Binay woos Filipinos in S.Korea

MANILA, Philippines – Vice President Jejomar C. Binay assured Filipinos in Seoul that the Philippine government is in constant coordination with the South Korean government to address problems encountered by those working and living there.

In a statement released by his office on Sunday, March 25, the country’s most trusted official and a potential presidential bet in the 2016 polls talked about immigration concerns of OFWs, as well as Filipina women married to Koreans, when he spoke before around 1,000 Filipinos at St. Benedict’s Church.

“You are not alone in your problems. The Philippine government is with you. The government, through our embassy here in Korea, is in continuing discussions with Korean authorities,” he reportedly told them in Filipino. 

Binay, the concurrent Presidential Adviser on Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) Concerns, reportedly also mentioned that a recently passed law in South Korea ensures the speedy processing of documents of returning workers, while the Korean government is also relaxing immigration to allow more migrant workers, especially in the hotel and restaurant industry.

He also cited a recently signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Commission on Filipinos Overseas and the Korean Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. “The aim of this MOU is to provide protection to Filipinos who are married to Koreans,” he said.
 
There are over 50,000 Filipinos in South Korea.

Nuclear summit

The Vice President is in Seoul to attend the 2012 Nuclear Security Summit as the representative of President Benigno Aquino III.

The 2-day Nuclear Security Summit will focus on minimizing the threat of nuclear-armed terrorism and securing or destroying the world’s supplies of plutonium and highly enriched uranium.

Also attending the conference are United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, United States President Barack Obama and more than 50 heads of state and government from around the world.

On Sunday, March 25, US President Obama visited the tense inter-Korean border, calling it “freedom’s frontier,” as he weighs a response to North Korea’s planned rocket launch. – Rappler.com