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

UK Export Finance

Discover what the UK offers in finance to support major projects when buying UK Goods and services.

UK export finance

Clink on the link below to see a presentation of the UK Export Finance Scheme

> > UK export Finance – Competitive finance when you buy from the UK < <

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

Aug 03

Asia Diversity Summit 2018

Asia Diversity Summit 2018, presented by Teletech, on September 25 (a full day event) at the Manila Marriott. REGISTER HERE.

Asia Diversity Summit establishes Philippines among the elite nations of the world that recognize and support diversity and inclusion in business and society.

Asia Diversity Summit recognizes the millions of people who still live in shame and fear because of the special way they were put on this earth. Help us spread the word that ALL people can reach their highest limits by their personal contributions and not be hindered by their personal orientations.

Long known for being caring and supportive, Filipinos are leading the way in Asia in harnessing the special abilities and commitments of diverse people. Large organizations in Philippines already report LGBTQ employee participation rates as high as 20 and 30 percent.

Asia Diversity Summit features pioneering leaders speaking on inclusion strategies, common challenges and future opportunities in establishing your organization as world class.

ASIA DIVERSITY SUMMIT 2018

Be with us for Asia Diversity Summit to make your organization a truly open and inclusive one for all people — especially those who identify themselves as a bit different.
Be with us for Asia Diversity Summit 2018, presented by Teletech, on Tuesday, September 25 (9:00am – 4:30pm) at the Manila Marriott. REGISTER HERE. The cost is Php5,000 and includes 5-star Marriott lunch and hors d’oeuvres (Php6,000 if paid at the door).

Speakers for Asia ECOMM Summit 2018 include:

Arthur NowakArthur Nowak
Senior Vice President, Asia Pacific Operations
Teletech

PRESENTER: Arthur is President and General Manager of the Teletech operations Philippines, Australia, and New Zealand entities. He is also global head of Training and Leadership Development responsible for building the skills of over 50,000 employees in the world.

Geraldine RomanGeraldine Roman
Congresswoman
Republic of the Philippines

PRESENTER: Geraldine is the first openly transgender women elected to the Congress of the Philippines. She is representative of the 1st District of Bataan following the 2016 Philippine elections. Geraldine is helping the poor by awarding scholarships and pushing for anti-discrimination laws.

Randy Estrellado Randy Estrellado
Chief Operating Officer
Maynilad Water

PRESENTER: Randy oversees one of the nation’s largest utility companies. He was previously the company’s high-regarded and long-term CFO. Randy has an MBA from Harvard and was previously CFO for Metro Pacific Investments and ABS-CBN Broadcasting.

Jimmy NguyenJimmy Nguyen
Chief Executive Officer
nChain Group

PRESENTER: Jimmy’s mission is to enable massive growth of the Bitcoin network focusing on Bitcoin Cash as the true Bitcoin. The nChain group of companies consists of world-class scientific research, engineering and other professionals primarily based in London, United Kingdom and Vancouver, Canada.

Kate CordovaKate Cordova
Member
Philippine Country Coordinating Mechanism of Global Fund

PRESENTER: Kate is one of the nation’s most prominent promoters of transgender issues. She is the key force behind the Association of Transgenders in the Philippines. Kate also manages a motivated group of talented people at Capital One Philippines Support Services.

Boy AbundaBoy Abunda
TV Host
King of Talk

PRESENTER: is a Filipino television host, publicist, talent manager and celebrity endorser. He has been dubbed as the King-of-Talk in local show business.

Mark LwinMark Lwin
CEO and General Manager
AIG Philippines Insurance, AIG Shared Services (Philippines)

PRESENTER: Mark is unique in that he oversees 2 demanding business operations: AIG Insurance (in the day) and AIG Shared Services (in the night). He is recent winner of the Expatriate Executive of the Year at Asia CEO Awards.

Brian TenorioBrian Tenorio
Chair and Founder
The Philippine LGBT Chamber of Commerce

PRESENTER: Brian is currently an International Consultant for Branding and Design at the Asian Development Bank and a Design and Communications Consultant at the World Health Organization. He also chairs the Designers for Development Network New York. All this while heading his business in coffee+culture in the Philippines, Kape Coffee Co. and Tenorium Ent, his multi-disciplinary design agency in Manila.

Mark WoolfreyMark Woolfrey
Executive General Manager
QBE Group (Global Shared Services Center)

PRESENTER: Mark leads a high-profile operation with 3 sites in Manila and Cebu, providing a range of high value services supporting 34 countries across Australia / New Zealand, Asia, Europe and North American Operations. He previously ran shared services operations for ANZ Bank.

John NichollsJohn Nicholls
Former COO
HSBC Philippines

PRESENTER: John is one of the region’s most senior banking executives with senior experience throughout the world (UK, Russia, Brazil, Peru, Azerbaijan, Taiwan, UAE, Philippines). He actively supports multiple social advocacies – corporate responsibility; diversity and inclusion; mentor to graduates working as public school teachers.

Did you like this? Share it:
Share This Post

Jul 28

Philippine Economic Briefing – London

Philippine Economic Briefing – London

25th September at 09.00

According to the World Bank the Philippines is one of the most dynamic economies in East Asia and Pacific Region having had sustained annual growth over the past five years of 6.3 per cent.

makati philippines

Makati city skyline. Makati city is one of the most developed business district of metro Manila and the entire Philippines.

At this briefing, key members of the Philippines Cabinet including the Finance, Budget and Trade ministers will be discussing the key macroeconomic and infrastructure developments.

This UK-ASEAN organised briefing will provide an in-depth insight into the Philippine government’s plans for the economy and the market’s potential for international investors.

The World Bank predicts that the Philippine economy will continue its expansionary path and grow at an annual rate of 6.7 per cent in both 2018 and 2019 making it one the strongest performers among major developing economies.

The World Bank puts this performance down to increasing urbanisation, a growing middle-income class, and a large and young population. The Philippines’ economic dynamism is rooted in strong consumer demand supported by improving real incomes and robust remittances. Business activities are buoyant with notable performance in the services sector including the Business Process Outsourcing, real estate, and finance and insurance industries.

The economy is currently growing at its potential but it’s investment growth hinges on the government’s ability to effectively and timely implement its ambitious public investment program.

This briefing is a chance to hear an in-depth update on the Philippine macroeconomic and infrastructure development agendas from key figures of the Philippine cabinet listed below:

Finance Secretary       Carlos G. Dominguez III
Socioeconomic Secretary        Ernesto M. Pernia
Budget Secretary       Benjamin E. Diokno
Trade Secretary          Ramon M. Lopez
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor           Nestor A. Espenilla, Jr.
Transportation Secretary         Arthur P. Tugade
Public Works and Highways Secretary         Mark A. Villar
Energy Secretary          Alfonso G. Cusi
Bases Conversion and Development Authority President & CEO      Vivencio B. Dizon

The presentations will cover:

Philippine Macroeconomic Developments
Philippine Infrastructure Development Agenda

To express an interest in participation please email ‘events@ukabc.org.uk‘. This event is being organised by the Republic of the Philippines.

 

Did you like this? Share it:
Share This Post

Jul 27

Philippines Guide Books – The Best

Finding the Philippines guide books – the best – is a must now that the travel industry has discovered the delights of the Philippines. For a long while the Philippines has been one of the best kept secrets to those in the know. Fantastic people, great cities, beautiful scenery and beaches – it has it all. But how do you research a visit to the Philippines to get the best out of your time there? The best Philippines Guide Books, of course.
We have selected two guide books out of the not so many that are available for the Philippines. Whatever your reason for going there, either of these books are widely available and comprehensively cover the country from all angles.  You can easily buy them from Amazon here.white boat on tropical bantayan island in philippines guide books best

There is a massive amount of information available for travel planning these days. So we suggest first considering what your specific needs are before jumping into your research and planning. Start with a few general questions:
• Are you interested mostly in weather information, and information on health issues, visas, hotels, restaurants and shopping opportunities?
• Do you need historical and cultural background information for your travel?
• Perhaps you are looking for detailed guides to museums, art, and architecture?
• Looking for the best resorts and beaches?
• Or, do you simply need a general overview of the country you are about to visit?
Some guidebooks are good for planning your trip but not necessarily for carrying around because of their weight.
The two we would recommend are Lonely Planet and The Rough Guides.

Lonely Planet Guides

They not only offer the best guidebooks, but they literally “cover the planet”. Ask any travellers to southeast Asia and they’ll tell you that Lonely Planet is their bible. Lonely Planet guides are packed with information, they’re compact and easy to carry, and they are updated regularly. Be sure you get the most current edition, though, if possible. You can also access the many of the Lonely Planet Guides’ e-book version through Amazon Prime. With a Kindle version you can download any number of these guides and have them handy on the road.

Lonely Planet guides cover general history and give good detail about the places to visit. The ‘Getting There and Away’ sections are always good for the border crossings. Plenty of simple maps to give you an idea of where you are, and of course they always hunt out the cheapo cafes with the best mango drinks.
Use the prices as a reference point only, as some of the guides can be a few years old, and a lot can change overnight. Some Lonely Planet recommendations might even have closed down.
Some people consider they may have lost a little of their buzz but Lonely Planet are still concise and informative even if they are no way near as up-to-date as you would like. They’ve also recently updated their Philippines editions. Whatever you say about Lonely Planet you cannot deny that they are still the number one choice for many casual travellers thanks to their range of titles, easy-to-understand info and details of all the best spots for backpackers to hang out.

Rough Guides

Rough Guides were started by Mark Ellingham in 1981. While traveling in Greece he met Martin Dunford, who was in Greece teaching English at the time, and on their return to the UK Mark, Martin and a small group of writers created their own guidebook series that aimed to combine a journalistic approach to description with a practical approach to travellers’ needs. The series was initially aimed at low-budget backpackers but have since evolved to recommend off-the-beaten path suggestions for travellers on all budgets.

Rough Guides may be not so good on the map score, but I found the music section and other cultural snippets more worthwhile than some of the opinionated comments in Lonely Planet.
They’ve earnt their reputation as backpacker’s choice thanks to their focus on budget selections. Rough Guides also offer maps and phrase books in addition to their guidebooks.

&nbs

Did you like this? Share it:
Share This Post

Jun 22

Franchise Asia Philippines 2018

 

Franchise Asia Philippines 2018

Now on its 26th edition, the event has become the largest franchise show in Asia in terms of number of exhibitors and number of trade visitors. With the Philippine economy continuing to be one of the fastest growing economy in the world and the steady influx of international brands, PFA is currently positioning Franchise Asia Philippines as an international franchise expo offering investment opportunities to domestic and international visitors.

This year, the International Expo of Franchise Asia Philippines 2018 will feature 700 booths in all the 4 halls of the first floor as well as 2 function rooms on the second floor of SMX Convention Center – Manila. Among the highlights of the Expo are:
• International area featuring top international franchise brands
• Franchise investment opportunities in food, retail and service
• Food park featuring emerging food concepts
See you there!

REGISTER HERE

Did you like this? Share it:
Share This Post