Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco Holds Roundtable Meeting with Members of the World Trade Center Utah

Press Release /

PRESS RELEASE 
SFPCG-PR-76-2021

PHILIPPINE CONSULATE GENERAL IN SAN FRANCISCO HOLDS ROUNDTABLE MEETING WITH MEMBERS OF WORLD TRADE CENTER UTAH

The Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco, represented by Consul General Neil Frank R. Ferrer, Consul Jed Llona and Tourism Administrative Officer Azucena Pallugna, held a roundtable meeting with members of the World Trade Center Utah in Salt Lake City on 12 August 2021.  

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(L to R): Mr. Miles Hansen, President and CEO of the World Trade Center Utah, Philippine Consul General in San Francisco Neil Frank Ferrer, Mr. Ryan Starks, Managing Director of the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity, and Mr. Matt Ball, Director of Public and International Affairs, California Office of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, participate in the roundtable meeting between the Consulate and WTC Utah in Salt Lake City on 12 August 2021.

WTC-Utah was founded in 2006 as part of the global World Trade Center Association, and is composed of companies, organizations, businessmen/entrepreneurs from the state of Utah.  It focuses on providing networks and services for its members in order to expand opportunities for business, trade, and investment in the state.  Its stated objectives are the following:

  • Empower Utah businesses to expand international sales to increase revenues and create jobs;
  • Attract foreign investment and facilitate international partnerships to fuel innovation and business development; and 
  • Mobilize Utah’s international engagement to elevate Utah’s global status.

In his welcome remarks, Mr. Miles Hansen, President and CEO of WTC Utah, expressed appreciation to the Consulate team for its visit to Utah and hoped that greater engagements shall be facilitated as a result of the visit.  He shared Utah’s economic strengths and advantages, which include the following:

  • Utah is ranked #1 among U.S. states in terms of GDP growth over the past decade.  The state also has one of the most diverse economies in the country.
  • Unemployment in Utah has consistently been among the lowest in the country, averaging less than 3%.  
  • Owing to its strong population and economic growth, Utah has now been officially classified as a mid-sized state.
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Consul General Neil Ferrer presents on Philippine business and investment opportunities during the roundtable meeting between the Consulate and the World Trade Center Utah in Salt Lake City on 12 August 2021.

The Consulate provided a brief presentation on the Philippines and its economy, focusing on the following:

  • The Philippine economy has been one of the strongest performers in Asia.  While the pandemic has resulted in negative growth in 2020 (similar to other countries), the country is projected to bounce back strongly in 2021 and onwards.
  • The Philippines has competitive advantages in its demography, having one of the youngest median ages among mid-tier and advanced economies, a large pool of cost-competitive labor, and competitive cost of production.
  • The Philippines continues to be one of the leading IT-BPM hubs globally.  While the country remains the top provider for voice services, its range of services have expanded to include data sciences, animation, financial analysis and business intelligence, administrative support, among others.
  • The Philippine electronics manufacturing industry provides global companies with a significant volume of its production, in a diverse array of products (both parts and finished goods), such as drones, automotive vehicles, smart home devices, collaborative robots, among others.
  • The Philippine startup industry is expected to register significant growth, with key legislation passed in recent years to support startup growth.  At the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco, a public-private agreement was signed with Dynamico Space, to mutually support the Philippine startup industry by providing PH startups with access and mentoring needed to enter the US market and enabling US-based companies and venture capitalists to expand to the Philippines.

The Consulate and WTC Utah engaged in in-depth discussions about business opportunities in the Philippines, including prospects in the energy sector, telecommunications, coral reef management, and startups.

Mr. Hansen thanked the Consulate team for a productive meeting and said that WTC-Utah shall continue to facilitate more in-depth discussions between the Consulate and its members.

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(L to R): Mr. Matt Ball, Director of Public and International Affairs, California Office of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Tourism Administrative Officer Azucena Pallugna, Mr. Miles Hansen, President and CEO of the World Trade Center Utah, Philippine Consul General in San Francisco Neil Frank Ferrer, Mr. Ryan Starks, Managing Director of the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity, and Consul Jed Llona participate in the roundtable meeting between the Consulate and WTC Utah in Salt Lake City on 12 August 2021.