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SEOUL REPUBLIC OF KOREA

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PH NATIONAL BOBSLED TEAM PLACES IN THE KOREA CUP 2025


(PHOTOS - Above: Ms. Miran Shin, coach of the PH team and former KOR national bobsled team member (4th from left), Mr. Arram Kim, Race Director of Korea Cup 2025 (5th from left) with the PH National bobsled team and Embassy Cultural Officer Anthony Z. Cornista Below: The PH National bobsled team at the Pyeongchang Olympic Sliding Center, Pyeongchang, Gangwon province, South Korea).

02 March 2025, Pyeongchang, South Korea - The Philippine National Bobsled Team recently competed in the Korea Cup 2025 held from 27-28 February 2025 at the Pyeongchang Olympic Sliding Center in Gangwon province, South Korea. The Philippine contingent composed of seven (7) active members from the Philippine Coast Guard garnered 2nd place in the female team 2-woman bobsled and 4th place in the male team 2-man bobsled competitions. 

 The female team is composed of Ms. Reah Joy P. Sumalpong (driver) and Ms. Shirley G. Salamagos (brakeman), while the male team is composed of Messrs. Eugene P. Etrata (driver), John Froilan C. Pascual (brakeman), John Onil A. Alcaide (reserve brakeman), Team Coach Jeffrey G. Dela Cruz (reserve driver/brakeman), and Team Manager/OIC Ens Heins Lundberg G. Arlegui.  

(PHOTOS – Left: Mr. Arram Kim, Race Director of Korea Cup 2025 spearheaded the training of the PH team at the Pyeongchang Olympic Sliding Centre facilities. Right: PH athlete at the Olympic Sliding Centre.)
Mr. Arram Kim, Head of Education of the Pyeongchang 2018 Legacy Foundation invited our athletes to participate last October 2024 in the New Horizons Academy, an international youth training program for winter sports, and to also train at the Pyeongchang Olympic Sliding Centre facilities. The program and training started in October 2024 and concluded this February 2025 with the holding of the Korea Cup 2025.
(PHOTOS: Above - The Philippine National Bobsled Team calls on Ambassador Dizon-De Vega at the Sentro Rizal Conference Room. Below: Officers and Staff of the Embassy together with the PH team attend the Monday flag-raising ceremony.)
In addition, a Memorandum of Understanding and Declaration of Friendship was also signed between the Philippine National Bobsled Luge and Skeleton Association (PNBSLA) Inc., the Korea Bobsleigh Skeleton Federation (KBSF), the 2018 Pyeongchang & 2024 Gangwon Legacy Foundation (PGLF) and Pyeongchang County in November 2024. Signatories to the MOU are President and CEO Thelmo O. Cunanan, Jr. of the PNBSLA, President Chanmin Chyun of KBSF, Secretary General Seoungku Kang of PGLF and Deputy Mayor Seonghyun Hwang of Pyeongchang County. 

The MOU signing and participation of the PH National Bobsled Team in the Korea Cup 2025 comes at a time when the Philippines and Korea are celebrating the 75th Anniversary of the establishment of Diplomatic Relations. 

The Team was welcomed by Philippine Ambassador Theresa Dizon-de Vega at the Philippine Embassy in Seoul after their participation in the Korea Cup while the Embassy’s Cultural Officer Anthony Cornista witnessed the competition in Pyeongchang. END

 

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November 13, 2025
PRESIDENT MARCOS HONORS FILIPINO KOREAN WAR VETERANS AT THE UNITED NATIONS MEMORIAL CEMETERY IN KOREA

Busan, Republic of Korea - H.E. Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., President of the Republic of the Philippines, paid tribute to the valor and sacrifice of Filipino soldiers who served in the Korean War (1950–1953) during a solemn visit to the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Korea (UNMCK) in Busan on 2 November 2025. President Marcos, accompanied by First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos, was received by Ambassador SUH Jeong-in, Custodian of the UNMCK. Also in attendance were Secretary of Foreign Affairs Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro, Secretary of the Presidential Communications Office Dave O. Gomez, and Philippine Ambassador to the Republic of Korea Bernadette Therese C. Fernandez. Representing the Government of the Republic of Korea was Minister Kwon Oh-eul of the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs (MPVA). At the Philippine marker within the cemetery grounds, President Marcos laid a wreath and offered prayers in honor of the 7,420 Filipino soldiers who served under the Philippine Expeditionary Forces to Korea (PEFTOK). The President paid special tribute to the 116 Filipino servicemen who gave their lives in the line of duty, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with their Korean and United Nations comrades in defense of peace, freedom, and democracy. The President also visited the Wall of Remembrance, where he read the names of the fallen Filipino PEFTOK heroes, some of whom hailed from his own hometown, before bowing his head in silent reflection. In the UNMCK guest book, President Marcos wrote:“We honour the Filipino soldiers of PEFTOK who valiantly fought and died shoulder-to-shoulder with their Korean comrades for freedom and democracy. Let us honour their legacy with lives that hold these principles still true. Mabuhay!” Following the ceremony, President Marcos and the First Lady participated in a ceremonial tree-planting at the Garden of the Heads of State, symbolizing the enduring friendship between the Philippines and the Republic of Korea and the lasting peace and solidarity forged through shared sacrifice. The visit reaffirmed the Philippines’ enduring commitment to peace, democracy, and international solidarity. It also underscored the shared history and steadfast friendship between the Philippines and the Republic of Korea, forged in the crucible of war and strengthened by a common dedication to peace and prosperity. The Philippines was among the first countries to send troops to the Korean Peninsula in 1950, deploying five battalion combat teams under PEFTOK as part of the United Nations Command. The courage and sacrifice of the 7,420 Filipino soldiers remain a proud testament to the Philippines’ unwavering contribution to global peace and security. The United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Korea is the only UN-designated memorial cemetery in the world and serves as the final resting place for over 2,300 soldiers from 14 nations who fought under the UN Command during the Korean War. The Philippines’ participation and continuing remembrance reflect the depth of the two nations’ historical ties and their mutual commitment to the values of democracy and peace. END

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SECRETARY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS MA. THERESA P. LAZARO ARRIVES IN KOREA FOR THE APEC MINISTERIAL MEETING

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