SG wedding expo to showcase Filipino talent

Philippine Ambassador to Singapore Antonio Morales will formally open next week a wedding expo that aims to showcase world-class Filipino talent, and at the same time, promote the Philippines as a prime international wedding destination.

Dubbed “Philippine Weddings @ Singapore,” the two-day expo which will open on July 27 at the Raffles Convention Center in Singapore, is expected to boost the P1-billion local wedding planning industry. The said expo is being organized by the Destination Events and Business Solutions (DEBS) and the Philippine Association of Wedding Planners (PAWP).

“Since his appointment in May, Ambassador Morales has been aggressively pushing for stronger economic ties between the Philippines and Singapore. His presence at the wedding expo is a strong sign that our government now sees a lot of economic potential in the wedding industry,” said DEBS president Giselle De Leon.

“By going international, we are sending a strong signal that the Philippine wedding industry is now ready to provide services at the highest level.  There is a large of pool of talent in the country that is just waiting to be tapped,” added PAWP president Liza Alviedo.

The expo, the first in a series of international roadshows stretching to January next year, will feature more than 50 companies involved in the wedding industry that are currently providing services across the country.

Among the participating companies include those in the fashion design, photography, catering, jewelry, hotels and resorts.

De Leon said the companies they are bringing to Singapore are those with proven track records in the business.

“We are going to Singapore with leading companies and suppliers.  This is important because just as we want to have our countrymen working abroad to have their weddings in the Philippines, we also want foreigners to strongly consider having their marriage vows here in the country,” De Leon said.

After Singapore, the next expo will be staged in the United Arab Emirates, Australia, and Canada. Amy R. Remo