Filipino Business Chamber Launched in Rome, Italy
ROME 23 April 2024 – The newly-formed Philippine Chamber of Commerce in Italy (PCCI) was officially launched on 15 April 2024 at a ceremony at the Philippine Embassy in Rome.
In his remarks, Philippine Ambassador to Italy Neal Imperial thanked the pioneering men and women of the PCCI for their hard work, commitment and dedication to establish the Chamber, and conveyed the full support of the Philippine Embassy in Rome and the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry, through the Philippine Trade and Investment Center in Paris (PTIC-Paris), which covers Italy.
“The establishment of a business chamber has long been a dream of the Filipino business community in Rome. With the entrepreneurial spirit gaining ground in the Filipino community, and the growing number of Filipino and Filipino-Italian businesses, the establishment of the PCCI is both timely and important. The Philippine Embassy in Rome fully supports the PCCI, as one of its partners in promoting economic and cultural diplomacy in Italy,” the Ambassador said.
Ambassador Imperial also expressed hope that more Filipinos in Italy will be encouraged to put up their own enterprises, especially the younger generation of Filipinos, and that the Chamber will grow and expand to include more businesses outside Rome.
The inaugural Board of Directors and Officers of PCCI, led by Mr. Leopoldo Reyes, President, and Mr. Dennis Carrascoso, Chairman, took their oath of office during the launch.
During the launch, Philippine Commercial Counsellor and Director Rosa Katrina Banzon, who is based in Paris, and Agriculture Attaché and Deputy Permanent Representative Dr. Josyline Javelosa presented an overview on the continued growth trajectory of the Philippine economy and the economic opportunities in the Philippines that the membership of the Chamber can pursue.
Commercial Counsellor Banzon encouraged PCCI not only to be champions of promoting the Philippines as an investment destination for Italian companies but also to look at doing business in the Philippines themselves. She said that Italy continues to be an important partner of the Philippines in Europe, with Italy ranking as the fourth largest trading partner of the Philippines in the European Union (EU) (FY 2022). She shared that there are 544 companies in the Philippines with Italian equity (as of June 2022) and welcomed the growing number of Filipino-owned companies in Italy.
Mr. Leopoldo Reyes, newly-elected president of PCCI, in his remarks said: “With all humility, as co-founder and president, I assure you that this event is the beginning of activities that will create an atmosphere of unity and cooperation among the Filipino businesses in Rome.” He also thanked the Philippine Embassy for its partnership with the Chamber.
The PCCI, which is an initiative of the Filipino businesses in Rome, and supported by the Philippine Embassy in Rome and PTIC-Paris, was registered at the Agenzia delle Entrate in Rome, Italy in March 2024. Its membership is diversified, representing different small businesses in the service sector, such as food and catering, restaurants, cafes and gelaterias, retail shops, grocery stores, transportation, hospitality and hotels, travel agencies, beauty salons, janitorial and cleaning service, and import-export trading. END
For more information, visit https://www.romepe.dfa.gov.ph, https://www.facebook.com/PHinItaly/ or https://twitter.com/PHinItaly.