1. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, together with the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Korea International Cooperation Agency, and the Export-Import Bank of Korea, held the 1st Korea-Philippines Integrated ODA Policy Dialogue in Manila, the Republic of the Philippines, on December 4 (head of the Republic of Korea delegation: Director-General for Development Cooperation of the Foreign Ministry Oh Hyun-joo, head of the Philippine delegation: Undersecretary of the National Economic and Development Authority Rolando Tungpalan).

※ The Integrated ODA Policy Dialogue is co-hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Economy and Finance to comprehensively review grants and concessional loans with key cooperation partners in implementing ODA, including the Republic of the Union of Myanmar and the Lao People's Democratic Republic; to strengthen links between projects; and to enhance the ROK and its cooperation partner’s understanding of ODA projects. The Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Economy and Finance serve as head delegate in turn.

2. The Philippines is one of the ROK’s 24 key cooperation partners in the area of ODA. Considering the ROK government’s key foreign policy of the New Southern Policy, the ROK held the Integrated ODA Policy Dialogue with the Philippines for the first time this year.

※ During the period 1987-2016, the Philippines received a total of US$510 million in ODA from the ROK, becoming the 7th largest recipient of ODA from the ROK (5th largest recipient of grants, 8th largest recipient of concessional loans).

※ Under the Country Partnership Strategy (CPS) it concluded with the Philippines (December 2016), the ROK side seeks to maximize the impact of aid and contribute to the economic and social development of the Philippines by providing 70 percent of its total aid to key cooperation areas, including regional development, water management and sanitation, transportation, and disaster prevention.

3. In the meeting, the two countries discussed ODA policies and strategies; the current state of cooperation in giving ODA to the Philippines in the form of grants and concessional loans, and future plans; and the progress in related projects. In the discussions, the two sides worked to make sure that the ROK government’s ODA projects in the Philippines are conducted in a way that contributes to the Philippine side’s implementation of its National Development Plan.

o In addition, the meeting is expected to contribute to giving grants in an integrated and systematic way, a policy task to carry out through cooperation among the ROK’s related agencies; and developing and pursuing ODA projects that actively support the New Southern Policy.

4. The meeting, which followed the ROK-Philippines summit (June 5, Seoul), and the 7th ROK-Philippines policy consultation (November 6, Manila / Vice Foreign Minister Lee Tae-ho led the ROK delegation), served as an opportunity to enhance the bilateral relations between the ROK and the Philippines.

* unofficial translation