26 November 2015 – The Philippine Qatar Trade Initiative (PhlQat) met with the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry (QCCI) today to explore areas of mutual interest and to encourage Qatari investors to bring their businesses to the Philippines.

The PhlQat delegation was headed by Mr. Jose Manuel “Babe” D. Romualdez, Philippine Star columnist, as well as President & CEO of Star Gate Media Corp. and People Asia Magazine. Accompanying him were 22 delegates representing various business sectors, such as telecommunications, agriculture, real estate, aviation, IT, petroleum, logistics, tourism and hospitality, and business process outsourcing (BPO), among others.

“Qatar is a global leader and recognized as the richest country in the world with the highest per capita income. The Philippines, on the other hand, is the second-fastest growing economy in the world, according to a Bloomberg survey. Improved business confidence also led to a four-fold increase in foreign direct investments,” Romualdez said in his speech at the start of the meeting with QCCI.

PhlQat is a joint undertaking by the Philippines’ private sector in cooperation with government agencies, together with Qatar Airways and QCCI. Its members are from the Philippine business private sector with Middle East dealings and experience. END