3 July 2011 - The Philippine Embassy in Seoul reported that in commemoration of the 150th birth anniversary of Dr. Jose Rizal, it organized a whole day event for the Filipino community last June 19 in Kasan.
Kasan is a town around one and a half hours away from Seoul, where one of the biggest numbers of Filipino migrant workers and spouses reside.
One of the activities that the Embassy conducted with the Filipino community was a Filipino cultural program for the multi-cultural children and their parents.
A video animation of Filipino folk tales was shown and a short introduction of the national hero was also given to the children of Filipino Korean spouses.
On behalf of the Embassy, Consul General Sylvia Marasigan together with Cultural Officer Mylo Fausto, donated a collection of various educational materials on Philippine culture, which included Dr. Rizal's "The Monkey and the Turtle," to the Good Multi-cultural Family Center.
In the afternoon, Consul General Marasigan led a tree planting ceremony in honor of the Philippine national hero, who was a staunch advocate for the protection of the environment.
An all-weather pine tree was donated by the Kasan Local Government and planted within the premises of the Kasan Migrants Community Center.
Other Embassy representatives and its attached agencies, Filipino community leaders and the parish priest of Kasan Catholic Community participated in the ceremony.
Following the tree planting ceremony, Filipino community members viewed a documentary film entitled "Signos: Banta ng Nagbabagong Klima," a production of GMA News and Public affairs, featuring the impact of climate change in the Philippines and the measures that must be taken to prevent its disastrous consequences.
At the end of the day's events, copies of the book entitled "Finding Jose Rizal in South Korea," were distributed to the 200 participants who attended the celebration.
The book is a compilation of essays written by Filipino migrant workers in Korea and was published by the Embassy in 2010. END.