Ambassador Denis Yap Lepatan (3rd from left) delivers his welcome remarks at the start of the Business Roundtable Discussion on the Philippines. With him are (from left): Mr. Perry Ferrer, President and Chief Executive Officer, EMS Group Philippines; Ms. Evariste Cagatan, Director of the Board of Investment of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI); Undersecretary Ceferino S. Rodolfo of DTI; SACC President and Philippine Consul, a.h. Dr. Urs Lustenberger; and Dr. Pascal Föhn, Group Chief Operation Officer / Regional Manager Asia, Avaloq.
Ambassador Denis Yap Lepatan delivered the Welcome Remarks during the Business Roundtable Discussion on the Philippines jointly organized by the Swiss Asian Chamber of Commerce (SACC) and the Philippine Trade and Investment Center (PTIC)-Geneva, on Thursday, 26 September 2019 in Zürich.
In his remarks, Amb. Lepatan noted the advantages of the Philippine economy, including the right economic fundamentals in place, its demographic sweet spot, and its resilience to external shocks as evidenced by its performances during the Asian financial crisis of 1997-1998 and the global financial crisis in 2008-2011. He noted that this resilience has enabled Philippine companies to prosper, allowing these companies to partner with the Government in “further unleashing the potentials of the Philippine economy, not the least in bridging the infrastructure gap that in the past constrained the development of trade, industry and agriculture.”
Amb. Lepatan also highlighted the Philippines’ huge domestic consumption and the two (2) major sources of cash, i.e. foreign exchange remittance and revenues from the business process outsourcing industry, which contributed to the country’s ability to withstand external economic and financial shocks.
Undersecretary Ceferino S. Rodolfo of DTI delivers his keynote presentation during the discussion.
During the event, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Undersecretary Ceferino S. Rodolfo gave a presentation on the growth of the Philippine economy, its strengths, sectors for promotion in the Philippines, as well as opportunities and benefits in investing the Philippines. He also mentioned the Free Trade Agreement between the Philippines with the European Free Trade Association, which includes Switzerland and Liechtenstein, and the complementarity between the Philippines and the Swiss economies.
Ms. Evariste Cagatan, Director of the Board of Investments of the DTI gave a presentation on the Philippine manufacturing sector, noting that the Philippine economy is one of the best performing economies in Asia.
Amb. Lepatan and Usec. Rodolfo, with the other panellists, pose for a souvenir photo following the discussions.
The event was participated in by executives from 27 Swiss companies. END
