The Philippine Embassy in Madrid co-organized a business and investment seminar that was held at the headquarters of the Chamber of Commerce of Valencia on 3 July 2019.
Ambassador Philippe J. Lhuillier led Philippine participation at the event. The Ambassador was supported by Third Secretary and Vice Consul Mikhal C. de Dios, Commercial Counsellor Froilan Pamintuan of the Philippine Trade and Investment Center in Paris, and the Philippine Honorary Consul in Valencia, Atty. Manuel Carrion.
The seminar was organized and coordinated through the Philippine Embassy and Honorary Consul Carrion, and was hosted by the Chamber of Commerce of Valencia. Ambassador Lhuillier was welcomed by Mr. José Vicente Morata, Chamber President, and introduced to representatives from several Valencian companies that were interested in doing business in the Philippines, or that were otherwise already engaged in exporting to the Philippine market.
President Morata, in his opening speech, noted Asia’s rapid economic development and stated that Spain could not afford to miss out on the extensive commercial opportunities in the region. In particular, he added that Spain’s special historic link with the Philippines could be the bridge in bringing both countries closer, particularly in terms of trade.
Ambassador Lhuillier, for his part, described the impressive economic growth of the Philippines and highlighted some of the most important government projects, such as the Build, Build, Build infrastructure program. He invited Spanish entrepreneurs to look more closely at the Philippines’ growth prospects and advantages in comparison to the rest of Asia, and to seriously consider investing in the country.
Vice Consul de Dios gave a brief overview of the Philippine economy and a demographic profile of Filipino consumers and the domestic market, while touching on the Philippines’ export priorities and various points of interest for potential investors. He also went into detail on the country’s tourism potential and attractions. Commercial Counsellor Pamintuan delivered a more detailed presentation on legal and technical considerations for incoming investors, mentioned Philippine government incentives and mechanisms for bringing in interested foreign parties, and described the basic process for setting up a business in the Philippines.
Presentations from Spanish companies then followed, with TIBA Logistics firm explaining to the attendees how to export goods to the Philippines, and QEV Tech sharing its experiences in trying to enter the Philippine e-vehicle market.
The presentations were followed by a reception and networking event where the Embassy representatives addressed queries and concerns from individual companies in greater detail.