The Philippine embassy in Doha will organise a “mega familiarisation tour” next year for travel agents to promote the Philippines as a leading tourist, investment and business destination in Asia.
Philippine ambassador Wilfredo Santos told Gulf Times that the heads of Philippine missions in the GCC are planning to meet in Dubai to discuss the arrangements for the tour.
He said the Department of Tourism back home is now co-ordinating with the Philippine embassies and consulates general in the GCC for this initiative.
“Later on separate business missions as well as larger tour group visits to the Philippines will be organised by the embassy,” the envoy added.
He also hopes the proposed agreement on reciprocal promotion and protection of investments between Qatar and the Philippines will be signed soon.
Once approved and implemented, the agreement is expected to boost Qatari investments to the Philippines.
The Department of Trade and Industry, another government agency in the Philippines, is also planning to organise two outbound trade missions to Qatar and other GCC countries next year.
“The recent visit of the 22-member ‘Philippine – Qatar Trade Initiative’ (PhlQat) delegation to Doha – composed of captains of industry and CEOs of major multinational companies from the Philippines – has complemented the efforts of our government to expand our trade ties with Qatar,” he added.
Philippine industry leaders from the private sector led by PhlQat senior adviser Jose Manuel G Romualdez met with their counterparts at the Qatar Chamber recently to explore areas of mutual interest and to encourage Qatari investors to bring their businesses to the Philippines.
The meeting focused on the areas of telecommunications, agriculture, real estate, aviation, information technology, petroleum and logistics, tourism and hospitality, and business process outsourcing, among others.
“There are a lot of opportunities to gain in these areas of co-operation in our bilateral relations with Qatar and I intend to maximise these efforts for the benefit of our two countries,” he said.
About trade relations between the two countries, Santos noted that the balance of trade is always heavily in favour of Qatar since the Philippines imports mostly petroleum products while exporting predominantly agricultural products such as fruits.
He is expecting more exchanges and visits in business and trade between Qatar and the Philippines.
Santos also thanked HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and HH the Father Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani for providing Filipinos with jobs in Qatar, which is considered a second home to many expatriates.
“Here in Qatar, the presence of a large community of Filipinos – composed  of professionals such as engineers working in the oil and gas sectors, architects, accountants, doctors, nurses and other allied medical personnel – has contributed to the economic growth and development of Qatar,” he added.