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PHILIPPINES AND GERMANY CONCLUDE NEGOTIATIONS ON SOCIAL SECURITY AGREEMENT

March 30, 2014

BERLIN – The final round of negotiations on a Philippine-German bilateral agreement on social security took place at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS) in Berlin from 24 to 28 March 2013.

Ambassador Maria Cleofe Natividad opened the negotiations and expressed optimism that the second round would succeed. She cited ‘positive signs’ for a prompt conclusion of the negotiations, such as the recent signing of a labor agreement facilitating the deployment of Filipino nurses to Germany as well as the ‘perfect timing’, as the Philippines and Germany are celebrating the 60th year of diplomatic relations in 2014.

The factors considered by the Philippine government to pursue the establishment of a social security agreement would be the number of Filipino migrant/contract workers in a particular country who would benefit from the agreement and the compatibility of social security schemes.

The main elements of the social security agreement include equality of treatment, export of benefits, determination of applicable legislation, maintenance of rights, and administrative assistance. For equality of treatment, this means that a Filipino who is a resident and employed in Germany shall be entitled to the same benefits granted to a German national under its social security law. For export of benefits, this means that if a Filipino migrant in Germany who is receiving a German pension decides to return permanently to the Philippines, the concerned German social security institution shall send his pension to him.

Further, a Filipino employed in Germany shall be covered by its social security law. He cannot at the same time be compulsorily covered under Philippine and German social security laws. In terms of administrative assistance, a Filipino who has reached retirement age need not return to the Philippines to file his claim under PH SSS law. He can proceed to the nearest office of the designated German liaison agency to fill up the form, and the said agency shall transmit the claim to its counterpart Philippine liaison agency

In terms of legislative scope, the social security agreement shall apply to retirement, disability and death benefits in accordance with the Social Security Act. It will also apply to retirement, disability, death and survivorship benefits in accordance with the Government Service Insurance Act. Further, it shall also impact on the totalization of periods of contributions under both laws, in accordance with the Portability Law.

The Philippine delegation from Manila was headed by Ms. Judy Frances See, Senior Vice President, International Operations Division, of the Social Security System (SSS). Joining her from SSS was Atty. Voltaire Agas, Chief Legal Counsel. Officials from the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (Philhealth) also joined the delegation, with Atty. Alfredo Pineda II, Senior Manager of the Internal Legal Department and Atty. Ma. Emily Roque, the Senior Manager for Prosecution. From the Philippine Embassy, Minister Mardomel Melicor, Third Secretary Azela Arumpac, and Ms. Isabelle Kuklinksi joined the negotiations. (END)

Philippines lauded by the German Business Community at OAV´s 94th Liebesmahl

March 10, 2014

Hamburg, 10 March 2014. The German Asia-Business Association (OAV) lauded the Philippines for its impressive economic performance at the 94th Liebesmahl on 7 March 2014 in Hamburg. OAV Chairman and Deutsche Bank co-CEO Juergen Fitschen invited Finance Secretary Cesar V. Purisima as the keynote speaker in recognition of the country’s improved competitiveness and Secretary Purisima’s commitment to economic reforms and good governance.

In his welcome remarks, Mr. Fitschen stressed that the Philippines was proving to be a true success story in the Asia Pacific region, with growth being underpinned by strong fundamentals in contrast to other emerging markets where growth has been artificially created. Mr. Fitschen was especially bullish about growth prospects in the Philippines and he noted that the German business community is gaining a keen awareness of the country’s core strength: its people. Deutsche Bank, for instance, employs more than 2,000 staff at its Deutsche Knowledge Services in Bonifacio Global City. Speaking extemporaneously before 400 high-level representatives from business and government, Secretary Purisima painted a vivid and detailed picture of the Philippine economy, whose 7.2% growth despite Typhoon Haiyan proved to be Asia’s second fastest growing economy in 2013. Mr. Purisima highlighted that the government’s good governance platform has translated to good economics and was contributing to a virtuous and self-reinforcing economic cycle.

For example, the government’s credit ratings upgrades have lowered borrowing costs and allowed the government extra fiscal space to increase spending in education, health and social services while local companies are capitalizing on cheaper credit to aggressively invest in infrastructure and industry. As ASEAN’s second largest population and one of Asia’s youngest with a median age of 22, the Philippines is benefiting from a demographic dividend that is creating inflection points for growth in certain industries such as automotive demand. And while many had argued that the country was witnessing a “brain drain”, Secretary Purisima explained that migration was actually proving to be a “brain grain”, where returning Filipinos have been at the forefront of the growth of the shipbuilding, IT and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), and tourism sectors.

Secretary Purisima noted that in this Asian century, many leading German and global companies were now opting to diversify investments across ASEAN and China. Given the Philippines’ success factors, as well as its central geographic position in Asia-Pacific, its European heritage, and the opportunities afforded by the ASEAN Economic Community, Secretary Purisima emphasized the government’s commitment to engage Germany’s Mittelstand, or small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) that form the backbone of the German economy. To ensure a sustainable future partnership with the Mittelstand, the Philippines is looking to replicate the success of Germany’s dual education system in creating 100,000 jobs per year. Secretary Purisima’s commitment to bolster this economic relationship was evident when he offered to host the 15th Asia-Pacific Conference of German Business after this year’s edition in Ho Chi Minh City.

For his part, Mr. Hubert Lienhard, the newly elected Chair of the Asia-Pacific Committee of German Business (APA), congratulated Secretary Purisima on being awarded Finance Minister of the Year for Asia-Pacific. This marks the fourth consecutive year that Secretary Purisima has received such honors from relevant award bodies.

Mr. Lienhard, in his own remarks, emphasized that the APA was prioritizing equality, partnership and sustainable development in its strategy as it seeks to stimulate greater two-way trade and investments with the Asia-Pacific region. He emphasized that the APA is committed to ensuring that German companies have a strong and local presence in Asia

Earlier in the day, Ambassador Maria Cleofe R. Natividad co-hosted an afternoon tea reception with Mr. Ernst Peter Komrowski, OAV Country Committee Head for the Philippines. Representatives from the private sector, including Deutsche Bank, Hamburg Port Consulting, and the German-Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GPCCI) discussed economic developments in the Philippines and explored possible future cooperation, including the eventual creation of German Center for Industry and Trade in the Philippines.

The German Asia-Pacific Business Association (OAV), which was founded in 1900 as a lobbying platform for North German trading houses, has become Germany’s nationwide representative in engaging Asian economies. The OAV regularly invites prominent guests from Germany and the Asia-Pacific region. The 2013 Liebesmahl included the participation of Federal Minister of Economics Philipp Rösler and Mongolia’s President Tsakhia Elbegdorj.END

It´s more yum in the Philippines at the International Green Week

January 27, 2014

Many Germans had the chance to sample Filipino cuisine and food ingredients for the first time during the Philippines’ inaugural participation in the International Green Week, recently held at the Messe Berlin fairgrounds on 17-26 January 2014.

The German public, who are known for being rather conservative in their food preferences, were drawn to the Philippine booth by the culinary creations of Chef Margarita Fores and her team from the Cibo Group, who successfully paired Filipino and German ingredients to create a fusion of tropical colors and a medley of unique flavors. Ms. Fores emphasized that their objective was to give Germans a sense of the familiar and to demonstrate that Filipino ingredients could find a regular place at their dinner table.

Philippine Booth International Green Week

The Philippine Booth at the International Green Week 2014 (Photo courtesy: Juan Wynn)

Lamb Adobo with Atchara (Photo courtesy: Juan Wynn)

The Germans flocked to sample Chef Fores’ versions of adobo, including lamb adobo with atchara (pickled papaya), adobo rice topped with sour-sweet santol preserve, and chicken adobo rice rolled in broccoli rabe leaves. Chef Fores and her team, which included Patricia Ann Locsin, Mariel Bustamante, Anthony Prudencio and Rey Moraga, placed a strong focus on featuring the products of the seven (7) Filipino business exhibitors present at the fair. This included combining ingredients through such samples as:

German cheeses paired with mango, green mango, and mango-calamansi fruit preserves (courtesy of Kapfer’s Island Gems);
Sardine (courtesy of Permex) sotanghon with malunggay furitake (courtesy of JPM Japan Philippines Malunggay Eco Farm), crumbled chicharon, and organic eggs;
Adobo flakes with cream cheese and fresh dragon fruit (courtesy of Refmad-V Enterprise) on German brown bread;
Coconut sugar (courtesy of Tree Life Sugar) sweetened dragon fruit tea (courtesy of Refmad-V Enterprise); and
Malunggay and roasted brown rice tea (courtesy of JPM Japan Philippines Malunggay Eco Farm).

Adobo flakes margarita fores dragonfruit

Adobo flakes with cream cheese and fresh dragonfruit (Photo courtesy: Ayessa Bautista)

Malunggay & Roasted Brown Rice Tea ((Photo courtesy: Ayessa Bautista)

Coconut sugar sweetened dragon fruit tea (Photo courtesy: Ayessa Bautista)

Chris Kapfer poses with Island Gems’ mango fruit preserves pared with German cheeses (Photo courtesy: Ayessa Bautista)

Sardine sotanghon malunggay furitake chicharon Margarita Fores

Chef Fores serves sardine sotanghon with malunggay furitake, crumbled chicharon, and organic eggs to excited visitors (Photo courtesy: Ayessa Bautista)

Chef Rey Moraga explains the taste explosion coming from Filipino mangoes, grapefruit and coconut jelly (Photo courtesy: Ayessa Bautista)

Chef Fores serves sardine sotanghon with malunggay furitake, crumbled chicharon, and organic eggs to excited visitors (left) while Chef Rey Moraga explains the taste explosion coming from Filipino mangoes, grapefruit and coconut jelly (right) (Photos courtesy: Ayessa Bautista)

Head of Delegation and Department of Agriculture Undersecretary for Special Concerns, Ms. Berna Romulo-Puyat, also brought with her samples of Destileria Limtuaco & Co.’s new Manille Liqueur de Calamansi. Passersby were impressed by the calamansi-infused liqueur, which has a distinctive but similar taste to Italian limoncello.

Ambassador Maria Cleofe Natividad, Department of Agriculture Undersecretary Berna Romulo Puyat and Chef Fores with German Federal Minister for Food and Agriculture Dr. Hans-Peter Friedrich and Governing Mayor of Berlin Klaus Wowereit (Photo courtesy: Juan Wynn)

According to Karen Adecer of the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP), the Filipino exhibitors such as Banig Handicrafts and Ilocos Food Products, were able to get a sense of the European food market and were able to explore business opportunities with prospective clients in Germany.

The Berlin International Green Week, first founded in 1926, attracted 410,000 visitors this year and included 1,650 exhibitors from 70 countries representing the agriculture, horticulture, and food industries.

END.

Senator Legarda calls for greater climate action through Renewable Energy Development

January 27, 2014

Senator Legarda addresses the ThomasLloyd Clean Tech Congress 2014

Frankfurt. Senator Loren Legarda renewed her call for greater climate change action, particularly through significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and promotion of renewable energy development.

Sen. Legarda, the United Nations Champion for Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation for Asia-Pacific, made the call in her keynote speech at the ThomasLloyd Cleantech Congress 2014 in Frankfurt, Germany on 24 January 2014.

“Findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) show that there is 95 percent likelihood that human activity is the cause of global warming. Unless drastic cuts are introduced, global temperatures are projected to increase by 0.3 to 4.8 degrees Celsius by the end of this century. The IPCC warns that a 1.5 to 2.5 degrees Celsius increase in global mean temperatures from pre-industrial levels threatens extinction of 30 percent of all species,” she explained.

According to the 5th IPCC Report, human activity released 545 gigatons of carbon dioxide—the main greenhouse gas from 1750 to 2011. It is projected that if 1,000 gigatons of carbon dioxide is emitted, which at current rates will likely occur between 2040 and 2050, there is a one-in-three possibility that the 2 degrees Celsius limit above the pre-industrial level will be exceeded.

Of the carbon dioxide emitted, 2/3 was due to the burning of fossil fuels with 1/3 caused by deforestation and land-use change. In the last decade however, 90 percent of rise in carbon dioxide levels was due to burning of fossil fuels.

“We need to take action now because a warmer earth threatens food security and public health. It is projected to bring down GDP by three percent and threatens the survival of communities,” said Sen. Legarda.

“This brings me to my call for low emissions development strategy. Clean technologies play an invaluable role in sustainable development. The Philippines, though a minor emitter of greenhouse gases, is a leader in the use of renewable energy. In fact, the second in geothermal energy use. Early estimates indicate that we have more than 200,000 potential renewable energy resources that remain untapped,” she said. To scale up renewable energy development and address the country’s growing power needs, landmark laws such as the Philippine Biofuels Act of 2006 and the Renewable Energy Act of 2008 were enacted.

Sen. Legarda said that the country’s National Renewable Energy Program has set out aggressive targets on renewable energy development from 2011-2030, aiming to nearly triple the existing capacity of 5,369 megawatts to 15,304 megawatts by the year 2030.

The Senator noted that there have been challenges in efforts to fast-track the development of the Philippines’ renewable energy resources more aggressively. Impacts on electricity pricing have been a major consideration among regulators, particularly as the country has one of the highest electricity rates in the world.

Recent events, however, have shown that conventional energy, which traditional views seem to favor, does not and cannot guarantee low electricity prices.

“A study by the Philippine Institute of Development Studies reports that one out of five people or 130 million in ASEAN lack access to electricity. The same study said that 16 million Filipinos remain to have no access to electricity. This is a market that can very well benefit from renewable energy development in the region,” she added.

“Renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies are valuable components of low carbon emissions development strategy. They need to be embraced by everyone. Our search for responses to climate change realities requires the climate proofing of our energy sector,” said Sen. Legarda.

END.

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The Philippine Embassy in Berlin

Viewing category: Trade and Investments

PHILIPPINES AND GERMANY CONCLUDE NEGOTIATIONS ON SOCIAL SECURITY AGREEMENT

Philippines lauded by the German Business Community at OAV´s 94th Liebesmahl

It´s more yum in the Philippines at the International Green Week

Senator Legarda calls for greater climate action through Renewable Energy Development

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