Invest in PH, foreign traders urged

MANILA, Philippines—German and Canadian entrepreneurs have been urged to consider doing business in the Philippines, which has seen a phenomenal rise in the number of call centers as well as business and knowledge process outsourcing (BPO/KPO) firms.

MORE CALLS. In this file photo is a typical scenario during peak hours in a local call center. This year, call centers or business and knowledge process outsourcing (BPO/KPO) firms are in again for another boost from German and Canadian investors.

“There is now high foreign investor confidence in the Philippines and the administration of President Aquino is actively seeking public-private partnerships and is encouraging stronger foreign direct investments,” Philippine Ambassador to Germany Maria Cleofe Natividad told German businessmen during a forum cohosted last week by the Philippine Embassy in Berlin and the Wirtschaftsrat der CDU Berlin-Brandenburg.

Wirtschaftsrat der CDU Berlin-Brandenburg is a large and influential private business association affiliated with the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the largest political party in Germany.

The forum aims to increase awareness of the Philippines among German entrepreneurs, according to a statement issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Saturday.

Some 40 Berlin-based German entrepreneurs attended the business forum and listened to presentations made by business leaders from the Philippines, including Henry Schumacher, executive vice president of the European Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines; Klaus Preschle, former Philippine resident representative of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung and founder and president of BPO Consulting Professionals Asia, and commercial counselor Jose Antonio Buencamino.

They expounded on the strengths of Filipino workers, their cultural compatibility with the western world and their outstanding service orientation, the DFA said.

“They explained the benefits and advantages of doing business in the Philippines,” the DFA added.

They likewise emphasized that the Philippines has been ranked as the world’s best in business English proficiency, and the third largest English-speaking country in the world.

Meanwhile, Philippine Ambassador to Canada Leslie Gatan exhorted Canadian businessmen “to look towards the Philippines as their definitive gateway to the Asean Economic Community (AEC) and Asia.”

Gatan made the call when he addressed members of the Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce at the exclusive Saskatoon Club in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, last week, according to the DFA.

Ken Zeigler, business consultant and partner at GPC Capital Corp., who moderated the open forum, urged his colleagues to look at the Philippines not just as a source of migrants and laborers, but also as potential savvy business partners in a global economic environment, the DFA said.