News

Philippines - Poland Business Forum

November 9, 2016 - MANILA, PHILIPPINES - WTCMM partnered with the Trade and Investment Section of the Embassy of Poland in Kuala Lumpur and the Department of Trade and Industry’s Board of Investments in organizing the Philippines – Poland Business Forum held last October 10, 2016 at the WTCMM Function Rooms. The Polish Mission, accompanied by high-ranking government officials, consisted of nine Polish companies that met and explored business opportunities with some 30 Philippine-based counterparts in the areas of dairy, poultry, pharmaceuticals, military and police robots, geosynthetics, software development, and application businesses. Shown in the photo (from left to right) are Deputy Director of the Department of Economic Cooperation, Poland Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Maciej Falkowski; Deputy Director of the Department of International Cooperation, Poland Ministry of Economic Development, Mr. Marcin Jankowski; Deputy Director of the Department of Asia and Pacific, Poland Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Beata Stoczynska; Deputy Minister of Poland Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Joanna Wronecka; Philippine Economic Zone Authority Director General Charito B. Plaza; Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to the Philippines, his Excellency Marcin Kubiak; Ambassador Benedicto Yujuico, Chairman of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Assistant Secretary Celia Anna Feria, Office of International Economic Relations, Department of Foreign Affairs; the Philippine Ambassador to Poland, her Excellency Patricia Ann Paez; and World Trade Center Metro Manila Senior Vice President and General Manager, Ms. Pamela Pascual. To learn more about WTC Metro Manila, please click on the source link below. Read More

Networking Forum and Cocktails:Up Close & Personal

November 9, 2016 - MANILA, PHILIPPINES - A first from the Club is a networking forum and cocktails held on July 19, 2016 at the Lobby of the World Trade Center Metro Manila. The event dubbed, “Up Close and Personal”, featured Department of Transportation Secretary, Arthur P. Tugade, and had about 250 attendees from sectors relevant to the transportation industry, such as airline, freight forwarding, shipping, automotive, and the public transport industries. The Club conducts forums featuring eminent personalities that influence Philippine business and economy up close and personal. These forums present timely and relevant topics that affect foreign and local businesses, as well as talks by government officials on programs significant to doing business. The profile of these forums’ audience includes top executives of corporations, officers of government agencies, representatives from small- and medium-enterprises, and entrepreneurs of import and export trade organizations. To learn more about WTC Metro Manila, please click on the source link below. Read More

Happy 20th Anniversary WTC Metro Manila!

November 9, 2016 - MANILA, PHILIPPINES - World Trade Center Metro Manila celebrated its anniversary on October 28, 2016. Congratulations! To learn more about WTC Metro Manila, please click on the source link below. Read More

WTCMM SERVES AS INT'L MEDIA CENTER FOR APEC 2015

November 23, 2015 - MANILA, PHILIPPINES - The World Trade Center Metro Manila (WTCMM) housed the International Media Center (IMC) of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Manila, Philippines on November 18 and 19, 2015 (APEC Philippines 2015). This was the second time that the Philippines hosted the APEC, having played host for the event previously in 1996. Coincidentally, the construction of the WTCMM was rushed in 1996 to be the venue for two events related to the first hosting of the APEC by the Philippines, namely, the Asia Pacific Trade Fair and the National Women’s Summit, where then US First Lady Hillary Clinton spoke before an audience of 15,000, consisting mostly of women. The APEC, consisting of 21 member-nations, is the premier economic forum in the Asia-Pacific for sustainable growth and prosperity. Notable attendees to APEC 2015 are US President Barack Obama, President Xi Jinping of China, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev of Russia, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull of Australia and President Benigno Simeon Aquino III of the host country. The IMC served as the base and headquarters for foreign and local media groups who provided global coverage for APEC 2015. Among the prominent media groups who were stationed in the IMC were CNN (Philippines), BBC, Reuters, Associated Press, Bloomberg, Eurovision, Australian Media, Al Jazeera, Hokkaido Shimbun Press, Nikkei Inc., Chinese Delegation Media, USTV Pool, Russian Federation, and those from Chile, Indonesia, Hong Kong, China, among others. The IMC was the venue for major press briefings and press conferences related to APEC 2015, which were broadcasted live to different parts of the world. The halls of WTCMM were set up for, inter alia, offices of various media groups, small briefing rooms, a 1,000-person capacity main press working room for press conferences equipped with desktops and printers, stand-up booths, a master control room, lounges, massage center, clinic and the IMC secretariat. The IMC is equipped with world-class high-speed wifi internet allowing video streaming and broadcasting by over 3,000 international media practitioners housed at WTCMM. The WTCMM is a certified member of the World Trade Centers Association. Its exhibition facility has a virtually unobstructed ground floor space of 11,330 square meters (sq.m) with a floor-to-ceiling height of 10 meters, spacious pre-function lobby of 1,410 sq.m., plus 17,200 sq.m. of gated outdoor space. It also has functions rooms that could accommodate a maximum of 600 pesrons on a theater-style set-up. The WTCMM also played host to the prestigious 46th WTCA General Assembly in April of this year. To learn more about WTC Metro Manila, click on the source link below: Read More

Markets of the World III on August 4, 2015

August 14, 2015 - MANILA, PHILIPPINES - The World Trade Center Metro Manila (WTCMM), together with the Philippine Retirement Authority, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Philippine Star, Malaya Business Insight, and Albergus Catering, held the third “Markets of the World” (MOW) III on Tuesday, August 4, 2015, at the WTCMM. It was well-attended by delegates representing varied industries, a majority of whom are food and agri-based exporters, property developers, logistics, manufacturing, trading and services. Diverse sectors were also represented, from foreign embassies, to trade associations, private and government sectors. The MOW III provided an important convergence of professionals absorbing a wealth of information on European Union matters, especially in the light of the General System of Preference Plus (GSP+) and on doing business, joining vibrant and relevant discussions, and sharing interests from among delegates and resource persons. Opening the MOW was Dr. Sergio Ortiz Luis Jr., President and CEO of Philippine Exporters’ Confederation, Inc., and Director of the Manila Exposition Complex Inc. (MEC), the owner of WTCMM. In his Welcome Message, Mr. Ortiz Luis pointed out the significance of the EU GSP+ recently accorded to the Philippines and he said that the ball is now in the hands of the Filipino exporters to deliver and increase exports to the European Union-member countries. Setting the tone for the Program, Dr. Ceferino Rodolfo, Assistant Secretary at the Department of Trade and Industry enthused that the Philippines is well-positioned in pursuing a more confident trade policy agenda, especially now that it is the fastest growing trading nation in Southeast Asia. He went on to give an overview on the GSP+. He said that the Generalized Scheme of Preferences (GSP) is an autonomous trade arrangement under which the EU grants non-reciprocal trade preferences to exports of beneficiary countries, where GSP+ is one of the arrangements. Furthermore, he said that the GSP+ is a special incentive arrangement for sustainable development and good governance in the form of zero duties, accorded to 13 countries, including the Philippines, the lone ASEAN member country. Dr. Rodolfo noted that GSP+ offers a more generous scheme of preferences compared to the Regular GSP and informed that it has a larger coverage of 6,274 products, which represents about 66% of the tariff lines, all of which will be accorded zero duty. He pointed out that GSP+ stands to benefit those sectors with the highest preferential margins between Regular GSP and GSP+ such as prepared foodstuffs, garments, textile products, live animals & animal products, footwear, headwear & umbrellas. He stressed that in order to avail of the GSP+, an applicant country must meet two conditions: (1) non-diversification of exports and low proportions of EU imports; and, (2) ratification of 27 international conventions on human and labor rights, environment and governance principles and effective implementation of these conventions. To complement the discussion, Counsellor Van Hattum of the EU Delegation gave an overview of the EU economy, including its trade performance with the Philippines. He said that GSP+ is a good instrument to take advantage of while also pursuing other trade policy options which the Filipino exporters can engage and take advantage of. He shared that following products with relatively high duties before can very well benefit from the GSP+: pineapple products, bicycles, fish fillet, footwear, tuna, sardines/bonito, pineapple juice, and fruit jams/jellies. Thereafter, each distinguished speaker from the EU-member countries gave an overview of how a Filipino can do business with them, especially in the light of the GSP+: Ambassador Derckx for Netherlands; Deputy Head of Mission Michael Hasper and GPCCI Executive Director Peter Kompalla for Germany; Economic and Trade Counsellor Enrique Feas for Spain; Deputy Head of Mission Fabio Schina and ICCPI President Sergio Boero for Italy; Counsellor Artur Dabkowski for Poland and Director Iain Mansfield for United Kingdom. They all started by giving a general overview on their respective countries, highlighting their economy and bilateral trade with the Philippines. They also shared the famous brands from their countries, which are present in the Philippines - Unilever, Philips and Shell from Netherlands; Lufthansa Technik, Continental and STEAG from Germany; Amadeus, Mapfre, and Mango from Spain; Ferrari, Salvatore Ferragamo, and Barilla from Italy; Inglot, Mlekpol and Instanta from Poland; and Marks and Spencers; Land Rover and GSK from the United Kingdom. The speakers gave an overview of the standards and regulations, as well as the windows of opportunities that the Filipinos may consider when doing business with them either as an importer, exporter or investor. The MOW is a regular trade info seminar conducted by the WTCMM that features different major and fast-emerging economies every seminar series. To contact the WTCMM about its upcoming trade activities and details of the Function Rooms and Exhibition Halls, please email wtclub@wtcmanila.com.ph. Read More

“Markets of the World 3” by World Trade Center MM

August 1, 2015 - The World Trade Center Metro Manila (WTCMM), together with the Philippine Retirement Authority, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Philippine Star, Malaya Business Insights, and Albergus Catering Inc., will stage “Markets of the World 3” (MOW 3) on Tuesday, August 4, 2015, at the WTCMM. Now on its third year, MOW3 will feature the European Union’s (EU) Generalized System of Preferences Plus (GSP+), where the Philippines was recently formally accepted and can now export more than 6,000 products to any of the 28 member countries of the EU at zero tariff. Currently, the Philippines is the only country in the ASEAN to be accepted in the preferential tariff scheme and this will be highlighted to various sectors and industries. This program will feature Germany, Netherlands, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Belgium, Spain and Poland. Apart from being the Philippines’ major bilateral trade partners, majority of these countries also figure in the top 50 of the Global Competitiveness Index 2014-2015. Markets of the World (MOW) is a continuing trade education program of WTCMM, and it is aimed to provide Manila WTC Club members and other relevant business network of WTCMM with windows of opportunities in various markets. This program equips members with the latest trends in global best practices to strengthen foreign import and export interests. The profile of the MOW audience includes top executives of corporations, officers of government agencies, representatives from small- and medium-enterprises and entrepreneurs of import and export trade organizations. To complement the discussion on the focused market, distinguished high-profile resource persons representing the European Union and its selected member countries shall provide insights on how the Philippines can access their markets, more specifically touching on the Generalized System of Preference Plus (GSP+). Confirmed speakers are Mr. Walter Van Hattum, Counsellor, Head of Economic and Trade Section, Delegation of the European Union to the Philippines; H.E. Ambassador Marion Derckx, Netherlands Embassy; Deputy Head of Mission Michael Hasper, German Embassy, First Secretary Fabio Schina, Deputy Head of Mission, Italian Embassy; Mr. Iain Mansfield, Director of UK Trade and Investment, British Embassy; Mr. Enrique Feas, Economic and Commercial Counsellor, Spanish Embassy ; Counsellor Artur Dabkowski, Head of Trade and Investment Promotion Office, Poland Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Mr. Sergio Boero, President of Italian Chamber of Commerce for Italy; Mr. Peter Kompalla, Executive Director of German - Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry; and Assistant Secretary Ceferino S. Rodolfo, Department of Trade and Industry. For registration and sponsorship information, please contact the WTC Metro Manila at telephone number (+63 2) 902 0000 extension 201 and 601, or send an email to marketing@wtcmanila.com.ph or wtcclub@wtcmanila.com.ph. Read More

President of Philippines Message to GA Delegates

May 26, 2015 - MANILA, PHILIPPINES - MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT BENIGNO S. AQUINO III, April 26, 2015 My warmest greetings to the delegates to the 46th World Trade Centers Association General Assembly. I am heartened that key drivers of international trade have gathered to dialogue on the transformation that is sweeping the Philippines and the evolving complexities around the world. I urge you to maximize this venue to take stock of business, build alliances, and map out the future of your industry. I have high hopes that this confluence of agents will gear our people for even deeper engagement among entrepreneurs in the region. In times of volatile market conditions, such partnerships have anchored countries like our and kept our performance steadily robust. I invite you to reinforce ties with Filipinos, especially now that we further integrate into the ASEAN economies and advance full steam. News of our country's resurgence may have reached you: Renowned credit ratings agencies affirm our investment grade status and financial giants validate the positive outlook for our nation. As you grow trade and investment across the world, may you take particular interest in, and advantage of, the revitalized and flourishing landscape of the Philippines. I wish you an engaging and fruitful assembly. Benigno S. Aquino IIIPresident of the Philippines To see the original version of this message, please visit the WTCA Resource Center. Read More

46th WTCA GA Attracts Business to the Philippines

May 22, 2015 - MANILA, PHILIPPINES - The World Trade Centers Association (WTCA) capped its General Assembly (GA) in Manila with a successful gathering that marked the roadmap for international trade and diplomatic cooperation in the country. Proudly hosted by World Trade Center Metro Manila (WTCMM) in the Philippines, the 46th WTCA GA entitled, “Better Together through Global Unity and Cooperation,” which ran from April 26-29, 2015 became the doorway for high-powered WTC delegates, international business leaders , economists, trade experts, and policymakers looking to connect globally through trade and investment opportunities. During the three-day conference, the country’s brisk growth and competitive advantages were highlighted during the following segments: (1) a Philippine Economic Briefing presented by the Investors Relations Office of Bangko Sentral Ng Pilipinas; (2) a Panel Discussion with members of the economic team, and ;(3) a segment on Doing Business in the Philippines.” Consequently, relationships were developed and established among WTC delegates and local business leaders through a myriad of dynamic networking forums, business matching and plenary sessions. WTCMM Chairman and CEO Guillermo D. Luchangco said in his welcome speech to over 300 delegates representing 92 countries, “Over the last three years, the Philippines has been the second-fastest growing among economies in Asia next to China. Economists project that this trajectory will hold in the years to come.” Other government officials also flaunted the country’s economic performance at the annual WTCA GA as cited by Francisco Dakila Jr., director for the Center for Monetary & Financial Policy of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas,“The Philippines is not immune to external risks, but it has homegrown pillars of strength, such as the positive alignment between growth and inflation,” Dakila further added that, “ Gross domestic product (GDP) growth last year was recorded at 6.1 percent. The Philippine economy is enjoying a unique combination of robust growth and within-target inflation.” During the open forum, Philippine Economic Zone Authority Director General Lilia De Lima invited exporters to locate in any of the country’s 316 economic zones that offer fiscal and non-fiscal incentives to locators. De Lima noted that the Philippines is covered by the “Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+)” with the European Union. As such, about 6,000 items produced from the Philippines get preferential treatment from the EU. ASEAN, where the Philippines is a member, targets to formally start the process of economic integration toward the end of this year. Aside from providing an outlook on the economy, how to do business in the Philippines, which covered topics on taxation and business registration, were also discussed during the opening ceremony. The opening day of the GA concluded with the announcement of the new-elected WTCA board directors composed of representatives from WTCs belonging to regional blocks, such as EMEA ( Europe Middle East Africa), Americas ( US and Canada), and APAC ( Asia Pacific). The succeeding days of the Assembly presented interactive sessions to promote and strengthen cross-continental connections among the foreign delegates representing 92 countries and continents. The WTC Innovation Exchange portion featured transferable solutions that enabled select WTC’s to share their successful programs. Also featured was a keynote speech from Steven Beck, Asian Development Bank Head of Trade Finance; and capped by the evening Gala, highlighted by the symbolic passing of the baton to Algeria, the host of the 47th General Assembly of the WTCA in 2016. Other social events included in the program were the Welcome Reception, Happy Hour and tours to Intramuros,Tagaytay and a free evening in Bonifacio Global City. In closing, WTCA Executive Vice President , Bella Heule, thanked WTCMM for the over-whelming success of the 2015 General Assembly. To learn more about WTC Metro Manila, please click on the source link below: Read More

Courtesy Call of WTCA Officials on DTI Officials

May 8, 2015 - MANILA, PHILIPPINES - Top officials of the World Trade Centers Association (WTCA) headquartered in New York, paid a courtesy call on Honorable Gregory L. Domingo , Secretary of Trade and Industry and Undersecretary Ponciano C. Manalo Jr., recently at the Department of Trade and Industry, Philippines. Both sides discussed programs relating to trade and investment and increased cooperation between the Department of Trade and Industry and the WTCA network to encourage further flows of commerce and investment in the country. PHOTO (L-R): Department of Trade and Industry Undersecretary Ponciano C. Manalo Jr.; WTCA Director Mehran Eftekhar ; Department of Trade and Industry Secretary Gregory L. Domingo; WTCA Chairman Ghazi Abu Nahl ; WTC Metro Manila Chairman Guillermo D. Luchangco, and WTCA Vice Chairman John E. Drew. For more details, visit www.wtcmanila.com.ph Read More

WTCMM to Host Global Meet

April 17, 2015 - METRO MANILA, PHILIPPINES - The global market is coming to Manila as the World Trade Center Metro Manila (WTCMM) plays host to the forthcoming 46th World Trade Centers Association General Assembly (WTCA GA) with conference theme, “Better Together , Global Unity and Cooperation, ” on April 26-29, 2015, at the exhibition hall of WTCMM. The three-day WTCA GA is the most important event in the World Trade Center Association’s (WTCA) annual calendar and platinum sponsors supporting this prestigious global assembly are the Tourism Promotions Board promoting 2015 as Visit Philippines Year; Philippine Airlines as the Official Carrier of delegates flying in from all over the world; and Center for Culinary Arts highlighting Filipino culinary talent through stylized Filipino cuisine. Other government agencies and local companies supporting WTCMM are the Philippine International Trading Corporation; Sycip, Gorres & Velayo Co.; Philippine Retirement Authority; Oxford Business Group; Philippine Exporters Confederation; Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority ; Ralph’s Wines and Spirits; Figaro Coffee Systems, Inc.; Live Events; World stage; Eras Furniture; and Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila. The global market, represented by some 200 businessmen and investors from nearly 100 countries is coming to Manila and top-level business contacts are expected to realize great potential for near-term investments through networking and business matching with local delegates representing Makati Business Club, Management Association of the Philippines, Financial Executive Institute of the Philippines and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry. To learn more about WTC Metro Manila, click on the source link below: Read More

WTC METRO MANILA HOSTS THE 46TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

March 20, 2015 - MANILA, PHILIPPINES- The World Trade Center Metro Manila (WTCMM) plays host to the forthcoming 46th World Trade Centers Association General Assembly (WTCA GA) on April 26-29, 2015 at the exhibition hall of WTCMM. The WTCA GA is the most important event in the WTCA’s annual calendar. This event, hosted by a World Trade Center (WTC) each year, rotates to different continents and draws some 250-300 foreign delegates from all over the world. It is the premier forum of WTCA to promote global business opportunities, share information related to World Trade Center facilities, and strengthen the WTCA brand and its network. This is a significant milestone for the Philippines, as this will be the first time that WTCA has chosen our country to host the General Assembly. The WTCA, which is headquartered in New York (USA), was established in 1969 as a non-governmental organization to promote international trade and development. To date, there are more than 300 WTCs in nearly 100 countries around the globe. WTCMM is one such WTC.Platinum sponsors supporting this prestigious global assembly are the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) promoting 2015 as Visit Philippines Year; Philippine Airlines (PAL) as the Official Carrier of delegates flying in from all over the world; and, Center for Culinary Arts (CCA), highlighting Filipino culinary talent through stylized Filipino cuisine. Other government agencies and local companies who are supporting WTCMM in flying the Philippine flag through the hosting of WTCA GA are the Philippine International Trading Corporation (PITC), Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA), Philippine Exporters Confederation (Philexport), Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), Oxford Business Group, Ralph’s Wines and Spirits, Figaro Coffee Systems, Inc., Live Events, Worldstage, and Eras Furniture. The global market is coming to Manila and top-level business contacts are expected to realize great potential for near-term investments through networking and business matching with local delegates representing Makati Business Club, Management Association of the Philippines, Financial Executive Institute of the Philippines and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry. To register for the 2015 General Assembly, click on the source link below: Read More

New "Meet Your Board Members" Session at 2015 GA

February 27, 2015 - MANILA, PHILIPPINES - As many as 14 Board seats may be filled in the 2015 WTCA Board Election. Meet and engage your new Board Members during Tuesday's interactive GA session. This new session is a rare opportunity to meet new and incumbent Board Members during concurrent sessions facilitated by WTCA Regional Development Managers. Learn about your Board Members’ diverse backgrounds; share your expectations of them; collaborate on regional trade policy and positioning; and more. Register for the 2015 General Assembly at WTC Metro Manila today, and learn why "It's More Fun in the Philippines!" For more information, please contact Events Manager Julia Gonzalez at jgonzalez@wtca.org. Read More