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HFCC Basketball Tournament Held

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Community:

Ansan Basketball Game Kicks Off

Editorial:

All Together Now!

Labor Updates:

EPS Guide Part 1

‘One Philippines’ Exhibit Schedule

Volume 2 Issue 6 2009

www.sulyapinoy.org

OFW-KOREA-2006-001

by Edward A. Castro

SULYAPINOY is accepting cash donations for its monthly printing expenses. You may deposit them @ Account #: 049702 04 058587 / Account Name: Sofonias N. Paragsa / Bank: KB or Kookmin Bank

eoul

–

As part of the celebration of the 60thanniversary of diplomatic ties between Koreaand the Philippines, the Philippine Embassy spear-headed by the Department of Tourism in Seoul arepreparing to showcase a 2-day exhibit on May 30and 31.

ubbed as

“

One Philippines

”

the plaza in front of the Seoul City Hall will be transformed into a grand,open exhibit area that will showcase the history,culture, tradition, and education, tourism and busi-ness environments of the Philippines.Various cultural performances, including performersfrom the Philippines and lively street dances, willadd color to the two-day event. Koreans and Filipi-nos alike, as well as other foreign residents will havea chance to experience a Philippine

fiesta

in Seoul.

(turn to page 2)

“W

idespread

ob insecurity

along with a worsening

obmarket, has pushed the foreign workers into a corner. Dueto these uncertainties, the foreign workers have confronted with various social problems such as unemployment,conflict, and frustration, etc. These are all presenting asocial task the governments of Korea and the Philippinesmust sol

,”

Professor Amante concluded.Further, Professor Tae-myung Kim of Hannam Universitytalked about

“

Cooperation Between the Philippines andKorea to Help Foreign

orkers.

”

Professor Kim said that inthis turbulent period, OFWs and other groups of foreignworkers has to understand the difficult situation of Koreaneconomy and to agree on the policies and directions of Korean government, and share the ideas that they and theKorean government should try to overcome the crisistogether.

“

Foreign workers who are an integral part of theKorean society, should also suggest good ideas and par-ticipate in the Korean economic reco

ery

,”

Professor Kimadded. According to him, Korea is expected to upgrade the socialsafety net, re-structure the labor market based on"flexibility," and divide the labor market to share the workingareas between domestic and foreign workers. These meas-ures will bring changes to the order of labor market, and re-organize the interests of related parties. This reformrequires a close coordination and fine-tuning among manyeconomic players such as the enterprises, the groups of domestic and foreign workers, the embassies of the eachcountry and the Korean government. After the topics are delivered, discussants representing thelabor, education, and research sectors delivered their counter-reactions to the issues. Mr. Rebenson Reca

a, Administrative Adviser of the Filipino EPS Workers Asso-ciation (FEWA) articulates that because of the crisis,foreign workers who were able to find new employers havebecome vulnerable to exploitation. Rather than losing their employment, workers would take on a job even if they

yewhadong - - Labor Day is a celebration of workers' economic and social contributions to thesociety. However, rather arranging a festivity tocommemorate the event, the Philippine Embassy and the Association for Korea-Philippines Administration (AKPA)organized a forum last May 3 at the basement chapel of the Hyewhadong Catholic Church in Seoul.The 4-hour gathering produced constructive and valuablesuggestions for enhancing cooperative efforts of both thePhilippines and South Korea in combating economicchallenges confronting OFWs amidst the worsening globalfinancial crisis.The current global financial crisis has reinforced the needfor closer economic ties among the Asian nations, whichhave been severely hit by massive currency fluctuationsset off by debt insolvency in larger economies. In SouthKorea, the crisis has resulted to low production in manycompanies. Low production means probable job losses or reduction in work time thus adding burden to migrantworkers' plight in navigating the economic crunch.Keynoting the event, Filipino economics and businessprofessor Maragtas S.V. Amante of Hanyang Universityin Ansan said that the realities of labor in the global econ-omy invites us to have a deep reflection on the situation,in relation to the progress and future of humanity. Profes-sor Amante, who is a former Dean of the School of Labor and Industrial Relations of the University of the Philippinesemphasized that labor is about people and not a commod-ity to be bought or sold.In his keynote speech entitled

“

The Impact of the

lobalFinancial Crisis in Korea on Foreign

orkers

,”

Professor Amante said that the current economic crisis has been theresult of institutional flaws in the local and internationalfinancial systems. He called for reforms that would makethese systems fairer and more effective.

taewon, Seoul --

“W

e need to acti

ely take part inshaping the future of our nation by carefully choosingour leaders.

egistration is the first step

,”

Ambassador Luis T. Cruz said in his statement to SULYAPINOY. Ambassador Cruz emphasized the importance of theregistration process, as it is the key to ensuring thatFilipinos are able to practice their right to suffrage. It isthrough elections that Filipinos make a direct and imme-diate contribution to the growth and development of thecountry.The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) administersthe Overseas Absentee Voting (OAV) enlistment andelections

while the

epartment of Foreign Affairs’ OAVSecretariat implements them through the embassies andconsulates worldwide. This registration is the third OAVenlistment following the passage of the Overseas AbsenteeVoting Act in 2003.The embassy opened the registration on February 1 of thisyear, coinciding with its special consular services everyday, and every first and third Sunday of the month. While aregular field registration is being administered every 2ndand 4th Sunday in Hyewha-dong Catholic Church.Under the overseas absentee voting law, Filipinos over-seas can vote for candidates running for national positionssuch as President, Vice President, Senators, and Party ListRepresentatives aside from those in the local level.

“W

e ha

e so far 2

registrants since the registrationofficially started. There are currently more than 50,000 Filipinos in South Korea, approximately

(turn to page 2)

L-R: Professor Tae-myung Kim, Professor Sin-taek Kang,Professor Maragtas S.V. Amante

and

ebenson

eca

adiscussed labor issues during the Labor Day Forum held at thebasement chapel of the Hyewha-dong Catholic Chruch last May 3, 2009.

Photo by Felix Ferrer

(turn to page 2)

by Edward A. Castro

by Alden Balgos

Artists’ digital perspecti

e on the ‘One Philippines’ Exhibit to be held at the Seoul City Hall Plaza on May 29, 30 and 31, 2009.

NEWS

Korean, Filipino Professors..

would work beyond normal working hours or days with-out overtime pay.

“

Those who decided to become irregu-lar workers have no social protection like health insur-ance

accident insurance and pension

,”

Reca

a added.The global crisis has weakened the Korean won againstthe U.S. dollar significantly. This has reduced the pesoe

alent of the Filipino workers’ wages in won around30%. Therefore, the money that Filipino workers send totheir families is now 30% lower than what they used toremit.

“

The proposal of Professor Kim for language and techni-cal training for foreign workers is a good idea. However,the Ministry of Labor should coordinate closely with theembassies of the foreign workers or directly with theworkers' communities so the MOL would know what training programs are relevant to the workers and what communities must be gi

en more attention

,”

Reca

aconcluded.Other discussants who were present during the forumare Professor Jung-hyun Park, a visiting professor of theUniversity of Sto. Tomas, Professor Sung-yong Park of the Pyeontek University, and Mr. Kyong-sik Cho, a senior labor and public administration researcher of YonseiUniversity.

SULYAPINOY APRIL 2009

www.sulyapinoy.org

Ambassador Luis T. Cruz

Labor Attach

elmer

.Cruz, and Welfare Officer Esperanza C. Cobarrubiaslikewise graced the event as they read Labor Daycongratulatory messages in-behalf of PresidentGloria Macapagal-Arroyo, DOLE Secretary MarianitoD. Roque, and OWWA Administrator Carmelita S.Dimzon respectively. While Fr. Alvin Parantar, MSPof the Hyewhadong Filipino Catholic Community ledthe invocation, and Sofonias Paragsa, FEWAPresident, enjoined the participants in the singing of the Philippine national anthem. Also present are Mr. Byoung-sik Park, AKPA Presi-dent who gave his rather inspiring opening remarksto over 50 participants from different FilipinoCommunities, and Mr. Dae-hee Lee, President of theKorean Association for Public Administration (KAPA)who gave his congratulatory message to the FilipinoCommunity for its commendable contributions toSouth Korea for 60 years of bilateral partnership.Forum moderator Mr. Sin-taek Kang, an EmeritusProfessor of the Seoul University guided the partici-pants during the Question and Answer, whereas Mr.Yong-Chul Kim, also professor from BusanUniversity emceed the ceremony.

RP Embassy Urges OFWs...

“W

e coordinate

ery closely with the Filipino Com-munity. We issued reminders via email, newsletter,radio, website and church announcements.

Applicants must be a Filipino citizen. Must make apersonal appearance to the registration, present avalid passport or supporting travel documents, andmust be 18 years old by May 10, 2010.For dual citizens, applicants must present their truecopy of Order of Approval of his application to retainFilipino Citizenship. For seafarers, a copy of their Seaman's Book or other supporting documents arerequired.Registration will run until August 31, 2009. For inquiries, you may email 2010elec-tions@philembassy-seoul.com or call 82-2 796-7387~89. The voting period will start April 10, 2010until 3:00 p.m. Philippine time of May 10, 2010.Likewise, Papal Nuncio Osvaldo Padilla will officiatea catholic thanksgiving mass on the noon of 31st tobe followed by a program of the Philippine OverseasLabor Office and the Ministry of Labor. The twoagencies will gi

e recognition to Korean N

O’s andindividuals who are helping migrant workers.The 3-day celebration will feature cultural presenta-tions and performances that includes the KoreaMilitary Band, the National Dance Company of Korea, Fiestas Filipinas Show, and Korea-basedFilipino Bands. Also, Filipino recording artist KrisLawrence and Korean singer Park Sang-min willhighlight the musical concert on the evening of 31.The exhibit will be preceded by a fashion show atLotte Hotel on May 29, featuring a fusion of Philip-pine and Korean designs. While the Unveiling of theMarker at the UN Memorial Cemetery in Korea(UNMCK) in Busan will be held on May 28.

ews Bits

yehwadong Seoul- The Hyehwadong FilipinoCatholic Community

(

HFCC

)

holds it’s 12th AnnualBasketball Tournament at Seoul Catholic University last April 19, 2009.The new chairperson of the Sports of CommitteeMichael Panlilo stood as the master of ceremo-nies. While His Excellency Ambassador Luiz Cruz andFr. Alvin Parantar M.S.P. shared their inspirationalmessages to the players of the basketball league.Emily Dicolen-Abagat Ph.D., Chairperson of the HFCCEducation Committee led the oath of sportsmanship andasked the teams to sign the Covenant of Sportsmanship.The fourteen teams from different parts of Seoul andnearby cities proudly presented their uniforms andmuses. The Best in Uniform and Best Muse was edgedby the Mindoro Team.Succeeding games will be held at Bomun-dong HighSchool. Full schedule of the games and teams are avail-able at www.sambayanan.org

by Amie Sison

t has come to the Embassy’s attention that someFilipino workers in Korea have used their passportsas collaterals for personal loans filed with informallending institutions in Korea. This practice is strictlyprohibited under Philippine laws. The Embassy maybeconstrained to report the matter to the Department of Foreign Affairs. A violation of the Passport Law mayresult to the cancellation of the passport by theSecretary of Foreign Affairs.

nsan City, Gyeonggi-do

–

Amid the brisk weather brought by the spring season, the Ansan FilipinoCommunity held its Annual Basketball Tournament'sopening ceremony last April 26, at the Hanyang Universitygym.

Mr. Lim Young-seun, the city's Chief Administrator gracedthe event and delivered a congratulatory message inbehalf of city mayor Park Ju-won, who wasn't able toattend because of other commitments.

“

This year, Korea and Philippines is celebrating its 60 years of endearing relationship and I think this tournament is even making our relationship deeper and more mean-ingful

“

Mayor Park said.

“

I hope that this event makes you feel happy and joyful

”

He added.

To highlight the event, the search for Ms. Summer Girl2009 was held where nine young and gorgeous musesrepresenting the different teams competed for the title.Muses of FMWAS' Ms. Crisel Esayas and LAHV's Ms.Eileen Villamatter emerged as 2

runner-up and 1

runner -up respectively. While Venise Dumandan of Ilonggo Voltswas hailed as the 2009 Ms. Summer Girl.

The 12 competing teams are the following: Guardians,Lemerians, LAHV, GSL, Ilonggo Volts, PhilTrust Travel,FMWAS, Pampanga Brothers, Amianan, Mabuhay Blades,Pangasinan and Mexican Vismin.

The basketball tournament will run for 13 weeks. Champi-onship game is tentatively scheduled on July 26, 2009 atChoji High School Gym.

The event was hosted by former AFC presidents Billy Vela and Kathlia De Castro.

Community Correspondence

by Billy Vela

–

AFC

9,000 of whom are already in the database as registered

oters

,”

said DFA Vice Consul Arnel Talisayon.

“

Our goal is to ha

e as many of our kababayan take part on the electoral process

,”

Talisayon said, but at present,the turnout is still low because of what he called the "lastminute mentality" of

Pinoys

. However, he said he ishoping that the number of OAV registrants will increasebecause of the long registration period.The embassy also said that they are scheduling other field registration activities so that residents outside Seoul,such as those in Daegu and Busan, will have a chanceto register. Recently, the Pyupyong Community WelfareCenter in Incheon requested the embassy for fieldregistration.

“W

e also attend to the re

uests of the FilipinoCommunities

,”

Talisayon said.

We also enlist help in promoting the registration--SULYAPINOY is a good example of how Filipinos canhelp encourage their fellows to register

,”

Talisayonadded.

DOT Korea to Hold...

The highlight of the event will be the "Fiestas Filipinas!Grand Parade," which will go around downtown Seoul,showcasing Philippines' traditional festivals such as the

Ati-Atihan, Dinagyang, Sinulog, Kadayawan, Maskara,Panagbenga,

and

Flores de Mayo

.Further, in support to the different Filipino communitiesperforming in the street dance, the National Commissionfor Culture and Arts (NCAA) sent award-winning artists totrain the performers. Some of the groups undergoingrigid trainings are Bride of Jesus Christ, Light of Life, andCordillera Brotherhood Organization, among others.Tourism

irector and Attach

Maricon Basco-Ebron saidthat

“

this year is a banner year for both the Philippinesand Korea, and the participation of the different Filipinocommunities in the parade will give the celebration moremeaning and flavor

”

There will also be Filipino cooking demonstrations alongwith food stalls selling authentic

pinoy

dishes, fruits,souvenirs and event memorabilia.

EDITORIAL

D I S C L A I M E R

Different opinions are encourage to stimulatemember input and involvement.

SULYAPINOY’

srole is to provide information that permits

FEWA

members to develop informed opinions onsubjects that will affect their status as migrantworkers and, in some instances, their personallives. FEWA does not hold itself responsible for statements made by any contributor. Statementsor opinions expressed in SULYAPINOY reflect theviews of the author(s) and not the official policy of FEWA unless so stated.

For Comments, Suggestions, Contributions& Advertisements

Please submit them to our website or to the following emails below:

All Staff:

editorialstaff@sulyapinoy.org

sulyap.editorialstaff@gmail.com

We reserve the right to refuse any submission we deem does not meet our policies and guidelines.

*SULYAPINOY

is still in need of writers and community correspondents. Interested may email theEditorial Staff for more details.

Thank you for your time and interest!

SULYAPINOY Office Address:

115-9 Songbuk-gu, Songbuk 1 dong, Songbuk Villa, Seoul, Korea 136-020

FEWA Office Address & SULYAPINOY Distribution Center:

Inside WOORI BANK, Hyehwa-dong Branch, Jongno-gu, Seoul

EDITORIAL STAFF

Editor-in-Chief:

Edward A. Castro

Managing Editor:

Alden C. Balgos

Opinion Editor:

ebenson B.

eca

News Editor:

Edward A. Castro

Literary Editor:

Amie Sison

Cartoonist:

Alden C. Balgos

Photojournalist:

Felix S. Ferrer

Layout Artist:

ЏħΣ

Circulation Managers:

Teofilo C. Camo

;

Alwyin A. Casi

;

Marcelino M. Serde

a III

Community Correspondents:

Billy Vela (Ansan); Anthony Carl Dacones (Kasan)Valentino de Guzman (Gimhae, Busan); Maria Elena Famor (Ulsan)

Contributor/s:

Joan Romero (Literary), the Philippine Embassy

Adviser:

Ma. Regina P. Arquiza

Editorial Consultant:

Elizer M. Pe

aranda

BOARD OF PUBLICATION

Chairman:

ebenson B.

eca

aV-Chairman: Marcelino M. Serde

Secretary:

Rodney Queman

Board of Publication in:

Outreach, Recreation and Religious Program:

Alden C. Balgos

Budget and Finance:

Marcelino M. Serde

a III

SULYAPINOY Website Development and Maintenance:

Dondave Jabay

Newsletter Sponsorship Program:

Annabelle Lopez

Training & Workshop:

Ehd G. Villarta Jr.

Board Consultants:

Fr. Alvin B. Parantar, MSP; Prof. Emely Dicolen-Abagat, Ph.D.

FEWA President:

Sofonias N. Paragsa

www.sulyapinoy.org

SULYAPINOY APRIL 2009

This

year marks the 60th Year of BilateralRelations between the Philippines andSouth Korea. This began on March 3, 1949 when thePhilippines became the fifth country to recognize theRepublic of Korea. Our countries later became allies inthe 1950's during the Korean war when the Philippinesanswered South Korea's call for help to defend itself fromattacks of the North and sent more than 7,000 soldiers of the Philippine Expeditionary Force to Korea (PEFTOK).To highlight the momentous event, various activities andfestivities in both our countries are planned to celebratesix decades of partnership, raise mutual awarenessamongst each other's people, culture, and commonhistory. Though there were times of great challengeduring that history, we are now poised to enter into anew era of mutual effort to strengthen our ties. Themed

“

Nurturing a Meaningful Friendship

”,

the celebration willreflect the significance of our diplomatic ties with SouthKorea, and our desire to find new ways to bring greater economic, socio-cultural, and development opportunitiesto people of both our countries. Although economic interests between our nations tend togarner most of the headlines, labor and migration issuesshould not be ignored. There are over 60,000 Filipinos inSouth Korea which comprises students, workers, profes-sionals, missionaries, and spouses of Korean nationals,while South Koreans are our number one tourists,foreign students and retirees. A conservative estimate of 100,000 Koreans live in the Philippines at present.Needless to say, there are pressing issues between thetwo countries. South Korean President Lee Myung-bakcommitted to properly respond to the ever growing needsof migrant workers. Likewise, both RP and ROK labor agencies have confirmed that they will continually holdworking-level consultations on the improvement of theEmployment Permit System (EPS).However, salient issues such as pre-mature cancel-lation of contracts, denial of medical and financialbenefits, discrimination and basic rights violations,as well as the removal of workers' free food andaccommodation are all adding pressure to migrantworkers' worsening situation . Further, domesticviolence against women married to Korean nationalsare on the rise. South Korea is urged to promptlyand sincerely address these issues.Korea's multicultural policies focus primarily on thosewho are residing permanently in Korea, therebyexcluding temporary workers. Most Koreans hereare not so aware of the differences that exist invarious cultures. As the nation is geared towardbecoming a multicultural society, the Korean govern-ment should open up the education system to intro-duce as well as broaden students' knowledge of cultural abundance, giving them practical experiencein dealing with foreigners early in life. The attitudesof Koreans must change. The Philippine governmenton the other hand, must provide adequate support toall OFWs through improved social services such asretooling programs in order to remain competitiveand enable them to take full advantage of job oppor-tunities and substantial paying jobs; as well ascomprehensive reintegration and livelihood servicesto help retrenched workers and their families with-stand the current global financial crunch.With the maturity of our bilateral ties, both our coun-tries can afford to be frank and honest with oneanother in terms of improving our relations, andcontinue to engage in productive talks on issues thataffects our relationship. Transparency and uncom-promising on laws and regulations governing people-to-people exchange would send positive signals toother potential partners in both our countries.Building in sustainable and reliable policies for foreigninvestment in the labor, trade and industry sectors, aswell as in other areas of importance to Philippines'economic diversification, thus bringing further opportu-nities for growth. A framework for cooperation that isbroader than bilateral relations is necessary to tacklethe issues. In the midst of world financial and eco-nomic crisis, it is with hope that the leaders of both our countries will make all possible efforts to enhancecooperation.Both our countries have come too far in building our diplomatic foundation based on reciprocity of mutualinterests. Yet, there is much work to be done. The roadhas been laid for the future of RP-ROK relations toinclude economic growth, prosperity and opportunitiesfor both our people. Despite of the global economiccrisis, we are all optimistic that the future is bright --bright for the Philippines, bright for Korea.