By Juan E. Dayang, Jr.
Consul and Head of Public Diplomacy Unit at the Philippine Embassy in Seoul
In the Philippines, a visitor is always treated with a warm welcome and hospitality and we Filipinos will even go to great lengths of giving the best we can offer just to please a guest.
President Roh Moo-hyun is visiting the Philippines accepting the invitation of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for a return state visit of our president in June 2000 as the first head of state to visit Korea after Roh's proclamation as president.
The much-anticipated state visit of President Roh to the Philippines is one which is welcomed with enthusiasm as it marks the visit of a leader of a country which the Philippines shares a long and deep historical ties _ a common history that brought us to a perilous road towards independence and freedom from the shackles of colonial rule and in overcoming the challenges of years of dictatorship and an authoritarian regime.
Milestones in Philippine-Korean Relations
Philippine-Korean relations are considered one of the most enduring in Asia. During the Korean War, our 7,500 Filipino soldiers fought side-by-side South Koreans to help defend Korea resulting in 112 Filipino casualties.
It is worth mentioning that among the Korean War veterans is Fidel Ramos who became the chief of staff of the Philippine Armed Forces and later elected president of the Philippines.
The Philippines took an active part in the debate at the U.N. on the issue of Korean independence and was one of the nine members of the U.N. Temporary Commission which was established to supervise the first elections in Korea.
It is significant that the Philippines was among the firsts, the fifth country to be exact, to extend its formal and official recognition of the Republic of Korea on March 3, 1949 that establishes our diplomatic relations.
It is also worth mentioning in the context of our special relations that in the ensuing days after the liberation of Seoul, the Philippines donated rice to help the food shortage in the capital.
We also helped in the reconstruction efforts. Filipino engineers and technicians were credited for constructing buildings that still remain in downtown Seoul today. Those buildings are living reminders of the deep personal ties that bind our two countries.
And to this date, it is symbolic that our flag continues to fly along with others from 15 nations under the United Nations Command which is a testament that we have kept our pledge to help safeguard the peace in Korea.
Future Oriented Partnership
Today, Korea remains our friend and has become our major economic development partner through its Overseas Development Assistance that will assist us in our own war against poverty.
Korea is our 9th biggest trading partner and 9th largest market for Philippine exports. We hope that trade with Korea will expand further in the areas of agriculture as to narrow the trade imbalance favoring Korea.
During the visit of President Roh, the following initiatives will be pursued: launching of the negotiations for a Special Economic Partnership Agreement, signing of a bilateral Social Security Agreement to benefit Filipino and Korean workers, launching of the first phase of the South-North Rail Connection project which involves the rehabilitation of the Caloocan to Alabang railway funded by a $50-million ODA loan from the Economic Development and Cooperation Fund and the Korea Export and Import Bank, express appreciation for the construction of a 100-200 megawatt coal-fired power plant in Cebu by the Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), and welcoming the Korean shipyard and shipbuilding schemes in former U.S. naval base Subic that will increase trade, generate jobs, and provide the opportunity to enter into a large-scale shipbuilding in the future.
Significance of the Visit to Korea
The visit of President Roh hopes to achieve three significant results:
First, to achieve a stronger and future oriented bilateral relations with a traditional ally. The Philippines, which will assume the chairmanship of ASEAN next year, could be a reliable platform for closer Korean-ASEAN relations.
The Philippines is expected to continue its support towards Korea's policy of peace and prosperity in the Korean Peninsula and in encouraging North Korean reform and opening.
Second, to achieve a sustainable economic partnership in trade and investments with an emerging market. The Philippines is Korea's 18th trading partner and 5th largest investment market and the signing of two MOUs in the field of energy and natural resource will definitely boost economic partnership between the two countries.
Korea is expanding its ODA assistance in support of the anti-poverty program of the Philippines through its loan and grants program in infrastructure projects and human resources development.
For instance, Korea will fund the rehabilitation of the Galapan-San Fernando-Olongapo road through a $22-million loan. President Roh will witness the opening of the Information Technology Center in Quezon City under a $5-million grant.
Third, to expand and enhance people to people exchanges. The Philippines is host to the largest Korean community in Southeast Asia now numbering to about 50,000 who have made the Philippines their second home.
In the same manner, Korea also hosts around 40,000 Filipinos in Korea, which is expected to increase with the introduction of the Employment Permit System. Both countries will work on ensuring that their people are protected and their rights are upheld.
Significantly, Korea is the second tourism market of the Philippines. This year alone, about 400,000 Koreans visited the Philippines. There is also continuing growth in the influx of Korean students learning English and studying primary to higher education in the Philippines.
In sum, the visit of President Roh will be of major significance as the Philippines and Korea enter into a future-oriented relationship. Indeed, the Philippines has much to learn from Korea's economic progress and technological advancement.
But whatsoever the future will be, the friendship and brotherhood of our two countries and peoples will surely go on and endure the test of time. It is therefore with a sense of pride and honor that the Philippines and its people welcome the visit of President Roh to our shores.
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December 14, 2005
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