The Philippine embassy aims to roll-out more economic, diplomacy-related activities and initiatives this year to enhance trade and economic ties between the Philippines and Qatar, an official has said.
First secretary and consul Gonaranao Musor said ambassador Wilfredo Santos’ “set priorities are in the aspect of economic diplomacy.”
“With all the positive developments that have happened last year, we hope to continue the momentum this 2016,” Musor told Gulf Times yesterday.
Musor was also referring to trade missions to Qatar last year, including the visit of the Philippine Qatar Trade Initiative (PhlQat); an investment team that presented the proposed Aerial Ropeway Transport project to Qatari investors; and executives from a Philippine-based medical group, which presented plans to establish a Filipino hospital in Qatar.
Apart from government-to-government initiatives, Musor said the Philippine embassy would like to focus also on enhancing public and private sector partnerships.
“We are hoping to do more of that this year, in co-operation with various private organisations and the Philippine trade office in Dubai. Hopefully, we will be able to continue similar activities this year,” he explained.
Aside from trade missions to Qatar, Musor said the embassy is also planning to invite more Qatari businessmen to the Philippines, as well as organise several exchanges between the governments of the Philippines and Qatar in terms of economic co-operation.
Earlier, Philippine Business Council-Qatar (PBC-Q) chairman Greg Loayon told Gulf Times that proponents of the Aerial Ropeway Transport project, specifically Cebu City vice mayor Edgardo Labella, were impressed with Qatar’s massive construction boom.
“One of their (the trade mission) take home assignments is to identify which Philippine businesses could be brought back to Qatar in their next visit,” Loayon said.
Asked how the Philippine embassy could help raise awareness about the investment opportunities in Qatar, Musor said economic reports are regularly sent back to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in the Philippines. “The DFA, in turn, would convey the information to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and other concerned public and private agencies. This is a continuous process.”