9 December 2023, Seoul - The Philippine Embassy in Seoul, together with the Migrant Workers Office ? OWWA and the attached agencies held the 2023 Year-end Filipino Community Leaders Forum and Paskong Pinoy Fellowship program on 09 December 2023 at the Sentro Rizal Hall of the Embassy.

The event was attended by 120 leaders and representatives of sixty (60) Filipino community organizations (FCO) and migrant institutional partners from all over South Korea.

In her special year-end message, Ambassador Ma. Theresa B. Dizon-De Vega said that the occasion is being kept simple in keeping with the Embassy's solidarity with people all over the world who continue to hope for world peace, unity, and healing.

Summing up her message in three words, the Ambassador conveyed her "pasasalamat" (gratitude and appreciation), "pagpupugay" (honor and pride), and "paghihikayat" (encouragement) to all the members of the Filipino community in South Korea led by their respective leaders. "The Embassy expresses our profound gratitude to all of you for we could not have successfully done all the activities and new initiatives this year without your valuable support and active engagement," the Ambassador added.

During the event, the Department of Migrant Workers Officer-in-Charge Hans Leo J. Cacdac and DFA Undersecretary Eduardo De Vega conveyed their special messages to the Filipino community.

The Embassy also presented its 2023 accomplishments and plans for 2024 in line with the celebration of the 75th year of PHL-ROK relations. The new Defense and Armed Forces Attache, Colonel Don Templonuevo, briefed the FilCom Leaders on Emergency Preparedness as well as the roles of the area coordinators during emergencies.

As part of the Embassy's efforts on capacity-building for the FilCom, Welfare Officer Aniceta G. Deuna presented the 1st of a series of leadership seminars featuring Financial Management 101 for FCOs. She provided detailed guidelines on how to keep, record, and report on the financial status of organizations in order to ensure transparent and viable financial management among the leaders.

As part of the forum, Ambassador Dizon-de Vega handed the Certificate of Registration to Kabayan Filipino Center as a newly registered Filipino Community Organization (FCO).
In the thanksgiving and fellowship segment, the FCO leaders and representatives were entertained by talented Filipino musicians based in Korea, special numbers, games, exchange of gifts, a raffle draw, and community singing of Filipino Christmas songs.

"On behalf of the Philippine Embassy and its attached agencies, we wish every Filipino community member and their families a blessed Christmas season, and a bountiful New Year", Ambassador de Vega said in her parting message. -END-