By JOSEPH G. LARIOSA

(© Journal Group Link International)

Filipino-American Business Leaders Welcome President Aquino’s Call As They Visit Metro Manila and the CALABARZON Provinces in a Trade Mission

C HICAGO (jGLi) – Undeterred by the negative image of Philippine tourism wrought by the Manila hostage incident broadcast live by CNN, a group of 40 business leaders from six states and Canada are visiting the Philippines from Oct. 11 to 16 in  response to President Noynoy Aquino’s call to bring investments and tourists in the Philippines.

Leading the first Trade, Tourism and Humanitarian Mission to the Philippines under the Aquino, Gus Mercado, Chairman and CEO of Dallas, Texas-based Datalogix International and former Consul General of Houston, has announced that the arriving business leaders are coming  from Texas, California, New Jersey, Arkansas, Michigan, Georgia and Canada.

They will converge in Manila this week “to shore up the Philippine economy and offset whatever negative fallout may have come from the isolated hostage incident.”

“We have been bringing investors and tourists to this country for a long time, even under much worse circumstances,” Mr. Mercado added, “and there is no reason why we should not do it again.”

There was a couple of business consortiums that reportedly were ready to join the Mission and invest heavily in the Philippines and backed out after the hostage incident. But by and large, Mercado explained members of the delegation, especially the Fil-Ams, are impervious to political and social upheavals in the country. “We just want to visit and give something back to the home country… Our fervent desire to help the Filipino people transcends politics, personalities, ideology and time” Mr. Mercado added.

The trade mission will focus on joint-venture opportunities, as well as pursue business partnerships in finance, legal services, import/export, IT/Telecom outsourcing, real estate and logistics, ecotourism, medical tourism and retirement.

The mission's activities will consist of high-level business forums on investment and joint venture opportunities as well as feature top tourist attractions in the Philippines, focusing on the CALABARZON region, with visits to Clark and Subic.

His wife, Ethel Mercado, State president of the sponsoring Philippine-American Chamber of Commerce of Texas, reported that “unlike previous Trade Missions which were focused on indoor conferences and presentations, the 2010 Mission will be heavy on Tourism – visiting some of the best tourist attractions in southern Luzon, including the four-star Vivere Azure beach resort in Anilao, Batangas, the healing Kamay ni Hesus in Lucban, Quezon – the Filipino version of the giant Christ statue in Rio de Janeiro – the tourist-friendly Villa Escudero in Laguna, and the countrysides of Subic in Zambales and Clark in Pampanga.”  She concludes: “We want to show the world that the Philippines is still one of the most attractive and safest places to visit.” 

Companies represented by the delegation include: Verizon, Bank of America, Datalogix, American Airlines, Progressive Funders, Valhalla Corp., Lotus Marketing USA, Nuclear Logistics, Somiscrest, Silver Lining Corp., DesJardins Law Offices, Benchmark Logic LLC, Approved Capital LLC, Good Life Secrets Investment Co., Adriatico Investments Corp., Global Dynasty Corp., Uniworld Travel, FBC Group of Companies, Good Live Secrets Investments, as well as several U.S.-based non-profit humanitarian organizations – Fil-Aid, Our Barangay Inc. and Living Waters Ministries.

As a week-long “all-in-one” mission, which includes a “Humanitarian Day”, the delegates will also spend a day with 60 medical volunteers in a medical and dental mission to Ibaan, Batangas, to provide free clinics, cash, medicine and new wheelchairs to about 1,000 indigent patients from 26 barangays.

Editor’s Note: MabuhayRadio.com columnist Ernie Delfin is a member of the trade mission. Mr. Delfin resides in Fountain Valley, Orange County in Southern California. He is the highest-ranking Fil-Am Rotarian in Orange County. He is also a former president of the Fil-Am Chamber of Commerce of Orange County.

A sked why Texas is in the forefront of Investment missions to the Philippines, overall Mission Coordinator Gus Mercado said: "It is natural for us Texans to initiate these trade promotions between the two countries, as Texas continues to stand out as the Philippines' most robust trading partner among all the states, with oil, electronics, computers, aircraft and technical services as the leading exports  to the country.”

"IT and contact center outsourcing continues to be a frontier industry that U.S. companies like  IBM, Sprint, Convergsys, Verizon, Microsoft,  Texas Instruments, DELL Computers, US Airways and a host of other U.S. companies are finding to be very worthwhile and appealing in the Philippines from cost and work quality standpoints. As a former colony and long-time ally of the U.S. the Philippines enjoys tremendous advantages over other countries that also provide outsourced services. Unlike other countries that have British orientation like India, the Philippine educational system, legal and political system, accounting practices and business protocols are patterned after the U.S. making the country a more intelligent choice as an outsourcing partner country, " Mercado explained.

Highlights of the first U.S. Trade Mission under the administration of President Aquino include: Tours of  tourist attractions and industrial parks in Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon; tours and presentations at Clark and Subic by their respective Development Authority officials;  Business matching with potential global partners, suppliers/clients all prepared to meet with  the delegates; high-powered conferences with top government and industry leaders arranged by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI/PBC); a private audience with President Noynoy Aquino; and an evening with the Calabarzon Governors led by Batangas Governor Vilma Santos-Recto. # # #

Editor’s Note: To contact the author, please e-mail him at:  (lariosa_jos@sbcglobal.net)