Seoul, 14 September 2010 – Former Pres. Fidel Ramos donated several items, including books, photographs, videos and a replica of a uniform used by soldiers of the Philippine Expeditionary Force to Korea (PEFTOK), to the Korean War Memorial Museum in a ceremony marking the 60th Anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War.

Pres. Ramos led a 30-man delegation composed of veterans and families of the PEFTOK, which was deployed by the Philippines as part of the United Nations Command to help defend South Korea from a surprise communist invasion on June 25, 1950.

“May these modest memorabilia serve the purpose of enhancing the understanding and appreciation of our shared history by younger generations,” said Pres. Ramos, who led successful combat operations as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 20th Battalion Combat Team (BCT) of the PEFTOK.

Pres. Ramos and the Filipino veterans are in South Korea upon the invitation of the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs. The donations are expected to increase awareness about the role of the Philippines in securing the freedom of South Korea.

The names of those who perished during the Korean War are engraved in the Museum, which also contains a special section detailing the involvement of countries that extended assistance to South Korea. The Philippines deployed 7,420 soldiers in five battalions from 1950 to 1955, of whom 112 were killed in action including Captain Conrado Yap. Captain Yap won the Philippine Medal of Valor, the top combat award of the Philippines, for the heroism of the 10th BCT in the Battle of Yultong in April 1951.

“It is said that, ‘a nation reveals itself not only by the individuals it produces, but also by those it honors and those it remembers,’” Pres. Ramos asserted.

Prior to the ceremony, Pres. Ramos met with members of the Filipino Community at the Philippine Embassy in Seoul on 13 September, where he emphasized that the relevance of commemorative activities lies in making full use of the hard-earned lessons of history, in which unity, enduring peace and sustainable development are humanity’s highest benefits.

Pres. Ramos exhorted the community to treasure and safeguard the freedom and relative peace that the region now enjoys because of the concerted efforts of like-minded nations.

Pres. Ramos also awarded outstanding individuals from the Filipino Community in South Korea, including the winners of the recent Photography Contest conducted by the Philippine Embassy to help document the lives of some 50,000 Filipinos who now live in South Korea.