With bilateral diplomatic ties of the 70th anniversary next year as a turning point, Korea-Philippines relations are being newly illuminated in addition to President Moon’s New Sourthern Policy.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s official visit to Korea at the beginning of June this year gave an important boost for consolidating bilateral diplomatic relations, according to the Embassy of the Philippines.

Philippines Independence Day 120th anniversary reception held at a downtown hotel Seoul on June 14th evening under the auspices of the Philippines Embassy also gave such glimpse on how Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is leading the Philippines, on which areas the Philippines Government lays its priorities for enhancing ties with Korea and last but not least what the vision of the Philippines Government is for generations to follow etc.

Touching upon a recent Summit between President Moon and his counterpart Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, Philippines Amb. Raul S. Hernandez said: “Ambisyon Natin 2040(National Vision 2040) is the policy the Philippine Government is pursuing with goals to join the ranks of upper-middle income economies by 2040 and to ensure a healthy “prosperous, predominantly middle-class society where no one is poor” and trust prevails.

Currently, as the tourism industry continues to be a vital pillar of the Philippine economy, the Philippine government, through the Department of Tourism, is expected to intensify efforts to draw more overseas tourists to the Philippines’ shores, according to Hernandez.

Banking on its “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” and “Visit the Philippines” campaigns, the Philippines is employing effective promotional tactics in South Korea to lure more Korean tourists. New initiatives to be launched this year are expected to raise the popularity of the Philippines as one of the major tourism destinations for South Korean travelers and to yield bright prospects for the expansion of tourism between the Philippines and South Korea.

On the socio-cultural front, the Philippines regards strong people-to-people exchanges as one of the most meaningful and moving anchors of its relations with any international partner, Philippines envoy Hernandez added. By fostering greater understanding and interaction among peoples, societies and cultures become further enhanced and interconnected, according to Hernandez.

With South Korea, interaction between Filipinos and Koreans continues to grow on an upward trajectory. More and more Filipinos go to South Korea for work, while Koreans continue to travel, study, and start businesses in the Philippines. Currently, there are more than 100,000 Korean permanent residents in the Philippines and about 68,000 Filipinos working and residing in South Korea. And given the two countries’ deep historical and cultural affinity with each other, the potential for more active and dynamic people-to-people exchanges in the future is almost guaranteed, Hernandez stressed by his speech.

This year, the Philippines celebrates its 120th Independence Day. Commemorated annually every 12th of June, “Araw ng Kalayaan,” or “Day of Freedom,” celebrates the courage of Filipino forebears whose heroic deeds led to the Philippines’ independence, according to the Embassy of the Philippines. This year’s theme, “change we fought for, an offering to an abundant future,” pays homage to the pains of the past that paved the way to the gains the country has achieved in recent years.