A business delegation composed of 50 delegates from across Australia will visit the Philippines to explore business opportunities specifically in tourism, automotive and electric vehicle manufacturing, agribusiness, and renewable energy.
Philippine Ambassador to Australia Ma. Hellen B. De La Vega will lead the Australian business delegation on August 14-20. It will be the very first Australian business mission to visit the Philippines at the onset of the Marcos administration and will include investment briefings, business-to-business (B2B) meetings and a visit to the economic zones in Clark, Bataan, and Subic.
During its 6-day visit to Manila, Clark/New Clark City, Bataan and Subic, the delegation representing various sectors from renewable energy, manufacturing, mining, tourism, education to IT-BPM will participate in a networking breakfast to be hosted by the Philippines- Australia Business Council (PABC) and Australian-New Zealand Chamber of Commerce (ANZCHAM), to be followed by a business briefing and business-to-business (B2B) meetings to be led by the Board of Investments, Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), and DTI – Export Marketing Bureau (EMB) together with other government agencies such as Department of Agriculture (DA) and Department of Energy (DOE).
This is to highlight the Philippine value propositions and sector of complementation with Australia, specifically in automotive and EV manufacturing, agribusiness and renewable energy.
The delegates will also have opportunities for networking during a networking cocktail that will be hosted by the Australia Philippines Business Council (APBC) in Manila, and during the luncheon to be hosted in New Clark City by the Bases Conversion and Development Authority and in Bataan by the Provincial Government of Bataan, as well as in Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority.
“I am looking forward to the Business Mission and it is my fervent hope that we will be able to generate stronger interest from the private sector to develop and deepen commercial linkages between the Philippines and Australia,” Ambassador De La Vega said.
The Business Mission is jointly organized by the Philippine Trade and Center in Sydney, the Philippine Board of Investments, Export Marketing Bureau, Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), the Subic Clark and Alliance for Development (SCAD) and the Freeport and Economic zones in the Subic-Clark-Bataan corridor.
Among the resource speakers for the Pacific Business Mission are PEZA OIC-Director General Panga, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) – Competitiveness and Innovation Group Undersecretary Rafaelita M. Aldaba, Department of Agriculture (DA) Undersecretary Mercedita A. Sombilla, Department of Energy (DoE) – Renewable Energy Management Bureau Assistant Director Marissa P. Cerezo, and Board of Investments Investment Promotions Service Executive Director Evariste M. Cagatan.
As of June 2022, there are a total of 141 PEZA-registered companies from Australia and New Zealand. These companies contribute P14.640 billion in investments, generate $374.570 million in exports, and created 44,424 direct jobs