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The "Indonesia Expo 2024" exhibition opened at the Palm Drive Activity Center, Glorietta 2, Makati City, Philippines, on Friday (June 28, 2024). (Photo by: ANTARA/HO-KBRI Manila)

VOINews, Jakarta: The Indonesian Embassy in Manila is hosting the Indonesia Expo 2024 at the Palm Drive Activity Center, Glorietta 2, Makati City from June 28 to 30, 2024, to showcase Indonesian products and culture in the Philippines.

In his opening remarks on Friday (June 28), Indonesian Ambassador to the Philippines Agus Widjojo highlighted that this exhibition is one of the Embassy's efforts to enhance mutual understanding and foster closer economic collaboration between Indonesia and the Philippines.

“The Indonesia Expo 2024 is a tangible manifestation of the Indonesian Embassy's mission in Manila to strengthen economic and cultural relations with the host country,” Ambassador Widjojo stated in a written statement on Saturday.

As reportd by Antara The exhibition’s theme, “Build Strong Connection with the Best of Indonesia in the Philippines,” reflects the Embassy’s commitment to bringing high-quality Indonesian products to the Philippine market and providing visitors with a rich Indonesian cultural experience.

A variety of cultural performances, live bands, and side events are planned to entertain visitors throughout the three-day exhibition. These include angklung workshops, cooking demonstrations, coffee brewing, and Batik painting.

Participants of the Indonesia Expo 2024 include established Indonesian companies already present in the Philippine market, as well as Filipino importers distributing Indonesian products.

The exhibition features a wide range of product categories, including halal food and beverages, pharmaceuticals, herbal medicines, confectionery, fashion and accessories, household products, logistics and surveying services, health and beauty products, and stationery.

This diverse mix of products aims to showcase Indonesia’s top offerings and business opportunities to meet various needs and preferences of the Philippine market.

The Indonesia Expo has grown significantly since its first event in 2022 at SM Megamall and its second in 2023 at The Music Hall, SM Mall of Asia.

Each year, the Indonesian Embassy in Manila strives to expand its offerings and refine the exhibition concept to provide the best representation of Indonesian products to the Philippine market and better service to exhibitors. This growth reflects the increasing interest and significance of Indonesian products in the Philippines.

The opening of the Indonesia Expo 2024 was attended by ambassadors and representatives from ASEAN member countries, Timor Leste, Papua New Guinea, the Marshall Islands, the Indonesian Consul General in Davao, the Mayor of Makati City, the Philippine Halal Export and Promotion Board, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Los Banos, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce, the Chinese Filipino Business Club, Inc., Expedia Management Inc., the Philippine Marketing Association, and the Philippine Coffee Board./Antara/VOI.

File photo—Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly at Discovery Hotel Ancol, Jakarta, on June 1, 2023. (Photo by: ANTARA/Fath Putra Mulya/am)

VOINews, Jakarta: Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly reassured the public regarding the security of immigration data now stored on Amazon Web Services (AWS) after a recent ransomware cyberattack.

"Currently, the data remains on AWS—complete, secure, and without any issues," Laoly said following an internal meeting about the Temporary National Data Center (PDNS) cyberattack at the Presidential Palace Complex in Jakarta on Friday.

He emphasized that the immigration data on AWS is safeguarded against leaks.

However, Laoly did not provide a timeline for when the immigration data would be transferred back to the National Data Center (PDN) in Indonesia.

"We'll have to wait and see how things progress," he commented.

The Ministry of Law and Human Rights had moved its immigration data to AWS after a ransomware attack disrupted operations at the PDN.

By Monday, the National Cyber and Crypto Agency (BSSN) and the Ministry of Communication and Informatics had reported 211 agencies affected by the PDNS 2 cyberattack. This number increased to 282 agencies the next day.

A total of 44 agencies were prepared to initiate data recovery processes, while the rest were still in various stages of recovery on Wednesday. Five agencies had already resumed services to the public./Antara/VOI

The Indonesian School Tokyo (SRIT) graduated 45 students from kindergarten to senior high school in Tokyo on Friday (June 21).(Photo by: Antara)

VOINews, Jakarta: Indonesian Ambassador to Japan, Heri Akhmadi, expressed his hope that graduates of the Indonesian School in Tokyo (SRIT) can spread benefits extensively after completing their studies.

"Continue to remember and practice the message conveyed in today's graduation theme 'Spirit of Spreading Benefits; Becoming Lifelong Learners.' By doing so, you can face the challenges in the next stages of education," said Heri in his statement in Tokyo on Saturday.

As reported by Antara, Ambassador Heri invited the graduates to stand facing their parents' seats to express gratitude for the unwavering and selfless support they have received.

He also appreciated the hard work of the students and the maximum effort of the teachers at SRIT, leading to the successful completion of their studies.

He advised the graduates to continue learning and seeking knowledge so that its benefits can be felt personally.

Furthermore, he hoped that the benefits felt personally would also be shared with others so that goodness can be experienced by as many people as possible.

At the same event, Education and Culture Attaché Amzul Rifin hoped that the graduates would gain valuable experiences during their time at SRIT.

He also advised the alumni to make contributions at the national or international level.

"I pray that the graduates can achieve excellence in all fields and always maintain the school's reputation," said Amzul.

Meanwhile, SRIT Committee Member Titik Nahilal Hamzah urged everyone to participate in efforts to improve and develop the school, which has been established since 1962.

The improvements and developments are expected to enhance the school's achievements and accomplishments.

"Let's together take care of SRIT, not only its facilities and quality but also its achievements. Don't forget to continue fostering friendship among yourselves (the graduates)," he said.

In her academic report, SRIT Head Ari Driyaningsih presented that in the academic year 2023/2024, several students have been enrolled in national and international universities and achieved the highest scores in national and international competitions.

"Three SRIT students successfully enrolled in domestic universities: Adzikra Adirajasa (Unair), Ursula Catharina (Unpar), and Naomi Natalie Ruauw (Unika Soegijapranata). One student who successfully enrolled in Utrecht University in the Netherlands is Alejandro Rakai Olave," Ari explained.

Other achievements at the National Science Olympiad (OSN), Ari revealed, include several SRIT students passing the provincial-level OSN for various subjects and placing a representative at the national level for Biology named Metanala Firsta Regha Ryanda.

Other achievements and accomplishments of SRIT include Najwa Rahman Rustam winning The Best Performance at The Meguro English Speech Contest.

Additionally, there were awards for painting competitions from the Meguro City Fire Department and participation as members of the KBRI Tokyo Paskibra Team for Indonesia's 78th Independence Day, as well as several traditional art performances involving graduates for cultural diplomacy purposes, such as angklung and Saman dance.

The graduation ceremony of SRIT, which graduated 45 students, is one of the largest in the school's history. The 45 students consist of kindergarten (9 students), elementary school (8), junior high school (8), and high school (20).

The event was also enlivened with art performances by all SRIT students as a manifestation of the Pancasila Student Profile Strengthening Project (P5). Among the performances were dances, martial arts (pencak silat), and angklung performances./Antara/VOI

The photo taken on December 9, 2023, shows the landscape of Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. (Photo by: ANTARA/Xinhua/Cheng Yiheng)

VOINews, Jakarta: Vietnam is grappling with challenges to meet its 2024 economic growth target of 6.5 percent, as reported by local media on Friday (June 21), citing data from the Annual Economic Report 2024.

Researchers project a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of 5.85 percent for this year, with an inflation rate of 4.5 percent, according to the report from Vietnam National University.

The report indicates that with adjusted economic policies such as interest rate reductions, sustained exports, and increased public investment spending, GDP growth is estimated to reach 6.01 percent.

As reported by Antara, Nguyen Quoc Viet, Deputy Director of the Vietnam Institute for Economics and Policy Research, stated that Vietnam's economy is operating below its potential in both scenarios.

He suggested that in the short term, attention should be focused on fiscal policies to stimulate demand, particularly accelerating public investment in the remaining months of the year.

Vietnam recorded a year-on-year GDP growth of 5.66 percent in the first quarter of this year, according to data from the General Statistics Office of Vietnam.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) forecasts that the country's economy will grow by 6 percent throughout the year./Antara/VOI