03 December 2023, Seoul. The Philippine Embassy in Seoul welcomed the Philippine delegation comprised of local chief executives and officials from local government units (LGUs) on 28 November 2023 who are in the Republic of Korea to participate in the 2023 Course on Local Governance and Innovation for Local Economic Development organized by the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP), in cooperation with the Korea Development Institute School of Public Policy and Management. The course is part of the implementation of the Adaptive Governance and Innovation for Local Executives or AGILE program initiated by Senator Francis N. Tolentino which aims to enhance the skills of local chief executives towards implementation of key governmental functions.

Philippine Ambassador to the Republic of Korea H.E. Theresa Dizon-De Vega in her remarks said that the training program will help local executives benchmark best practices in pursuit of policies towards inclusive governance. She also conveyed that the Philippine Embassy stands ready to assist members of Philippine government in connecting LGUs to Korean stakeholders for partnerships and capacity building, especially in good governance and sustainable development.

Hon. Edgardo A. Ramos, Mayor of Pila, Laguna as the Deputy Mission Leader expressed appreciation to the Philippine Embassy for organizing the briefing session, a gesture he said that added depth and significance to the study mission.

Third Secretary and Vice Consul Reisha L. Olavario presented an overview of Philippines and Republic of Korea relations as well as the programs and activities of the Philippine Embassy in Seoul.

The Philippine Embassy in South Korea continues to support trainings and capacity-building of PH civil servants, cognizant of the value each local government leader brings in the transformative goal of the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028.END