By Kris Crismundo / PNA
EUROPEAN entrepreneurs are organizing at least two business missions to the Philippines this year, with the aim of forging trade and investment opportunities in the construction and waste-management sectors.
European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) Executive Director Florian Gottein said the initial delegation, which will involve representatives of about 50 companies, would visit within the first quarter of the year.
Gottein explained that the firms comprising the first trade mission are mainly from the field of waste management. Most of these firms get funding from the European Union (EU), particularly from big economies like Germany.
Another European business delegation from the construction sector will visit in November to participate in this year’s Philconstruct—one of the country’s leading construction events.
The ECCP executive said European companies are interested in the country’s infrastructure projects in view of the government’s “Build, Build, Build” program.
Gottein noted that ECCP will help these firms by linking them up with potential partners and customers.
In September last year, 52 companies from Europe’s health-care sector visited the country—the region’s largest business delegation so far to the Philippines.
“We remain very optimistic. This country has a huge potential; one of [them] is the demographics,” ECCP President Nabil Francis said.
Francis shared that since there are still headwinds due to external factors, European businesses in the country will proceed with cautious optimism.
He added that the ECCP would help foster good relations between European and Philippine enterprises to develop new business opportunities both ways.