08 June 2015 - Philippine Consul General Mario L. de Leon Jr. was in Providence, Rhode Island to lead a delegation composed of Filipino community members to engage in exploratory talks with the Providence Chamber of Commercen represented by its President, Ms. Laurie White, at their office in Pawtucket last May 28.
Consul General De Leon was accompanied by Filipino community members led by Chet Gotauco, President of Fil-Am Newport, Captain Armando Heredia, and Consul Felipe Carino.
During the meeting, Consul General De Leon briefly described the Philippines and its rising economy, as well as introduced the Filipino community profile in the US, particularly in the Northeast. He mentioned that the country has one of the highest literacy rates in the world, and that English is the medium of instruction in schools and businesses. He sees possible synergies in Providence with Philippine education and high technology sectors. He also elaborated on the Philippine Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) and knowledge process outsourcing industries, but clarified that BPOs should be considered a workforce extension which enables 24/7 operations and increased productivity for US companies.
In discussing successful Philippine franchises that have set up shop in the US, the Consul General mentioned Jollibee, Max’s and Red Ribbon in Queens and Jersey City, as well as products like VitaCoco which sources its coconut water from the Philippines. Also, he underscored that some members of the community in Rhode Island are small business entrepreneurs involved in education software and household interior services.
Ms. White said that in terms of food products, the Philippine may wish to engage United National Foods, which is the largest retail organic company in the US. She clarified that the market trend is packaging “food as medicine” with healthy herbs and other ingredients included. She also welcomed the possible membership of Filipino small businesses in the Chamber. In terms of education, Johnson and Wales University in Providence is a world-class facility catering to hospitality management which Filipinos, who are known for their unique brand of hospitality, can explore for growth and education, she added.
Consul General De Leon in turn shared that the US can explore franchising opportunities in the Philippines (where about 500 US franchises already operate), as well as organic food, and furniture design. He talked about the recently held International Contemporary Furniture Fair or ICFF in Javits Center, NY, where the creations of Kenneth Cobonpue, Ito Kish, and Budji Layug were exhibited. Ms. White suggested to the Consul General that the President of the Rhode Island School of Design Ms. Roseann Somerson may be interested to collaborate with Filipino designers.
The Consulate General will continue to engage the Providence Chamber and other local Chambers in the US Northeast as part of its program to widen business relations and encourage entrepreneurship among Filipino community members. END