the seminar. “As almost all of you are EPS workers, I would like to say that you are very fortunate because your employment conditions here in Korea allow you to save money and receive adequate social insurance benefits, which gives you the advantage of making substantial investment or securing capital for starting your own business in the future.” He affirmed the Embassy’s commitment to provide continuing programs that would support the plans and dreams of every Filipino in Korea to become an investor or entrepreneur as these are key to the country’s national development.

Collaborating resource persons from the Embassy were Labor Attaché Ma. Celeste M. Valderrama who presented the National Reintegration Program for OFWs, Vice Consul Lyza Marie Viejo who handled the topic Investment Options for Overseas Filipinos, and Commercial Counsellor Jose Maria Dinsay who discussed the Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI) TNK program and key steps on becoming an entrepreneur.

“The bottom line is attitude”, says Mr. Ramon Fernando, CEO of Nippon Tech Philippines, and a former OFW turned successful business owner who gave a presentation on Negosyo Tips for OFWs. He encouraged the participants to continuously discover business ideas especially while here in Korea, seek every opportunity to acquire new skills, master their craft, and complement one’s hard work with faith in God.

The TNK seminar on investment and entrepreneurship development is part of the Philippine Government’s Reintegration Preparedness Program for Filipinos in Korea. For those who intend to pursue the full entrepreneurship development course, PTIC’s Commercial Counsellor Dinsay announced that the next seminar will be on 13 October 2019. END

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