PRESS RELEASE - 92 - 2018
Members of the delegation together with the Secretary of Trade and Industry Ramon Lopez (front, third from right) during the opening ceremony of Manila FAME 2018
(29 October 2018, Honolulu, Hawaii) – The Philippine Consulate General in Honolulu (PCGH) helped co-organize the Filipino Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii’s (FCCH) 28th Trade Mission to the Philippines from 14-23 October 2018. The trade delegation was headed by Hawaii’s Lieutenant Governor Douglas Chin and FCCH President Vanessa Tan-Cop with the participation of Vice Consul Andrea Christina Q. Caymo and Protocol Officer Jeffrey de Mesa. A total of twenty-three (23) participants, including business owners, industry professionals, government officials, and Filipino community leaders in Hawaii joined this year’s trade mission, which included stops in Manila, Davao, and Bohol.
During the Manila leg of the trip, the delegates attended business meetings and briefings with various government agencies and institutions. The group went to the Board of Investments (BOI) for a briefing on how to do business in the Philippines. They learned about various franchising opportunities available for foreign investors from the Philippine Franchise Association (PFA). At the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE), they gained insights on investing in the country’s equities market. They got the chance to see the very best of Filipino artistry and creativity during their visit to the 2018 Manila FAME, the country’s premiere design fair, which showcased finely-selected furniture and home furnishings, fashion, accessories, and holiday gifts and décor. They were also briefed by Taguig City officials on the Bonifacio Global City and its journey to become Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-certified city.
In Davao, the delegates were briefed by Davao City officials and learned about the investment and tourism opportunities in the city and surrounding areas. Participants visited a hub for social entrepreneurs, the Aldevinco Shopping Center in Davao, where Philippine handicrafts and Mindanao ethnic accessories and fabrics (e.g. Ilikos, T’nalak, Dagmay, Tangkulo, Inabel) are being sold. They also got the chance to observe the operations of agro-tourism companies such as the Philippine Eagle Center.
In Bohol, they met Governor Edgar Chatto and members of the Bohol Chamber of Commerce. Governor Chatto discussed with Lt. Governor Chin the possibility of establishing a Sister State Agreement between the province of Bohol and the state of Hawaii. If the proposal will push through, Bohol will be the sixth Sister State of Hawaii after Ilocos Sur (1985), Cebu (1996), Pangasinan (2002), Ilocos Norte (2005), and Isabela (2006).
Aside from the said meetings, the delegates made a courtesy call on Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea at Malacanang Palace and laid a wreath at Rizal Park.
The recently-concluded trade mission generated investor interests in the areas of manufacturing, outsourcing, franchising, and real estate investment while providing opportunities for the Philippines and Hawaii to further strengthen economic engagement and enhance people-to-people relations. <END>
Lt. Governor Douglas Chin (3rd from right) with Vice Consul Andrea Christina Caymo (2nd from right) and FCCH President Vanessa Tan-Kop (rightmost) during the briefing with the Board of Investments
At the briefing of the Philippine Stock Exchange
Delegates together with the Chairman of Philippine Franchise Association, Dr. Alan Escalona (seated, 2nd from right) along with the other officers of PFA
Visit at the City Government of Taguig
Lt. Gov. Chin speaking during the meeting with the officials of the government of Davao City
