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DEPARTMENT
OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
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DEPARTMENT
OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
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SFA-AGR-181-08 |
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ASEAN-ROK Dialogue Partnership SUPPORTS RP PROJECTS |
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24 March 2008 - Three projects proposed by the Philippines were given approval and funding support at the 10th ASEAN-Republic of Korea (ROK) Planning and Review Committee (JPRC) held in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia on 12-14 March 2008. Aimed at improving capacity-building in core areas, these projects which are at various levels of implementation are the ASEAN-ROK Cooperation on Industrial Use of Marine Biological Resources; Assessment of the State of the Art of Marine Bio-Technology in the ASEAN Region; the Planning Workshop to Develop an ASEAN Consortium of Schools of Social Work and Practices; and the ASEAN Independent Cinema Project. The University of the Philippines, the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Philippine Information Agency, respectively, are involved in the implementation of the aforementioned projects.
The ASEAN-ROK JPRC Meeting is an annual meeting between the ASEAN Country Coordinator and the ROK to discuss cooperation in social and cultural areas. The Meeting was co-Chaired by Deputy Director-General Chuah Teong of ASEAN-Malaysia and Senior Coordinator Cha Young-cheol of the South Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of ROK. The Philippines was represented by Director Lolita Capco of the Office of ASEAN Affairs, Department of Foreign Affairs.
The Republic of Korea funds projects under the ASEAN-ROK development cooperation which has expanded to cover the areas of trade, investment, transport, tourism, agriculture, science and technology, ICT, environment, health, human resource development, culture, people-to-people exchange and narrowing the development gaps.
ASEAN-ROK development cooperation projects and programmes have been implemented and supported by the ASEAN-ROK Special Cooperation Fund (SCF) and Future Oriented Cooperation Project (FOCP) Fund. The SCF provides funding for mainstream projects while the FOCP provides funding for cultural cooperation, particularly in the promotion of people-to-people exchanges.
In 2007, with a budget of almost US$ 4 million, 11 projects were completed under the Special Cooperation Fund (SCF), while 7 projects were completed under the Future Oriented Cooperation Project Fund (FOCPF).
The Meeting also discussed progress in the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding on the Establishment of an ASEAN-ROK Centre signed at the sidelines of the 11th ASEAN-ROK Summit in November 2007 in Singapore. Mr. Cha Young-cheol, Head of the ROK Delegation, informed the meeting that the ROK government has made preparations to open the Center between the months of June and August 2008. The Center is envisaged to be a one-stop activity center to promote trade, tourism, culture and education between the countries of ASEAN and ROK. END.
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