Calling All Philippines Marching Bands

We have been contacted by the organisers of the Liverpool Waves Music Festival who are keen to attract Marching Bands from all over the world to their festival in Liverpool.

Dates for the first festival will be from

July 4th – August 18th 2024

 There will be various performances throughout these dates.

Liverpool WaVeS Music and Marching Band Festival is not a competition but a showcase of some of the best youth and community groups from around the world, coming to assemble here in Liverpool in the United Kingdom, one of the most renowned cities in the world for music heritage.

We aim to have a mix of marching bands and drumlines / corps with their colour guards and cheerleaders, orchestras, non-marching bands including jazz, symphonic and show bands, vocal groups, choirs and not forgetting the dance groups throughout the summer, making this a truly multicultural visual music festival.

The festival organisers have been in talks for many months with high schools and community groups from many areas around the world including; Japan, USA, Canada, Thailand, Australia, Europe, South America and as far away as Tonga, with a good response from groups keen to come and perform here in Liverpool at the festival.

It is recognised that the cost for a band from the Philippines to visit the UK could be prohibitive and therefore sponsors may need to be identified to cover some or all of the costs. Interested bands and sponsors should contact John Perry at johnstevenperry@yahoo.co.uk.

Further information can be found at http://www.liverpoolwaves.com

TINIG UK

I had the great pleasure this week meeting Liezel Longboan, the editor of the website Tinig UK – The voice of Filipinos in the UK (tinig-uk.com)

TINIG means VOICE in Tagalog and therefore it is the voice of Filipinos in the UK. It provides news and information to the Filipino community in the UK and organises events relevant to the community.  One such event coming up in the near future is:

Philippines Economy Update January 2023

• The Philippine Gross Domestic Product (GDP) posted growth of 7.6 per cent in the third quarter of 2022, exceeding the median analyst forecast of 6.3 per cent. This puts the Philippines firmly in second place in terms of highest growth in the region and on track to achieving the government’s growth target of 6.5 to 7.5 per cent in 2022.
• The main drivers for growth in the third quarter were wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles, financial and insurance activities, and construction.
• Major economic sectors posted positive growth in the third quarter, including agriculture, forestry and fishing at 2.2 per cent, industry at 7.7 per cent, and services at 9.1 per cent.  
• Household consumption and investment helped drive growth on the demand side as more Filipinos returned to regular activities after the pandemic.
• The relaxation of border restrictions and simplified travel protocols helped provide a boost to tourism and other related sectors. From February to November 2022, the Philippines recorded 2,219,634 tourist arrivals.
• The unemployment rate declined and is now at 5 per cent, the lowest since January 2020. This equates to a decrease of 1.8 million unemployed individuals.
• The Philippine government aims to reinvigorate job creation and reduce poverty rates to single-digit levels. Similar to many other countries in the world today, the Philippines is currently dealing with higher levels of inflation but the government is taking the necessary steps to address this.
• President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. has also identified food security as a top priority of his administration. The government will boost domestic agricultural production and sustain agricultural productivity and resilience through climate-adaptive technologies.
• The Philippines remains committed to supporting businesses and creating a more enabling regulatory and investment environment through the full implementation of landmark reforms such as the amendments to the Public Service Act, Foreign Investments Act, Retail Trade Liberalization Act, and the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises or the CREATE law.

Source: Philippine Statistics Authority; National Economic and Development Authority

Forum on The Philippines’ Role in your Global Business

The Philippines is poised to recover strongly post-pandemic due to its strong economic fundamentals and responsive government interventions. With the capability and capacity to host critical activities and high growth industries through its highly skilled, resilient, innovative and adaptable workforce, foreign investors continue to show confidence in the Philippines evident with the country’s FDI experiencing an increase by almost a third in contrast with the decline in global FDIs in 2020.

The DTI-Board of Investments presents “Make It Happen in the Philippines: A Forum on the Philippines’ Role in Your Global Business.” Learn more about business opportunities in the country and our attractive business environment as economic experts discuss updates on the Philippine investment climate and investors share insights and experiences in growing their business in the Philippines. The Forum is on 23rd March 2021 at 09.00 GMT.

The Speakers

Ceferino Rodolfo Undersecretary Department of Trade and Industry

Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala Chairman & CEO Ayala Corporation