Philippines-Korea Friendship Year Taking Off
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter
As the Philippines and South Korea mark 60 years of diplomatic relations this year, Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo hopes to further strengthen ties and cooperation with South Korea.
``At a time when the world is facing significant challenges from the global financial crisis to a looming health pandemic and geopolitical threats, it is important that relationships such as that between the Philippines and Korea are further strengthened, because solutions to these and other challenges we both face will only come from regional cooperation,'' Arroyo told The Korea Times in an e-mail interview.
Arroyo arrived in Seoul for a state visit May 30, and headed to Jeju Island for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-Korea Commemorative Summit, from June 1 to 2.
Ties between the Philippines and Korea officially began on March 3, 1949, when the Philippines became the fifth country to extend diplomatic recognition to South Korea.
During the Korean War, the Philippines dispatched the first of five battalions on Sept. 19, 1950 to help South Korea's efforts to combat communists from the North. Over the next five years under the United Nations Command, more than 7,000 Filipino soldiers were deployed to Korea, including former Philippine President Fidel V. Ramos.
``Since then, our cooperation with South Korea has expanded to include all sectors, such as political-security, economic and socio-cultural development. Today, our relations encompass diverse areas. People-to-people exchange is vibrant. South Korea is our top source of tourists, foreign retirees, and students. It is also our 7th largest trading partner, 7th biggest export market, and 7th largest source of imports. Meanwhile, approximately 60,000 Filipinos have found a second home in South Korea as professionals, students, workers, missionaries, and spouses of Korean nationals,'' Arroyo said.
To celebrate this milestone, Arroyo declared March 3, 2009 as ``Philippines-Korea Friendship Day'' and the year 2009 as ``Philippines-Korea Friendship Year.''
Various events have been held as part of the yearlong celebration. The Philippine Embassy produced a film ``The Forgotten War,'' about the Filipino soldiers during the Korean War. A new Philippine Expeditionary Force to Korea Memorial Hall is being built in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig, Metro Manila. The Korean Armed Forces turned over 15 T-41B trainer aircraft to the Philippine Air Force as a token of friendship.
In Seoul, the One Philippines exhibition was held in front of City Hall on May 30 and 31. Arroyo attended the exhibition, which showcased the Philippines' culture and history, as well as education and business opportunities.
Building Stronger Ties
Trade, investments, tourism, and cultural exchange between the two countries have flourished in recent years.
South Korea is one of the Philippines' biggest trade partners, with bilateral business of about $5.06 billion. Korean investments worth over $3 billion topped the list of the Philippines' foreign direct investment inflows.
``The Philippines offers great value for investment for Korean businesses due to our stable economic environment, a work force that is highly proficient in English and that is talented and hard-working and strong government support and actions we are taking to create an even more investment-friendly environment,'' Arroyo said.
The Philippine Trade and Investment Center of the embassy in Seoul is continuously working to encourage more Korean investments. Among the areas for expansion are trade of fresh and processed foods and high-end furniture; and importation of IT services including English as Second Language (ESL) language training.
Arroyo also sees the potential for greater cooperation in education and cultural exchange. ``Greater mutual understanding will help foster stronger ties and cooperation between the peoples of our two countries,'' she added.
South Koreans have flocked to the Philippines, where English is one of its official languages, for English education. There are over 100,000 Koreans currently living in the Philippines, many of who are studying in local schools that offer English curriculum.
Building on the Philippines' advantage in English education, the government is looking at further promoting ``education tourism,'' which combines English learning with cultural experience for Koreans; and English training for Korean educators.
``A major area we are promoting is education tourism. We have been offering a range of ESL programs and other study tours to students looking for a cultural and educational experience and in recent years, we have seen a spike in the number of Korean students taking advantage of this unique opportunity. These programs have proven to be highly successful and we are exploring ways to further enhance them to ensure that we provide visiting students with a well-rounded and valuable experience,'' Arroyo said.
The Philippines also hopes to continue attracting Korean tourists to its famed beaches in Boracay, Palawan, Cebu, among others. South Korea is the number one source of tourists to the Philippines in the last three years. In 2008 alone, more than half a million Korean tourists visited the country.
``As an island nation with over 7,100 islands, we are not crowded with tourists ― there is plenty of room for every Korean visitor to see the unblemished beauty of our nation. We have some of the world's most pristine beaches, beautiful mountain vistas, and rich tropical forests, and the greatest asset of all: our people. We are famous worldwide for our warmth, generosity and hospitality and the growth we are seeing in our tourism sector is testament to that,'' she said.
The government is making investments to improve airports, roads, ports, and inter-island connectivity to make it more convenient and attractive to tourists.
ASEAN-Korea Relations
This year marks the 20th anniversary of dialogue relations between ASEAN and Korea. Leaders from ASEAN and Korea have gathered in Jeju Island for the ASEAN-Korea summit.
As one of the founding member countries of ASEAN, the Philippines has placed great importance on regional integration, as well as Korea's role in the integration process and as a stakeholder in the region's future.
``As we commemorate the 20th anniversary of dialogue relations between ASEAN and South Korea, we celebrate not only the long and mutually beneficial ties that, for decades, have been the driving force of the economic strength of our region, but also continued positive relations between the nations of ASEAN and South Korea that will continue for many years to come,'' Arroyo said.
The Philippine President noted that ASEAN and Korean leaders will discuss ways to further fortify its relationship and cooperation to improve regional economic development and security, and to build a stronger, safer region.
This important relationship between Korea and ASEAN reached new heights with the signing of the Joint Declaration on Comprehensive Cooperation Partnership at the 8th ASEAN-ROK summit, Nov. 30, 2004 in Vientiane, Laos.
``That Joint Declaration was the turning point in ASEAN-ROK relations. It is also a testament to the strong partnership we share and the basis for the positive collaboration that exists between Korea and ASEAN member countries. It is working to further enhance what is already a flourishing partnership that encompasses a wide range of sectors from economic development and trade to regional security and cultural exchange. We hope to further build upon that Joint Declaration to expand on our areas of cooperation for the benefit of the peoples of our nations and our region,'' Arroyo said.
Regional security is one of the top priorities of ASEAN and Korea, especially regarding North Korea.
``We must continue to work together to bolster regional stability and security. ASEAN will continue to play a constructive role to build bridges in the dialogue with North Korea, such as through the ASEAN Regional Forum, helping create an environment of trust and confidence conducive to the Six-Party Talks and North Korea's further engagement with the international community,'' Arroyo said.
As for the future of ASEAN-Korea relations, the Philippine President is very upbeat, especially in the economic and trade fronts.
She noted the early implementation of the ASEAN-Korea Trade in Services Agreement is essential to ensure mutual economic benefits. The agreement aims to liberalize trade in services in the region.
President Arroyo said, ``Both sides also look forward to an ASEAN-Korea free trade agreement that would catalyze stronger trade and investment links between our two regions. Korea is now already the fifth largest trading partner of ASEAN.
``Moreover, ASEAN member states have become the number one partner of Korean construction companies. South Korea is also among the top source countries of tourists to ASEAN countries. It is clear that our links are strong and we will continue to ensure on-going dialogue and progress in strengthening these important ties,'' Arroyo said.