14 August 2024, Seoul - The Philippine Embassy in Seoul, together with the Migrant Workers Office - OWWA joined the EPS Workers Festival organized by the Human Resource Development Service in Korea (HRDK) to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Korea's Employment Permit System (EPS) on 11 August 2024 in Kintex, Ilsan.

Ambassador Theresa Dizon-De Vega joined HRDK President Lee Woo Young in the commemorative event, and met with the hardworking Filipino EPS workers who participated in the festival.

The Ambassador led the HRDK officials and representatives of other sending countries in a tour of the Philippine booth, which showcased the various programs and services of the Embassy and MWO-OWWA for the EPS workers, and which was visited by hundreds of EPS workers for information, fun games, and special treats. Other festival booths featured HRDK's on-the-spot trade tests and occupational safety and health quizzes, financial services for foreign workers, and help desks on workers compensation, pension and insurances, while the talent portion provided entertainment.

The video and photo gallery of the 20 years of EPS featured milestones which included, among others, the first Memorandum of Understanding on EPS signed with the Philippines, the first entry of 94 Filipino workers in August 2004, and the resumption of large-scale entry of Filipino workers following the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021.

The event likewise featured successful EPS worker returnees, including Mr. Jason Espana from the Philippines who was an EPS worker from 2013 to 2018. Through his hard work, he was able to build a house for his family and an accommodation rental for tourists. After returning home, he was employed in the Public Employment Service Office (PESO) and served as President of the Philippine OFW Association in Baler, Quezon providing reintegration services to his fellow OFWs. Joining Mr. Espana was Ms. Josephine Infante of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), which is the Philippine sending entity for EPS.

Since 2004, the Philippines has deployed over 84,000 Filipino workers to Korea. On the occasion of the 20th year of EPS, the Embassy joins the HRDK in recognizing the important role of the EPS workers in sustaining the growth of Korea's small and medium sized manufacturing companies and in the process improving the workers' lives, through orderly, transparent and fair government-to-government recruitment and employment practices. END