UK-Southeast Asia Tech Week 2025

 

Asia tech week 2025

UK-Southeast Asia Tech Week 2025 is the UK’s flagship annual event on science, innovation and technology in Southeast Asia. This year’s event will run from Monday 24 March to Friday 28 March 2025 in the Philippines (Manila) and Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City).

This year, the UK is taking a delegation of cutting-edge UK AI and data companies to meet with stakeholders and potential partners in Southeast Asia. The companies represent the UK’s tech prowess – we are home to a $1 trillion tech sector with over 150 unicorns.

UK-Southeast Tech Week 2024 was a resounding success, with 150 bespoke business meetings organised, several of which resulted in commercial partnerships for UK companies. This is the third annual Southeast Asia Tech Week. The 2024 programme brought together 10 UK companies and over 500 Southeast Asian counterparts for a full week of activities.

Showcasing the best of UK AI and Data

We are excited to showcase 13 AI and data companies’ cutting-edge solutions in areas such as artificial intelligence, fintech, health tech, and more.

Our goal is to foster meaningful connections and partnerships that will drive technological advancements and economic growth in the UK and Southeast Asia.

See the programme, details of UK companies attending and how to register CLICK HERE

Did you like this? Share it:
Share This Post

Great British Festival 2024 (19-20 October 2024) Manila

Great British Festival 2024

  • THE British Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (BCCP) announced the return of the Great British Festival; following its great success in its return last 2023 since its hiatus in 2019 due to the pandemic–in partnership with the British Embassy Manila and the British Council
  • Celebrates UK-Philippine Friendship Day on 20 October 2024
  • A total of 38 UK Companies and over 50,000 attendees joined the event in 2023
  • GBF 2023 Activities: Radical Sportscars F1 simulators, Bike show by Triumph Motorcycles, Bathbomb making by Lush, Samples and selling of One World Butchers, Union Jack Tavern, Quorn, The Borough Pizza Pub, Face-painting and Caricature making
  • GBF 2024 aims to host a much-larger event with more British companies to join

For further information contact BCCP at info@britcham.org.ph 

Did you like this? Share it:
Share This Post

UK – Philippines Trade Data (2nd August 2024)

UK - Philippines Trade Data

Did you like this? Share it:
Share This Post

Diplomatic Reception on the Terrace of the House of Lords

 

 

Gabriella Quimson Vice Chairman  Philippine British Business Council(PBBC)  and His Excellency Ambassador Locsin arriving the House of Lords.

Joseph Miro Chairman of Philippine British Business Council(PBBC) was also present at a Diplomatic Reception on the Terrace of the House of Lords to hear a speech given by the Rt Hon Lord Howell of Guilford.

Did you like this? Share it:
Share This Post

PBBC 30 years Anniversary

 

PBBC Members from left to right: Former British Ambassador to the Philippines Paul Dimond, David H. Bill, Rowena Romulo, Dr. Gabriella Tuason Quimson, Chairman Joseph Miro, Melissa Dizon, representatives from the UK’s Department for Business and Trade Priya Soni and John Williams, and Alistair M. Fulton, taken at the Philippine Embassy in London during their May 2024 meeting.

As the Philippine-British Business Council (PBBC) moves towards our 30th anniversary, under our new London Chairman Joseph Miro the background for the further development of bilateral trade and direct investment opportunities for both countries has never been stronger. The value of UK exports to the Philippines in the four quarters to the end of Q3 2023 was £1.3 billion (+16%), with imports of £1.7 billion (+22%). Services contributed about 40% of the former. UK outward direct investment to the Philippines in 2021 reached £449 million. In recent years, cases of inward direct investment have also grown.

In 2024, we have welcomed among others as members of the PBBC London Dr Gabriella Tuason Quimson and Mr Stephen Philips. Dr Quimson is a governance and anti-corruption specialist. Her father was Philippine Ambassador to the Court of St James’s in the 1980s. She has long experience in the UK and holds both Filipino and British citizenships, dividing her time between the two countries. Mr Philips was appointed Senior Adviser at BDO Unibank in January 2024, in a long career focused on cross-border trade, investment and finance in Asia. Before his appointment as Chief Executive of the China-Britain Business Council in 2006, he had been International Trade Director of UK Trade and Investment in the British Government.

As a business-led apolitical body, the PBBC works closely with both Governments’ trade and investment Departments, with much non-financial support from the Philippine Embassy in London and the British Embassy and the British Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines in Manila. Individual PBBC members (all volunteers) have cumulative experience of trading conditions and contacts of well over 100 years. Unlike other surviving Business Councils, the PBBC itself has long adopted the policy of focus on those sectors offering the more obvious opportunities. These have included IT, agribusiness, energy and retail and we are currently aligning our focus with sectors identified by both Governments.

We offer a free service of advice in the UK to bona fide companies new to the market and are happy to hear from British firms interested in the Philippine market, whether diversifying from other ASEAN markets or completely new to the region, whether they wish to export products or services, find joint partners in the Philippines or invest there directly for longer-term market share. We are equally happy to hear from Philippine companies seeking partners in the UK or looking for direct investment opportunities.

 

All contacts should be directed to info@philippinebritish.com

 

Philippine-British Business Council

London

3 June 2024

 

Did you like this? Share it:
Share This Post
Previous Next

Mar 01

Asia BPM Summit 2016 in Manila

Visit the Asia BPM Summit 2016 in Manila and see and meet the people who have made Philippines the fastest growing country in Asia.Asia-BPM-Summit-slider2 The sector known as Business Process Management (BPM) is providing tens of thousands of highly-skilled new jobs to Filipinos every month. It is driving growth clear across the country in virtually every economic sector from consumer goods, construction and hospitality to healthcare, NGO and professional services, you name it!

Join Asia BPM Summit 2016 — Center of the Universe — and connect with the leaders behind the industry powering all of it. The event will be on

Wednesday, March 16

at the Manila Marriott Hotel

(beside Resorts World). REGISTER at this web location: asia-ceo.org/?event=asia-bpm-summit-2016 . The price of admission is Php5,000 and includes elegant lunch and snacks — Php5,500 if paid at the event.

Asia BPM Summit, presented by PLDT Alpha Enterprise, with Elite Sponsorship by AIG, Aon, JLL, syncHRony Global and Valda Pastilles brings together key sector leaders to discuss the future of the key sector that is responsible for virtually all employment growth in the nation.

Despite outrageous success, severe signs of overheating are everywhere. As you read this message, 60 multinational companies are in various stages of setting up completely new operations in the country – the highest number ever at one time.

How can the sector possibly keep up when it is already stretched to the limit due to mammoth growth plans of current locators AND a crisis in transport infrastructure that is attracting global attention? The addition of so many new locators at once will push the sector over the edge, is the prediction of many.

Will Philippines continue its rise? What can be done to prevent a fall? Join us for Asia BPM Summit 2016 and get the answers from the industry’s leading figures.

Download the Event Program HERE > Event-Program-Asia-BPM-Summit-2016 Register at this web location: asia-ceo.org/?event=asia-bpm-summit-2016.

High-profile Presenters of Asia BPM Summit 2016 include (in approximate order of appearance):

 

Jonathan de Luzuriaga President Philippine Software Industry Association (PSIA)

PRESENTER: Jonathan is one of the nation’s most recognizable leaders in the IT-BPO sectors and trustee of the powerful IBPAP industry association. He is also Head of Software Development for ADEC Innovations, one of the country’s most global organizations.
Sunit Puri Head of Business Process Services (BPS), Asia Pacific Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)

PRESENTER: Based in Singapore, Sunit has 20 years of experience overseeing large transformation projects. He oversees BPO services across 12 countries for India’s largest BPO provider and one of the largest in the world.
Erik Neilsen President Global Process Manager (BPO division of the Magsaysay Group).

PRESENTER: Erik was one of the first to set up shared services operations for Maersk, the huge global logistics company. He is currently doing the same for Magsaysay, one of the world’s largest suppliers of skilled manpower for the global shipping and cruise industries.
Mark Lwin Chief Executive Officer AIG Philippines

PRESENTER: Mark oversaw shared service operations for AIG in both Philippines and Malaysia
Jason Ryan Regional Director, Southeast Asia ADP

PRESENTER: Jason has spent his entire career focused on providing human capital management solutions to many of the world’s largest and most complex organizations.
Gary Tok Regional Director for Client Management Aon

PRESENTER: Gary explains how to use analytics to gain improved employee engagement and benefits while lower costs.
Eric Kaufman Country Manager IBEX Global

PRESENTER: With senior level experience across Asia, Eric is one of the most senior industry leaders in the region.
Jibin Arjunan Geographic Head – Asia Pacific and Japan Wipro BPS

PRESENTER: Jibin oversees Business Process Services (BPS) for Wipro in the Asia Pacific and Japan regions, and functions as the Country Head of Philippines where he is based. He previously spent many years based in Shanghai and overseeing the company operations in Greater China, Japan and Korea.
Gigi Mantaring General Manager Manulife Business Processing Services

PRESENTER: Gigi helped to build Manulife’s shared services facility in Philippines from scratch into one of the most successful in the country.
Miguel Garcia President and CEO DTSI Group

PRESENTER: Miguel has played an important role in bringing the largest IT-BPO firms in the world to the Philippines. Under his leadership, DTSI Group has enabled more than 500,000 call center seats.
Darcy Lalonde Chairman and CEO syncHRony Global

PANELIST: Darcy is considered a Human Capital Management Thought Leader with over 30 years of experience in leadership of HCM and Outsourcing organisations.
Hans Montenegro Regional HR Partner Manulife Financial Asia

PANELIST: Based in Hong Kong, Hans has been a senior HR leader for many years. Prior to Manulife, he worked with premier operators such as Convergys, NorthgateArinso and The Nielsen Company.
Dr. Jay Galvez MD Owner and Medical Doctor Galvez Clinics

PANELIST: Dr Galvez is considered the country’s foremost specialists in head and neck surgery and has a special focus on workplace care and management.
Lars Wittig Country Manager Regus Philippines

PANELIST: Lars is at the front line of the BPM boom in Philippines and sees companies first as they enter the country. He is known as a big booster of the industry in Philippines. Lars is also winner of the Expatriate Executive of the Year award at Asia CEO Awards.

 

Did you like this? Share it:
Share This Post

Feb 25

Vehicle Electronics and Big Data in The Philippines

One of the journalists who came with the Business Delegation to the Philippines in November 2015 was Steve Rogerson, the editor of Vehicle Electronics magazine and the M2Mzone website.

Steve has been to the Philippines several times and is knowledgeable about business in the Philippines.

He has published two articles as a direct result of his visit with the PBBC.

The first is an excellent summary of the Philippines in the Vehicle Electronics magazine:

read the article here:  http://vehicle-electronics.biz/content/philippines-focus-take-your-fill

If anyone is interested in the increasingly complex and sophisticated electronics in current and future cars, then I highly recommend the Vehicle Electronics magazine which can be found here: http://vehicle-electronics.biz/

The second is ” PLDT strategy to use big data to transform the Philippines” and it can be found here:  http://www.m2mzone.com/pldtalph

PLDT is the Philippines Long Distance Telecommunications company and the article discusses the way they intend to make use of Big Data to provide a range of services to the population and businesses in the Philippines. PLDT is the equivalent to BT in the UK and is the major telecoms supplier in the Philippines.

Steve can be contacted via either of these websites.

Additionally, Steve has just written a very interesting application of IOT (Internet of Things) technology to keep track of endangered dugongs in the Philippines. A UK based company has created a novel app which is used by local fishermen in the Philippines to record locations of sightings of the rare dugong which will in turn help with the conservation of these vulnerable marine animals.

You can read it here at http://www.m2mzone.com/dugphil

 

Did you like this? Share it:
Share This Post

Feb 03

Philippine Tourism Increase

Statistics from the Philippines Department of Tourism in London show a significant increase in Philippine tourism from the UK.Philippines Tourism

At the same time Philippine Airlines have announced the imminent increase in direct flights between London and Manila to seven days per week. Daily flights will be starting in the next few months.

Visitors Arrivals from the UK to the Philippines has risen by 14.8% from Jan – Oct 2015 over the same period the year before. This represents 123,414 visitors which represents only about 2.8% of all arrivals into the Philippines. A full analysis of Philippines Tourism Statistics and arrivals over this period can be seen at Philippine Tourism Statistics or at http://e-services.tourism.gov.ph:8080/didcs/Static%20Documents/October2015_Table2.pdf

The Philippines Department of Tourism (PODT) has increased it’s activity to promote more tourism into the Philippines from the UK.

PDOT London has rolled out its new website (www.itsmorefuninthephilippines.co.uk) featuring inspiration ideas and content on the destination as well as package offers to the Philippines from UK tour operator partners.
The Philippines Department of Tourism (PDOT) London will be participating at the Destinations Show (4-7 Feb 2016) in Olympia, London and the London International Dive Show (11-14 Feb 2016) in the Excel exhibition centre. It will also be exhibiting at the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Exchange in March to meet with tour operators.

Philippines Department of Tourism London currently has a campaign on the Conde Nast Traveller magazine where subscribers and visitors to the site can win a luxury holiday to the Philippines.

http://www.cntraveller.com/promotions/philippinestourism
Philippines Department of Tourism London is also organising a number of press trips to the Philippines including Bloomberg and notable wildlife personalities, Nigel Marven and Kate Humble from the BBC.

Update September 2016:

·            Total earnings gained from tourism activities for the first half of 2016 amounted to an estimated Php 127.37 billion. This recorded a double-digit gain of 14.70% compared to Php 111.05 billion for the same period in 2015. The month of February recorded the biggest receipts of Php 27.49 billion, as well as, the highest growth of 42.09%.

 

·         For the first half of 2016, the country has welcomed a total of 2,978,438 visitors. This volume is 13.70% higher than the accumulated 2,619,625 arrivals in January to June 2015. Consistent growth is sustained all throughout the first six months with double-digit increases recorded from January to April.  

 

·         There were 86,873 arrivals from the UK during the said period, representing 14.27% growth. The UK ranks as the 9th top visitor market for the Philippines as of June 2016.
Did you like this? Share it:
Share This Post

Dec 17

Amazing Statistics About The Philippines

Amazing Statistics about The Philippines is all about some of the most significant statistics that we discovered on our recent business delegation to the Philippines in November. We regularly report on the economic indicators of the country but what we have here is a selection of the most significant statistics over and above some of the economic numbers.economic performance

I mentioned the business delegation. That delegation included 35 representatives from a wide variety of organisations. This in itself is an amazing statistic and shows the increasing interest from UK companies in doing business in the Philippines.

Population

The population in the Philippines is now over 100 million and growing at a rate of around 2% per annum. The average age in the Philippines is 22 – yes, twenty two! Around 50% of the population is below the age of 30! part of this can be explained by the birth rate but part is explained by the fact that several generations of Filipinos went overseas to find work and now send significant sums of money back to the Philippines in the form of remittances. However, many of that older generation are now returning to the Philippines.

Employment

The current unemployment rate in the Philippines is 6.5% in 2014. How many Western countries would give anything to have a figure like this. In the Clark Development Zone, just north of Manila, the Daily Wage Rate is US $7.76.

Telecomms

The Philippines has a world-class telecoms infrastructure, partly driven by the BPO and call centre industry which now employs over 1.2 million people. The voice call centre industry in the Philippines overtook India a couple of years ago.

There are currently 70.5 million mobile telecoms subscribers, 35 million internet users and 3 million broadband users. The telecoms usage in the Philippines is directly as a result of the population profile, the increasing BPO and call centre industry and the investment in telecoms infrastructure which has been driven from Government and Industry foresight.

We have been told that one third of all Facebook traffic worldwide emanates from the Philippines. It’s that population profile again!

Economics

Real GDP growth in the Philippines has been positive every year since 2004. Eleven years of unbroken GDP growth is an outstanding achievement in the light of the global financial turmoil throughout that period. Current GDP growth is in the region of 5.6%.

Infrastructure growth has been in the region of 2.0% of GDP for the last few years. This will increase to 5.0% in 2016.

The Philippines has moved up the world competitive index from 85th to 52nd in the last 5 years. That’s 33 places up the countries league table.

Summary

We could go on about many more statistics, and indeed we will, to show the positive direction of travel of the Philippines on the world stage. It used to be Asia’s best kept secret, but now more and more companies are getting the message and taking notice of the Philippines as an attractive and substantial market for product and services, a superb place to site a South East Asia headquarters, or as a cost effective and high quality manufacturing and outsourcing location.

Did you like this? Share it:
Share This Post