PHILIPPINE EMBASSY IN BERLIN JOINS ASPAC EMBASSIES IN ECONOMIC MISSION TO NORTH RHINE-WESTPHALIA

The Philippine Embassy in Berlin joined 16 other Embassies from the Asia-Pacific region in the second edition of the Ambassadors in Dialogue (AiD) economic mission to the state of North Rhine-Westphalia from 9 to 10 June 2022. Organized by the German Asia-Pacific Business Association (OAV), AiD is a platform for closer engagement among Asia-Pacific countries,  leading German companies, and German state officials. The Embassy was represented by Chargé d’ Affaires, a.i. Lillibeth Pono, joined by Minister and Consul Mary Luck Hicarte.

The mission was kicked off by the Handelsblatt Hydrogen Summit 2022 which was held at the Thyssenkrupp AG headquarters in Essen.  The summit discussed the need by both government and the private sectors to work together faster to accelerate the production and use of clean energy sources such as hydrogen.  It also noted the opportunities for cooperation that hydrogen is creating among countries.  Thyssenkrupp, a global leader in high-tech electrical steel, is involved in green hydrogen technologies.

A guided tour of Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex in Essen followed.  Zollverein was once the largest coal mine in the world.  It is now an icon of the industrial age and a landmark of the city of Essen and the entire Ruhr area.   Its 100-hectare complex is a UNESCO World Heritage site, which is also being used as a space for arts, tourism and business.

The diplomats were also given a tour of the Duisburg Port, known to be the world’s largest inland port and a leading logistics hub in Central Europe.  This was followed by a networking activity with Prof. Dr. Andres Pinkwart, Minister of Economic Affairs, Innovation, Digitization and Energy of North Rhine-Westphalia and the state’s leading enterprises in the technology and manufacturing sectors.

 

The second leg of the mission began with a video greeting by Mr. Hendrik Wust, Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, followed by presentations by representatives of the North Rhine-Westphalia’s Global Business and the North Rhine-Westphalia Bank.  The delegation then proceeded to the Henkel Adhesive Technologies, a leading solutions provider for adhesives and sealants for a vast array of consumer and industrial applications, from planes to mobile phones.

Science dominated the rest of the trip with the group’s trip to Julich Research Center.  The diplomats interacted with scientists at the Institute of Bio- and Geosciences: Plant Sciences which is involved in plant phenotyping (assessment of plant traits), and the Institute of Energy and Climate Research: Materials Synthesis and Processing, which studies materials to be used for highly-efficient energy conversion and storage systems, including high-performance ceramics.   The trip was capped by a thorough discussion of hydrogen and ways to scale it.  END

 

Source: PHILIPPINE EMBASSY IN BERLIN JOINS ASPAC EMBASSIES IN ECONOMIC MISSION TO NORTH RHINE-WESTPHALIA

PHL Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III Leads the Celebration of Migrant Workers’ Day in  Germany

The celebration of Migrant Workers’ Day in Berlin, Germany  was led by no less than Philippine Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, together with PHL Overseas Workers Welfare Administrator Hans Cacdac and other DOLE Officials.

In his remarks, Secretary Bello highlighted the  Duterte Administration’s accomplishments that benefit migrant workers. He  proudly spoke about the establishment of the OFW Bank and the OFW Hospital. “Napakaganda po ng OFW Hospital, at ito ay hindi lamang bukas para sa inyong mga OFWs kung di para sa inyong mga dependents din.  Free of charge.“  he said.   

Secretary Bello also shared the experience of officials of the Department of Labor, its attached agencies, as well as other partner departments, during the pandemic.  He shared stories of sleepless nights and labor personnel themselves falling ill of COVID-19 during their repatriation of more than a million overseas Filipino workers — a testament to the commitment of the Philippine government to protect Filipino workers all over the world.

Secretary Bello also spoke about the expansion of Philippines-Germany cooperation in healthcare and employment, citing the conclusion of two instruments that were earlier signed by officials of both countries.  One of them is an MOU which further facilitates the entry to Germany of Filipino nurses and other healthcare professionals such as physiotherapists, radiographers and occupational therapists.

“Today, we reached another milestone… sa pamamagitan ng Memorandum of Understanding na ito, isa na namang daan ang nabuksan para makapunta ang ating healthcare workers dito sa Germany – it will complement the Triple Win Project.”  The Triple Win Project is a landmark government-to-government agreement signed by both countries in 2013.

Secretary Bello also referred to the instrument which seeks to broaden the two countries’ partnership to include professions and skills other than nursing.  He shared that the initial set of skills and professions being considered are electronics and electrical mechanics, plumbers, pipe fitters, cooks, waiters and hotel receptionists.

“Sa lahat po ng ito, nagpapasalamat ang gobyerno natin sa inyong mga OFWs sa inyong patuloy na pagtulong sa ating bayan sa pamamagitan ng inyong remittances na umabot sa halos 35 billion US Dollars o humigit kumulang sa sampung porsyento ng GDP ng ating bansa.  Napakalaki ng tulong ninyo sa bayan, lalo na nang nagka-pandemya.” he said.

The Migrant Workers Day Celebration was hosted by the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Berlin, in collaboration with the Philippine Embassy in Berlin,  on 03 June 2022.   Attending the event were Filipino professionals and skilled workers, and German private stakeholders in the healthcare sector.

 

Source: PHL Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III Leads the Celebration of Migrant Workers’ Day in  Germany

Philippine Secretary of Labor Bello and German Federal Health Minister Lauterbach agree to deepen bilateral healthcare cooperation

 3 June 2022 – Philippine Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III and Germany’s Federal Health Secretary Dr. Karl Lauterbach signed a Memorandum of Understanding which will further facilitate the entry of Filipino healthcare professionals to Germany.  The MOU will complement the Triple Win Project (TWP), a landmark government-to-government agreement signed by both countries in 2013.   It will also enhance the existing private recruitment track for nurses and other healthcare professionals such as physiotherapists, radiographers, occupational therapists, wishing to enter the German labor market.

Philippines-Germany Letter of Intent also signed.  Aside from healthcare workers, the Philippines and Germany are also advancing the entry of an initial set of Filipino skilled workers and professionals into Germany among them electronics and electrical mechanics, plumbers, pipe fitters, cooks, waiters and hotel receptionists.  To this end, Overseas Workers Welfare Administrator Hans Leo Cacdac signed a Letter of Intent between the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration of the Republic of the Republic of the Philippines and the Federal Employment Agency of the Federal Republic of Germany, together with Mr. Alexander Wilhelm, Director of International Cooperation of Germany’s Federal Employment Agency.

The two instruments exhibit both countries’ commitment to expand cooperation in the area of recruitment, deployment and employment of Filipino professionals and skilled workers to Germany, and their  adherence to the principles of fair and orderly migration.

There are currently 6,000 Filipino nurses in Germany.  Of this figure, around 2,000 entered Germany through the TWP, and 4,000 through the private track.  Germany needs an estimated 400,000 new workers from various professions and skills, every year.