EUROPE-PH News

Every year, around this time, assorted Filipino exporters brave the freezing cold weather in Germany, put on layers and layers of warm clothes put their best foot forward and wear their brightest smiles to participate in Ambiente, an annual trade fair put up by Messe Frankfurt, one of the world's leading trade fair organizers mat has earned for Frankfurtmesobriquet "city of trade fairs." Consider these mind-blowing facts and figures: Last year, Messe chalked up 450 million euros in sales.

I don't know how many of you folks out there know that a serious anti corruption effort had recently been launched by the private business sector. The Integrity Initiative is being pushed by the European Chamber of Commerce, Makati Business Club, Management Association of the Philippines and similar high profile business groups.

News clip aired in ABS-CBN's Balitang Europe covering the Philippine exhibitors in MACEF Spring Jan 2011, Milan, Italy organized by ECCP / Fairs & More. The 'Pacific Style' presentation was participated by Blue Planet Inc., G. Designare Mfg. Phils., Janice Minor Import / Export and Unijel Int'l.

The Joint Foreign Chambers (JFC) together with 10 Philippine business groups and the House of Representatives agree to hold regular meetings to accelerate passage of legislative measures that will increase investments and jobs in the country.

Members ofthe European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) can now enjoy increased visibility to existing and potential clients and partners worldwide with the integration of WebTalk the first complete and fully functional communication services via the web on the chamber's newly renovated website.

Cyril Rocke, president of VoiceOne Asia, demonstrates to journalists the use of Webtalk, while Henry Schumacher, executive vice president of the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP), answers the call from a tableture through the Web.

The European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines ECCP said it will make available to its members a free Internet based service that would help cut communication costs.

To ease current business processes, nearly 700 members of the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) can begin transacting with their clients and suppliers through the free use of internet.

It was a hell of a story, a beautiful dream. But it was also a great and fatal illusion. The world economy was on a sustainable growth path – this was the opinion of the majority of managers and company owners, it was the view among bankers and economists. A high, growing, inflation-free growth of 4 – 5% per annum was possible, globally! Finally, major parts of the world population would leave poverty behind them.

The Joint Foreign Chambers (JFC) recently launched a paper called “Impact of the Global Economic Crisis on the Philippines; Preparing to Rebuild Foreign Investment Flows” and outlined eight components of recommended strategy growth.

The Philippines --- for more than a century --- has looked east, because at the end of the rainbow was the American Dream, the United States of America. More than 2.5 million Filipinos have settled in the US. The US has become the largest trading partner and the Philippines inherited the American political and legal system.

Despite the general belief that the Philippines will largely be spared from the effects of the global economic crisis, I prepared a list of things (not in order of importance) that would be good to have in 2009 just in case the prevailing optimism is hit by realism.