UK business delegation expected in Davao City

THE British Chamber of Commerce Philippines is taking advantage of the interest generated in Mindanao by bringing a delegation of UK companies to Davao City later this month to look at business opportunities on the southern island.

“The focus in general for them will be how can they get a business partner and how easy is it to do business,” said Chris Nelson, executive director of the British Chamber, on Wednesday in a press conference at its office in Taguig City.

The chamber represents British businesses in the country and promotes the interests of its 275 members.

Mr. Nelson said the four sectors that the chamber was anticipating to focus on are agribusiness, ICT (information and communications technology), energy and infrastructure.

“We’d like to get a good attendance at the forum, that you start the matchmaking,” he said about the trade and investment summit on March 31, which will be attended by Mindanaobased businesses.

“If we make the connections... from that the eventual business will flow,” he said.

Based on information from the chamber, it has assisted a total of 21 British companies from April 2016 to February 2017 through its business support services. These companies belong to the ICT, food and beverage, construction, pharmaceutical or medical device business, consultancy and other cross-sector industries.

Since the start of its overseas business network initiative project in April 2014, it has assisted more than 1,000 British companies through contact referrals, market introduction, research and trade missions.

Past initiatives have helped British companies do business in the Philippines, including PayWizard Group plc in software, Symphony Environmental Ltd. in plastics, Yllume Ltd. in skincare, and R&B Distillers Ltd. in whiskey.

“The key for us is, can we make that conversion rate go up, can we improve that,” Mr. Nelson said.

During the chamber’s past trade mission in October, eight delegates signed up, of which one — R& B Distillers — started doing business in January. A second company — beauty and health care brand Eve Taylor — is optimistic of finding a local partner and is evaluating possible candidates, Mr. Nelson said.

“If that occurs... then I would have had a conversion rate of 25%, which I would have said is extremely successful,” he said.

Rona Diaz, project manager at the overseas business network initiative, said a trade delegate was also looking at hiring Filipino tailors to work in Northern Ireland.

“Right now, they’re on the process of negotiating with the local recruitment partners we introduced and hopefully in a few months or so they will start getting local tailors,” she said.

Mr. Nelson said a conversion rate of 25% to 40% would be “very high” and something he would be very proud of.

The trade and investment mission in Davao City, which will take place on March 30-31, is in partnership with the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Makati Business Club and the Philippine British Business Council.

“We will be targeting the most number of companies and delegates as possible,” Mr. Nelson said.

The chamber said it looked at Mindanao because of its “large untapped potential.” It cited Davao City, which had the highest regional economic expansion in the Philippines in 2014 at 9.4%; Mindanao’s total exports of $ 5 billion in 2015, of which banana and coconut oil accounted for $1 billion and $750 million, respectively; high coconut production; and 34 economic zones catering to multiple sectors.

It also cited Mindanao’s “vast ad untapped land area that can be developed for commercial and industrial use.” —