SEOUL, 8 November 2015 –The Philippines reaffirmed its commitment to intensify regional cooperation in forest conservation and reforestation by attending the inauguration of the National ASEAN Recreation Forest on 29 October 2015 in the picturesque mountainous area of Baekseouk-eup, Yangju city, Gyeonggi province.

The National ASEAN Recreation Forest was established by the ROK to commemorate the robust cooperation between the ROK and ASEAN member states in the pursuit of a greener future for the Asian region and to generate greater awareness of the need for heightened community involvement in forest conservation and reforestation. The ASEAN-ROK Forest Cooperation (AFoCo) Secretariat serves as the regional cooperation mechanism for fostering forestry cooperation between ASEAN member states and the ROK, following the entry into force of the Agreement between ASEAN member states and the ROK on Forest Cooperation on 5 August 2012. In welcome remarks during the Opening Ceremony, the Honorable Yong-Ha Kim, Deputy Minister of the Korea Forest Service expressed hope that the National ASEAN Recreation Forest wouldcontribute towards promoting greater appreciation and understanding of sustainable forest management and the cultures of ASEAN countries as well as induce social cohesion by providing a retreat for multi-cultural families. In his congratulatory remarks, the Honorable Sung-Ho Jung, Member of the National Assembly lauded the Korea Forest Service for launching this noteworthy project. The speeches were followed by the hoisting of national flags by officials from ROK and ASEAN member states, ribbon-cutting, tree-planting and hand printing ceremony . The inaugural ceremony concluded with a guided tour of the National ASEAN Recreation Forest and the recreational pavilions representing the diverse architectural styles of ROK and ASEAN member states. The Philippine pavilion attracted the interest of visitors since it was in the iconic bahay kubo style with a sculpture of the legendary Filipino hero Lapu-Lapu in front of the pavilion. The National ASEAN Recreation Forest is open to the general public. Reservations to visit the National ASEAN Recreation Forest can be done online through website of the Korea Forest Service at www.huyang.go.kr.