“From my very first day as an entrepreneur, I’ve felt the only mission worth pursuing in business is to make people’s lives better.” –Richard Branson
Whoever conceived the idea of the first-ever Iloilo City Trade Mission and Investment Forum, along with the Ilonggo Fashion and Jewelry Show, which is taking place in New York City and will proceed to other locations along the United States’ east coast, must be a visionary.
The mission is on the right on the globalization track.
Conveners of this brilliant project want to link Iloilo City with the world in a unique fashion. They want foreign businessmen, investors, students, tourists, as well as Filipinos living in the United States and other parts of the world, to “invest, work, create, study, retire, live, and grow” in Iloilo City.
City Hall and Iloilo City’s business sector, in fact, have assembled some of the finest, most aggressive, and talented “missionaries” who are equipped with global minds and technical capabilities to promote local products and tourism, as well as investment opportunities no other city in the Philippines can offer.
The Trade Mission, which started on June 1 and will be officially introduced through a formal program on June 4 at the Kalayaan Hall and Kalayaan Annex of the Philippine Center, which also houses the Philippine Consulate General, is headed by Iloilo City Mayor Jose Espinosa III and his wife, Regine ‘Gina’ Sarabia-Espinosa.
They are being backed by key advisers from the local government and academe, including commercial diplomat for trade relations, Executive Assistant Enrique ‘Rex’ Aguado; Iloilo City Tourism Officer Junel Ann Divinagracia; City Planning and Development Office chief Jose Roni Peñalosa; Local Economic Enterprise Office chief Ariel ‘Aye’ Castaneda; West Visayas State University-College of Mass Communications dean, Dr. Carmencita ‘Menchie’ Robles; University of the Philippines Visayas Vice Chancellor Mary Ann Gumban; Iloilo Business Park-Megaworld Sales Director Carla Margarita Perez; Eon Group of Companies Founder and CEO, Iloilo Trade and Investments Board co-chair Felicito Tiu; among others.
Among the topics to be discussed include property development, “infotech” and the infrastructure pipeline, Iloilo City’s premier schools, business matching, and networking.
The Ilonggo Fashion and Jewelry Show will feature the “Habol Ilonggo: Fashion and Jewelry Show” by Djohn Clement, Totong Gellangarin, Bo Parcon, Aisha Penalosa, Jaki Penalosa, and Edison Ruedas. The event is under the direction of Iloilo Provincial Tourism Officer Bombette Golez Marin.
In addition, prominent Ilonggo artists will also be recognized.
Tess Salvador, a pioneer in the promotion of heritage Hablon fabric and the craft of Habol, the art of Ilonggo traditional weaving; along with Tony award winner Jhett Tolentino, who was also awarded the Dungog Sang Dakbanwa Sang Iloilo in 2017.
Also set to receive recognition are the Philippine Consulate General and the Philippine Trade and Investment Center in New York, who are the venue partners for the Philippine Council of Management and the Iloilo City Trade Delegation; and 2018 Philippine Independence Day Council, Inc., organizers of the 120th Philippine Independence Anniversary Commemoration in New York City.
On June 6, the University of North America in Fairfax, Virginia will host an investment forum.
The Philippine Embassy in Washington DC will host a childhood education student on the morning of June 7, along with an investment forum that evening.
The Iloilo contingent will then tour Washington DC on June 8.
Their visit closes with the Philippine Independence Day Ball at the Hilton Meadowlands, in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on June 9.
Members of the Iloilo Trade Mission depart for the Philippines on June 10./WDJ