08 July 2023, Busan. The Philippines participated in the 1st Global Saemaul Undong Ministerial Meeting (GSMM) which was held from 4 to 7 July 2023 in Busan, Republic of Korea. The Philippine delegation was headed by Department of Agriculture Undersecretary Agnes Catherine T. Miranda together with Agriculture Attache Maria Alilia G. Maghirang, and Philippine Rural Development Project and Farm and Fisheries Clustering and Consolidation (F2C2) Program Director Shandy Hubilla. Delegates from thirty cooperative countries attended the ministerial meeting.

Saemaul Undong, under the flag of "Again Saemaul Undong, To the World and Beyond" promotes the spirit of diligence, self-help and cooperation globally as it became the driving force in ROK's attainment of economic development dubbed the "miracle on the Han."

Undersecretary Miranda thanked the ROK government for inviting the Philippines to participate in the GSMM. Delivering the PH intervention, she stated that "the early contribution of Saemaul Undong in the eradication of poverty in rural Korea is an achievement worth commending, changing the paradigm of what community development ought to be, to its holistic approach to modernization. Indeed, this is a great opportunity for us to learn Saemaul Undong, its role in sustainable development, both at the regional and the national level."

The Philippines proposed a bilateral MOU on Saemaul Undong Cooperation with ROK, which aims to facilitate rural and urban development, poverty eradication, and to promote mutual cooperation between the two countries for the successful implementation of Saemaul Undong during the ministerial meeting. DA's F2C2 Program and the National Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture Program (NUPAP) commits to engage closely with the Korean Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS) in fostering Saemaul Undong Cooperation in the Philippines.

Philippine Ambassador to Korea Theresa Dizon-De Vega commended DA's initiatives in pursuing active agriculture and fisheries cooperation with ROK and now integrated development through the Saemaul Undong. "The Philippines, like the Republic of Korea, is equally zealous in solving problems of poverty by building communities and creating platforms for productivity and prosperity. And like the Saemaul Undong Movement, we seek to engage all sectors to work together in ending poverty. We look forward to the signing of the Philippines-ROK MOU on Saemaul Undong Cooperation", she said.

The MOU on Saemaul Undong Cooperation will open opportunities for sharing of experiences and arrangements in rural and urban agricultural development, as well as the organizational development of farmers cooperatives and associations (FCAs), through learning exchange programs with Saemaul Undong officers and/or volunteers; cooperation in the field of Community Credit Cooperatives ("Saemaul Geumgo"); training of agriculture personnel, Farm and Fisheries Clustering and Consolidation Program implementers, cluster leaders, farmer and fisherfolk groups, and local leaders in Saemaul Undong activities and agricultural operations such as production, processing and market facilitation and linkage; among others. END