6K seafarers, OFWs joining expo

More than 6,000 seafarers, mariners and overseas Filipinos worldwide (OFWs) are expected to take advantage of the business opportunities, Christmas sale and Family Fun Day at the Mega Balikbayan/OFW Expo slated at the SMX Convention Center Metro Manila on Dec. 10 to 11.

Chief executive officer Mitch Ballesteros of expo organizer Exlink Events cited two full days of fun activities involving the OFW Business Summit & Social Enterprise Summit, OFW/Balikbayan Housing Fair, Gadgets/Gizmos Christmas Sale, Franchising Distributorship/Dealership Expo, Christmas Car-All Show, OFW-Balikbayan Finance and Investment Forum, and the Outstanding OFW/Balikbayan Reputation Awards (OBRA).

“The expo’s Pinoy Family Fun Day on Dec. 11 will have the OFWs joining the dance and game shows and competitions, including the biggest family delegation contest, thus turning the entire event into the country’s largest gathering of returning and vacationing Filipino migrants and expatriates,” Ballesteros says.

The expo will have members of the Association of Filipino Franchisers Inc. offering franchise opportunities in various food and non-food businesses and many other industry sectors.

At the same time, there will be huge discounts to be offered at the Christmas Car-All Show by such companies as Chevrolet, Ford, Mitsubishi, Toyota, Isuzu, Foton, Nissan, Jac Trucks, Suzuki, Kia, Universal Motors, and Hyundai.

Similar offers will be available at the Housing Fair from property companies like Robinson’s Land Corporation, Phinma, Suntrust, and SMDC.

Likewise, remittance services and capital and credit assistance will be available at the Finance and Investment Fair from Security Bank, Insular Bank, PS Bank, Metrobank, Bank of the Philippine Islands and more.

“All the participating and exhibiting companies will give discounts and special offers to Balikbayans, OFWs, seafarers, mariners and their families who will buy their business and investment packages on site.  That is the essence  of  the  event—to make them meet face to face the companies  offering  legitimate  business opportunities  and   more  value  for  money  for their  hard  earned  money,” Ballesteros points out.

There are over 12 million overseas Filipinos worldwide, with millions of their families all over the archipelago, many of them come to Mega Balikbayan/OFW Expo annually.

The expo serves as the melting pot of vacationing OFWs, most of them visit the Philippines during the Christmas season.

The remittances from OFWs and migrant Filipinos have soared to over $21 billion with the continued rise in their number and deployment all over the world.

(More information about the expo can be obtained from Exlink Events,  tel:  6433887, 6437760; mobile: 0920 -9242532, 0920-9814376; e-mail: [email protected]; or visit www.exlinkevents.com.)