GOVPH

PHILIPPINE EMBASSY IN SOUTH KOREA HOSTS LEADERS’ FORUM

Ambassador Noe A. Wong (center), Philippine Embassy officers and staff, and leaders of the Filipino Community in South Korea.

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA 10 June 2019 – The Philippine Embassy in South Korea hosted a Leaders’ Forum held on 08 June 2019 at the Emerald Ballroom of Lotte Hotel Seoul. The event was attended by about a hundred officers of Filipino organizations, Filipino religious workers, various local partners, and Philippine Embassy officers and staff and was an opportunity for Ambassador-Designate to South Korea Noe A. Wong to meet and talk with the pillars of the Filipino Community in the country.

During the Forum, the Embassy provided the attendees with the latest consular and labor updates. Consul General Christian L. De Jesus briefed the community on the Philippine accession to the Apostille Convention and the resulting changes in the authentication process. Labor Attaché Maya M. Valderrama disseminated the latest labor news, apprised the attendees on the progress of the livelihood programs conducted by the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO), and read the message of DOLE Secretary Silvestre Bello III on the occasion of Migrant Workers Day.

The Leaders’ Forum was an opportunity not only for the Embassy to touch base with Filipinos in South Korea but also for the leaders of the Filipino Community to meet, connect, and share experiences and best practices.

In his welcome remarks, Ambassador-Designate Wong thanked the Filipino Community in South Korea for their continued support to the Embassy’s thrust to foster unity and cohesiveness within the various groups as well as in engaging and collaborating with the Embassy in bringing responsive government services to our kababayans living and working in South Korea and their families

The Leaders’ Forum was widely welcomed by the leaders present during the event. Galvanized by Ambassador-Designate Wong’s emphasis on supporting each other, Pilipino Iskolars in Korea (PIKO) president Jerre Mae Tamanal shared her enthusiasm to work hand in hand with fellow leaders to maximize the expertise of Filipino students in the South Korea for a more active community. Ms. Gennie Kim of Radio KISS expressed her appreciation for the opportunity to meet Ambassador-Designate Wong as well as other Filipino Community leaders and for the continued responsiveness of the Embassy to the needs of kababayans in South Korea.

Likewise, Pastor Ariel Cruz Bernardo, Secretary-General of POIMEN, appreciated the meaningful face-to-face updates on consular, labor, and other migrant-related matters. He also appreciated the opportunity for the leaders of Filipino organizations in South Korea to get acquainted with each other and share their respective advocacies with Ambassador-Designate Wong and other Philippine Embassy personnel.

This is the Philippine Embassy’s second Leaders’ Forum for the 2019 and the first meeting of Ambassador-Designate Wong with the Filipino Community since arriving in May. END

SEOUL PE CONDUCTS CONSULAR OUTREACH IN JEJU

The four-member consular team of the Philippine Embassy, led by Consul General Christian L. de Jesus, pose with the officers and members of the Nagkakaisang Pilipino sa Jeju (NAPIL), headed by its president, Ms. Jessica Bayson.

Seoul, 10 June 2019 – The Philippine Embassy in South Korea conducted its two-day consular outreach mission on 24 and 25 May in Jeju City, the capital of Jeju Province where approximately 657 Filipinos reside.

The four-member mobile consular team, led by Consul General Christian de Jesus, was assisted by the officers and members of the Nagkakaisang Pilipino sa Jeju (NAPIL), headed by its president, Ms. Jessica Bayson.

The consular outreach mission, the Philippine Embassy’s second for the year, was held at the Jeju Multicultural Education & Welfare Institute.

The Consular Team extended a total of 135 services including passport applications, reports of birth, notarization and citizenship applications. END

PHILIPPINE EMBASSY SEOUL CELEBRATES NATIONAL HERITAGE MONTH

 Ambassador Noe A. Wong (center) and Dwight School Seoul Head Mr. Kevin Skeoch with the Kalumon Performing Ensemble and members of the Filipino Community

SEOUL, 26 May 2019 – The Philippine Embassy in Seoul joined the celebration of the National Heritage Month to promote consciousness, respect and love for the legacies of Filipino indigenous culture.

The Philippine Embassy in Seoul and the Davao City Investment Promotion Center (DCIPC), in cooperation with Dwight School Seoul and Philippine Women’s Club, organized the performance of the Kalumon Performing Ensemble on 21 May 2019 at Dwight School Seoul, an international foreign school and a member of The Dwight Schools. The Kalumon Performing Ensemble is a community-based cultural performing group from Davao City that promotes indigenous and contemporary music, dances, and songs.

Kalumon’s repertoire included Tambulan, the Bagobo tribe’s Pag-uma, Mindanao song, Yuta with T’boli Dance, Silong sa Ganding, the Tausug tribe’s Pangalay with Agila and the Maranao Tribe’s Singkil. The performances were enthusiastically received by the audience composed of approximately 300 Dwight Seoul students, parents, faculty members and school officials led by Head of School Mr. Kevin Skeoch. Dwight School Seoul also live streamed Kalumon’s performance which was thereafter uploaded to YouTube.

In his remarks during the event, Philippine Ambassador to Korea Noe A. Wong invited the audience to visit the Philippines to experience its unique culture and hospitality, and to see for themselves its natural wonders and historical sites and to discover why everyone says “It’s more fun in the Philippines.”

This year’s National Heritage Month theme, “Mga Pinuno sa Pamana (Leaders for Heritage),” served as a challenge to each and every individual to take the lead in preserving and promoting Philippine cultural heritage.

Philippine Proclamation No. 439, s. 2003 declared the month of May as National Heritage Month and one of its aims is to create in the people a consciousness, respect and love for the legacies of Filipino cultural history. END