Pursuant to Her Excellency President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s determination to create six to ten million new jobs by the end of this year, the local government here has recently embarked on a trade mission to promote the employment of Kapampangans in quality high paying jobs in South Korea. Mayor Dennis G. Pineda, head of the delegation, said that the LGU here is aggressively promoting close ties with Eumseong County and Cheongju City in order to promote the Municipality of Lubao as an ideal site for investments and tourism opportunities. Pineda who flew to South Korea last February 15 to 19, 2006 was accompanied by members of his team namely Councilor Charlie G. Chua, Cecilia M. Bernal, HRMO and PESO manager and Angelina S. Blanco, Local Government Operations Officer V.

Pineda said his desire to promote Lubao’s interest in the Republic of South Korea marks back to the opening of the country’s labor market to Filipinos with the signing of the RP South Korea Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on April 23, 2004. “With this historic move, under Korea’s Employment Permit System, Pinoy OFWs were allowed to work legally in Korea’s lucrative sector. It is also my objective that every economic situation of each family within my jurisdiction shall be uplifted and make Lubao as one of the model towns not only in Pampanga but the entire Central Luzon,” Pineda said. Pineda said that he has opened doors for Lubao’s skilled workers and sought the assistance of the POEA Korea’s Employment Permit System thrugh the Public Employment Service Office, of this municipality.

He said that the PESO Office communicated and sought the assistance of Governor Park, Su Kwang, Governor of Eumseong County, South Korea to make all the necessary arrangements in going to their county and held conferences with the governor, congressman, employers, and different associations of the said country.

The Lubao delegates attended conferences and luncheon meetings with Governor of Eumseong County, Governor Park Su Kwang, Vice Governor Woo, Kean Do, Congressman Oh, Jae Se and Korean employers and presented to them the list of qualified skilled workers of Lubao. Pineda's Team also visited different factories in Eumseong County and Cheongju City and met some Filipino workers there.

They also attended a conference and dined with the officers of JC International Korea Chapter in which most of them are factory owners with the objective of enlisting the organizations and in the attainment of the delegations labor and investment-promotion objectives.

Pineda also met and dined with the Vice President of International Korean Language Foundation (IKLF), which is the lead institution in the administration of the Korean Language Test (KLT) in the Philippines and discussed some concerns and issues regarding the KLT and the Korea EPS.

Pineda said that he has attained and gained the sought-after assistance of the governor of Eumseong County and Congressman of Cheongju City as well as the employers, factory owners and the different organizations in promoting the employment in quality high-paying jobs in their area of jurisdiction solely for our Lubao skilled workers. “With these accomplishments, I am confident that in one way or the other we have contributed to the improvement of our economic situation that will benefit not only our town but our people as well, so we can now say "Lubao, Fly High!," Pineda added.