The President said the Philippines would build a real space program. Slowly, the pieces are starting to show up.
Ten Filipino engineers begin advanced rocket training in South Korea, building toward a 2027 Philippine launch and a deeper foothold in the space economy.
Photograph courtesy of Philsa
Philippine Ambassador to the Republic of Korea (ROK) Bernadette Therese Fernandez welcomed 10 engineers from the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) to the Philippine Embassy in Seoul ahead of the second phase of their advanced technical training in ROK.
The engineers will undertake hands-on training from August to October under the Know-How Transfer and Training Program, involving Perigee Aerospace’s Blue Whale-class sounding rocket platform.
The embassy has supported the program since its initial phase and will continue to coordinate with the delegation and support their engagement with relevant partners and the Filipino community in the ROK.
The program is part of PhilSA’s SIKLAB: Building Industrial Space Launch Systems Project and is designed to develop Filipino expertise in rocket engineering, assembly, testing and launch operations.
The training will support preparations for the planned 2027 demonstration launch in Cagayan of a liquid-fueled sounding rocket carrying a locally developed payload.
Beyond a single launch, the initiative invests in the people, technical knowledge, and institutional capabilities needed to build a sustainable Philippine space ecosystem.
Knowledge gained by the participating engineers is intended to be shared with Philippine researchers and institutions, multiplying the benefits of the training and strengthening the country’s capacity to participate in the growing space economy.
The Philippine Embassy welcomes the program as a concrete example of Philippines-ROK strategic partnership in advanced technology and human-resource development, and of Filipino engineers taking an increasingly active role in emerging high-technology industries.
