News

PH trade potential with India cited

September 27, 2023 - INDIA, one of the largest economies in South Asia, has been identified as a destination for Filipino exporters with its growing market for Philippine products and the existence of preferential trade agreements. During the Markets of the World forum hosted by the World Trade Center Metro Manila, Dr. Jhino B. Ilano, Assistant Director of the Export Marketing Bureau of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), reported that there is unrealized export potential in India estimated at US$566.92 million. These exports could come from electronics, Halal-based products, personal care and beauty products, coconut products, and other organic products such as dairy products and eggs. Filipino exporters can also take advantage of the ASEAN-India Free Trade Agreement (AIFTA) where the Philippines enjoys reduced tariffs for 94% of exports to India. Speaking before over 60 participants, Dr. Ilano shared that total trade with India has been growing by 4.2% (CAGR) from 2018 to 2022, reaching US$2.8 billion in 2022. Total exports were at US$2.1 billion while imports totaled US$701.4 million. India ranks as the country’s 15th largest trading partner with a 1.31% share of total trade with the Philippines. It is 16th among the country’s export markets with a 0.89% share of total exports, and 14th among import suppliers with a 1.53% share of total imports. Raju Mandhyan, former Chairman of the Philippines India Business Council (PIBC), meanwhile said that India is the fastest growing large economy in the world before and after the pandemic. He said India has large domestic demand, with demand outpacing supply. Two-thirds of GDP is reportedly accounted by domestic demand, driven by a large market of 1.4 billion population – the largest human resource in the world. Mandhyan added that investment potentials in India are in the fields of beauty and wellness, tourism and travel, luxury goods, food and beverages, and aqua and seafood products. Imports from India meanwhile include engineering goods like machinery, equipment and components, pharmaceuticals, and educational content. “India is such an exciting market with many positive developments happening in various sectors,” said WTCMM Chairman Pamela D. Pascual. “Progress is seen on trade, investment, economic, scientific, and technical cooperation. With the world’s exponential growth in digitalization and globalization, both countries have emerged as frontliners in the service sectors, particularly in the business process outsourcing industry. WTCA alone has over 60 license holders across India making it one of the largest WTC contingents in the world.” Pascual bared that WTCMM is putting together a Philippine delegation to participate in the annual World Trade Centers Association (WTCA) Global Business Forum hosted by WTC Bengaluru, India in March 2024. On these annual WTCA gatherings, trade delegations from different parts of the world participate in B2B meetings and collaborations. ### About World Trade Center Metro Manila With over 26 years of professional experience in world-class service and unparalleled expertise in exhibitions, trade shows, and special events, WTCMM is the first in the Philippines to be recognized as such by Union des Foires Internationales (UFI), the global association of the exhibition industry; and the only exhibition center in the country to be managed by an ISO-certified company, the Manila Exposition Complex, Inc. It is an accredited MICE venue of the Department of Tourism (DOT) and Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), a member of the Tourism Congress of the Philippines (TCP), and the Philippine Association of Convention Exhibition Organizers and Suppliers (PACEOS). For more information, please visit www.wtcmanila.com.ph. About Markets of the World Now on its 10th Markets of the World (MOW) is a market briefing seminar that features the latest industry trends, business opportunities, and best practices in the global arena that strengthen international trade through exports, and imports as well as in other industries. Participants in this seminar come from different kinds of enterprises. It includes representatives from small and medium enterprises, government officials, members of trade organizations, and even top executives at major corporations. Read More

WTCMM Business Trade Mission with CCPIT Fujian

July 4, 2023 - The World Trade Center Metro Manila (WTCMM) recently organized and hosted an Economic and Trade Cooperation Matchmaking Conference participated in by a delegation of companies from Fujian, China and local businesses from the WTCMM Business Club. The business matching session shared abundant opportunities between the markets of the Philippines and China, notably in specialized sectors of construction, agriculture, and food and beverage, and machinery. The conference was held in partnership with the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, Fujian Provincial Council (CCPIT Fujian), and is among WTCMM’s initiatives to foster trade among the Philippines and other nations. In photo are conference participants, led by WTCMM Chairman and CEO Pamela D. Pascual (front row, ninth from left) and CCPIT Fujian Vice Chairman Xie Xuhua (front row, tenth from left). Read More

PAMELA D. PASCUAL, THE NEW PRESIDENT OF PACEOS

May 24, 2023 - The Philippine Association of Convention/Exhibition Organizers and Suppliers Inc. (PACEOS) elected a new set of officers for 2023 during its General Membership Meeting held recently at Conrad Hotel Manila. Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) maven Ms. Pamela D. Pascual was elected President of PACEOS and will serve with other board members to champion various initiatives that will help the exhibitions industry sustain its strong recovery this year. Other trustees elected are Ms. Monnette Hamlin (VP-Conventions), Mr. Patrick Lawrence Tan (VP-Exhibitions), Ms. Agnes Pacis (VP-Suppliers), Ms. Sonia Sayaman (Corporate Secretary), Ms. Deedee Ledonio (Treasurer), Mr. Orly Ballesteros, Ms. Ma. Lourdes Mediran, and Ms. Cynthia Mamon. Former President Mr. Joel Pascual was elected Chairman. “Together with the new board, we will continue to strengthen our facilities and programs to meet new challenges and maximize opportunities in the changing global market conditions in order to fulfill our mission of developing the Philippines as a leading exhibition and convention destination in Asia," Ms. Pascual said. Ms. Pascual has led the World Trade Center Metro Manila (WTCMM) for the past 15 years, guiding it to a dominant position in the country's exhibitions industry. Established in 1981, PACEOS is a non–profit association composed of professional event, exhibition, and convention organizers and their partners in business, including venue owners, booth contractors, freight forwarders, and hotels as well as institutions offering allied services, such as travel and tour agencies, airlines, printing, and other agencies. Read More

WTCMM WELCOMES CHINA TRADE COUNCIL

April 4, 2023 - World Trade Center Metro Manila Chairman and CEO Pamela Pascual (right) welcomed representatives from t he China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) Tianjin Sub-Council led by their Vice Chairman Yan Yingxia (left) during a courtesy visit to the WTCMM headquarters in Pasay City. The WTCMM will assist in the council’s mission to help companies from Tianjin, China to explore future cooperation between Tianjin and the Philippines through co-hosting promotional trade missions to both countries, and B2B meetings. CCPIT is affiliated with China’s Ministry of Commerce and Tianjin WTC. Read More

Strengthening Philippines & India Cultural Ties

March 7, 2023 - The Philippines and India are two Asian countries which share so many things in common in terms of history, culture, and way of life, which date back to centuries before they were colonized by Western powers. This age-old cultural affinity was put to the fore once more with the recent holding of “Art Diversity,” an exchange program between visual artists from the Angono Ateliers Association Philippines (AAAP) and the Arth Art International India. The weeklong art interaction was participated in by 17 painters from the Angono-based group, one of the country’s oldest associations, led by renowned muralist and sculptor Nemi Miranda, AAAP president Bernie Balagtas, and exchange project director August Santiago. The New Delhi-based association is composed of 17 contemporary artists headed by Sushil Shriwastwa, CEO and curator of the Arth Art International. For an immersion into the Philippine art scene, the joint group visited the National Museum in Manila and the Angono-Binangonan Petroglyphs, art communities in Rizal Province, the studio of painter Raul Isidro, and the University of Sto. Tomas Museum, which boasts of an impressive repository of colonial-era ecclesiastical and visual art, and historic artifacts. The art exchange culminated with the opening of the public exhibit at the World Trade Center Metro Manila in Pasay City which run until the end of February 2023. The cocktail launch was attended by Filipino and foreign diplomats, First Secretary of the Indian Embassy Kannan Chockalingam, local government officials, and officers of the Indian Cultural Association of the Philippines. According to Nemi Miranda, the successful convergence of the artists from two different nations is a realization of a long-standing aspiration for the AAAP to showcase the universality of the language of art despite the diversity. He said that both groups are looking forward to a reciprocal visit to India for Filipinos to have a deeper appreciation of the richness of the subcontinent’s thousand years old civilization, rich history and cultural heritage. WTCMM is spearheading the potential collaboration with WTC Mumbai for the said art exchange. Read More

PHL exhibition industry poised for strong recovery

March 7, 2023 - The Philippine exhibition industry is poised for a “strong comeback” this year, according to the World Trade Center Metro Manila (WTCMM), a premier exhibition venue in the Philippines. “The exhibition industry is well on its way to recovery in 2023,” said WTCMM Chairman and CEO Pamela D. Pascual. In a news statement issued on Wednesday, WTCMM noted that one of the hardest hit industries during the pandemic is MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions). “All booked trade shows and events for two years were temporarily discontinued and this created a huge cloud of uncertainty on when these could be staged in a safe environment,” Pascual said. But the CEO of the major exhibition venue stressed that the year 2022 showed “optimistic indicators that point to restored market confidence and renewed vigor among stakeholders to go back to the exhibition floor.” With this, WTCMM said it is expecting its business operations to recover in a “robust” manner with pre-pandemic business coming back “strongly.” The WTCMM recalled that 2022 was a “good start,” adding that the different types of events that were staged last year helped boost the confidence of stakeholders to resume their plans. “This is why WTCMM’s utilization level increasingly grew from the first half of the year and accelerated towards the second semester,” WTCMM said. WTCMM added it anticipates more foreign organizers staging their shows in the country in the coming years. Moreover, with the loosened international borders, it said an increase in foreign exhibitor companies is believed to be once again taking up spaces in locally organized shows. According to the exhibition venue, approximately 30 percent, if not more, of exhibition spaces are taken up by foreign companies in exhibitions held in the country. “High-powered” industries such as construction, heavy machinery, agriculture, automotive, retail, food, and packaging among others supported by exhibitions and trade events have found a home in WTCMM, the major exhibition venue stated. Meanwhile, the CEO of WTCMM said the exhibition industry is a “vehicle” to promote domestic and international trade. “When the Philippines hosts local and international exhibitions, the country benefits from increased tourist and trade arrivals which promote a circular economy through increased consumer spending for accommodations, dining, shopping, tours, etc. Increased trade receipts, on the other hand, benefit employment,” the WTCMM statement added. WTCMM said it will continue to strengthen its leadership role in the exhibition industry in the country, not only by maintaining internationally accepted standards of its facilities and services, but also realize its plan to increase its space inventory by expanding the exhibition halls to address the strong clamor from the local and foreign markets. “I believe that increasing the space inventory of this globally-renowned brand shall fortify WTCMM’s long-standing position even more as the only exhibition facility of global standards in the Philippines,” Pascual stressed. Read More

Philippines-India Art Exchange 2023 at WTCMM

February 28, 2023 - The Angono Ateliers Association Philippines (AAAP) and the Arth Art International India, in cooperation with the Department of Tourism (DOT), present the Philippines-India Art Exchange 2023 on February 15 at the World Trade Center Metro Manila in Pasay City. With the theme “Art Diversity”, the art exhibit will showcase 68 art pieces from participating seventeen Filipino artists and seventeen Indian artists. The opening ceremonies will be led by DOT-CALABARZON Regional Director Marites Castro and DOT-NCR Regional Director Sharlene Batin, distinguished artists Nemi Miranda and August Santiago representing the AAAP, and Arth Art International India CEO Sushil Shriwastwa. They will be welcomed by WTCMM Chairman & CEO Pamela Pascual. Philippines-India Art Exchange 2023 will be open for public viewing from February 16 to 28, 2023 from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. For more details, please call WTCMM at 8-WTC-0000 (8982-0000) and 09771729185. Or email wtcclub@wtcmanila.com.ph, marketing@wtcmani|a.com.ph, or clarosantiagojr@gmail.com. ### About World Trade Center Metro Manila With over 25 years of professional experience in world-class service and unparalleled expertise in exhibition, trade shows and special events, WTCMM is the first in the Philippines to be recognized as such by Union des Foires Internationales (UFI), the global association of the exhibition industry; and the first and only exhibition center in the country to be managed by an ISO-certified company, the Manila Exposition Complex, Inc. It is an accredited MICE venue of the Department of Tourism (DOT) and Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), a member of the Tourism Congress of the Philippines (TCP) and the Philippine Association of Convention Exhibition Organizers and Suppliers Read More

WTC METRO MANILA FEATURES PHILCONSTRUCT

November 22, 2022 - World Trade Center Metro Manila (WTCMM) was selected by the WTCA to feature one of the largest and most prestigious exhibitions that it hosts in its halls under the pilot edition of the Market Access Program, Philconstruct. Completing the host line-up of WTCs of the first Market Access Program are WTC Kuala Lumpur and WTC Mumbai. PHILCONSTRUCT, the biggest and most anticipated trade show of the construction industry in the Philippines, was held at the WTC Metro Manila last November 3-6, 2022. The opening ceremony was graced by Mr. Scott Wang, Vice President, WTCA Asia Pacific Regional Office (APRO), together with Pamela Pascual, WTCMM Chairman & CEO, and Mr Art Boncato, WTCMM EVP & COO, along with construction industry leaders, and Global-Link MP, the Show organizer. The four-day trade show featured learning sessions and seminars that covered a range of topics including ASEAN integration in 2015, construction management, contracts administration, construction administration, and green building. It also provided opportunities to meet and network with the industry’s best brands and suppliers in the vast construction industry. Proving the power of the network, sister WTCs, Shenyang and Mumbai, along with other WTCs in Asia Pacific supported the Market Access Program and Philconstruct, including the virtual promotion webinar facilitated by WTCMM entitled, “Opportunities in the Philippine Construction Industry” held last October 19, 2022. Read More

Artist for Peace Art Exhibit opens at WTCMM

September 22, 2022 - Artists for Peace in collaboration with World Trade Center Metro Manila (WTCMM) has successfully launched the Contemporary Art Exhibition on August 24, 2022, at the 2nd level of WTCMM, presenting three of the country’s prominent artists, Augusto Santiago, Juno Galang, Nemi Miranda. The WTCMM and the WTCMM Business Club prosper trade and investment, being at the forefront of trade shows and exhibitions. It organizes trade missions, business matching activities, education programs, and networking activities. The endeavor to promote culture and arts is marked by a new milestone made possible through the collaboration with Artists for Peace bringing together the invaluable talents of Nemi, Juno and August. The featured artists honed their skills at the University of Santo Tomas and have been recognized in local and international art scenes. Nemi is a Nominee for National Artist in Visual Arts category with his works revolving around urban imagery and mythology; Juno Galang, an international artist based in Hawaii, showcases modern artworks that depict figurative subjects celebrated by art enthusiasts; and lastly, August Santiago, a figurative artist and modern impressionist with a wide range of expertise in different mediums whose works are widely commissioned by major corporate historical establishments. Artworks will be on display at the Mezzanine Level of WTCMM until October 24, 2022, will be open to the public. For more inquiries about the artworks, please call 8-8982-0000 local 201 or 212 or email wtcclub@wtcmanila.com.ph Read More

PHILCONSTRUCT 2022 - THE HYBRID EDITION

June 29, 2022 - World Trade Center Metro Manila joins the pilot hosting of the Market Access Program, a project spearheaded by the WTCA Asia Pacific Regional Office (APRO), together with the Conferences & Exhibition MAC (C&E MAC) and Trade Services MAC (TS MAC) Asia Pacific. WTCMM’s hosted event is PHILCONSTRUCT, the largest and leading tradeshow of the construction industry in the Philippines for the past 35 years. PHILCONSTRUCT that has been attracting a wide base of foreign exhibitors and buyers every year and has been successfult defining the landscape of the building and construction industry in the country.PHILCONSTRUCT serves as the annual meeting place of r the industry’s movers and shakers, gathering hundreds of the leading suppliers and thousands of trade buyers from around the world in one venue. PHILCONSTRUCT is scheduled to take place on November 3-6, 2022 at the World Trade Center Metro Manila. The Show will also explore a hybrid platform that will enable foreign participants to connect and create partnerships virtually. Interested companies and industry professionals may participate as exhibitors or join the B2B matching activities to meet potential suppliers and business partners. The WTCA Market Access Program aims to showcase the WTCA global network as a top international trade facility and service provider to the worldwide business communities, strengthen global network access and reciprocity by facilitating cross-WTC/cross-region connections, and provide worldwide WTCs and their business members access to the fast-growing markets in Asia Pacific. To know more about the PHILCONSTRUCT, you may send an email to wtcclub@wtcmanila.com.ph. Read More

PAMELA D. PASCUAL, THE NEW CHAIRMAN & CEO OF WTCMM

June 29, 2022 - World Trade Center Metro Manila is proud to announce the promotion of Pamela D. Pascual to Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Manila Exposition Complex, Inc. (MEC) and World Trade Center Management, Inc. (WTCMI). Pamela has been successfully managing both companies for nearly a decade and a half, ensuring the profitability of the businesses and the efficient operations of the WTCMM exhibition facility and business club operations. In her new role, she will continue to lead and navigate the companies out of the pandemic and implement strategic visioning to maintain WTCMM’s position as the premier world-class venue in the Philippines and expand the WTC brand footprint in the country. Read More

WTCMM signs Memorandum of Understanding

February 25, 2022 - World Trade Center Metro Manila (WTCMM), a Premier Accredited member of the World Trade Centers Association (WTCA), signed a Memorandum of Understanding with World Trade Centers Bengaluru (WTCB), Chennai (WTCC) & Kochi (WTCK) last February 18, 2022, to formalize its cooperation in facilitating the promotion of global trade. The MOU supports the mandate of the World Trade Centers Association in the promotion of international trade and investment through reciprocity and cooperation within the network. These WTCs agreed to collaborate with an objective to prosper international trade services and global networking platform where exchange of ideas and information will benefit members and their various networks through trade information exchange including joint events both online and offline, service support for trade missions, organization of exhibitions and business forums, B2B, and other networking opportunities. Read More