A PHILIPPINE Business Council (PBC) leader in the United Arab Emirates said that President Rodrigo Duterte has received the letter of appeal to the Philippine government to participate in the Expo 2020 in Dubai.
PBC-Dubai Chairman Maria Celeste Carella disclosed that the letter she signed with two other individuals was initiated to “increase foreign direct investments [FDIs] in the Philippines.”
Expo 2020 will be held in Dubai from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021 with the theme: “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future.” Carella said in their letter that the theme “aligns perfectly with the current government’s ‘Build, Build, Build program.’”
It stated that Expo 2020 presents an opportunity for attracting FDIs particularly in infrastructure and those which highlight Filipino ingenuity and potential.
The letter further said: “Expo 2020 is an opportunity for the country to showcase its local offerings in agri-aquaculture, manufacturing, tourism, medical services, the tech ecosystem and the arts. Filipino artistry is well-known even in the UAE, with topnotch fashion designers Michael Cinco, Furne One Amato, Yen AB of Yen Couture, and Ezra Santos holding fort and making waves globally.”
PBC–Abu Dhabi Chairman Deborah Gay Dayrit and Bayanihan Council–Abu Dhabi Chairman Engr. Elmer Casao were the other two signatories.
The three, together with a number of Filipino community leaders, met the delegation members from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) who were in the UAE in November to attend a meeting of international participants to the world expo.
The DTI, through the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (Citem), is taking the lead in representing the Philippines.
“We really hope the president will be convinced of Citem’s position: that we should have a pavilion, and that he immediately provide the necessary budget for [its] construction and operation,” Carella added.
According to Expo 2020 organizers, major construction work will be completed in October 2019 and as such, there is still time for the Philippines to have its pavilion built before the said month.