PPIE’s 9th edition and the inaugural PEIS drew a remarkable number of delegates from the Philippines and the UAE. The twin events, highlighting PH’s thriving real estate and investment opportunities, concluded with resounding success.
The 9th edition of the Philippine Property and Investment Exhibition (PPIE) and the inaugural Philippine Economic and Investment Summit (PEIS), organized by New Perspective Media (NPM) Group, witnessed a remarkable turnout of high-level delegates from the private and public sectors in the Philippines and the UAE.
The highly successful two-day events held last May 12 & 13 at Radisson Blu, Dubai Creek, brought together senior government officials, CEOs/C-suite executives, Filipino and foreign investors, business councils, and successful professionals, establishing PPIE and PEIS as the premier platforms to showcase Philippine real estate and investment opportunities.
Among the esteemed dignitaries in attendance were H.E. Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos Jr., Secretary of the Philippine Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG); H.E. Alfonso Ferdinand Ver, Philippine Ambassador to the UAE; Hon. Renato Dueñas Jr., Consul General at the Philippine Consulate in Dubai; Atty. John Rio Bautista, Labor Attaché in Dubai and the Northern Emirates; Atty. Lord Villanueva and Atty. Margarita Gutierrez, DILG Undersecretaries; Atty. Arifa Ala, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Assistant Governor; Charmaine Mignon Yalong, Commercial Attaché to the Middle East and Africa at the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry (DTI); and Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) Director Reghis Romero and Executive Vice President Atty. Gisela Kalalo.
Notable participants also included Michael Makdah, Director of Market Intelligence at The Private Office of Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum; and H.E. Awad Mohammed Sheikh Al Murjin, Chairman of Emirates Travellers Festival.
Representing the Philippine delegation were Brig. Gen. Romeo Caramat, Chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG); Brig. Gen. Sidney Hernia, Director of the Philippine National Police-Anti Cybercrime Group (ACG); Atty. Don Artes, Acting Chairman of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA); and several other distinguished individuals from various organizations.
The event showcased a wide range of properties in the Philippines, including house and lot condominiums, industrial lots, commercial spaces, and warehouse facilities. It also attracted considerable interest from foreign investors seeking opportunities in infrastructure, renewable energy, IT, logistics, manufacturing, banking, franchise ventures, agriculture, stocks, mutual funds, insurance, and real estate investment products.
Dr. Karen Remo, CEO and Founder of NPM and Chairman of the Philippine Economic & Investment Summit & PPIE said during her welcome remarks that the two-day event is a testament of the Philippines’ relevant positioning as a viable market for real estate and investments.
“Ten years ago, we dreamed and envisioned that we can have the Philippines have its mark in the UAE, the place where you can see the biggest, the brightest, the tallest, and the best, and we achieve it altogether today. It’s not only the Filipinos that we would like to promote, it’s also the many things in the Philippines—the products, services, technology, and most of all, investment opportunities that are all available for all of you today,” Dr. Remo shared.
Visitors and attendees were treated to engaging presentations, talks, and vital discussions covering various aspects of real estate investment, including workshops on real estate basics, incentive updates, and economic outlooks.
BIDA Campaign
One of the event’s highlights was Secretary Abalos’ presentation, which shed light on the local government’s commitment to transparency, good governance, and ease of doing business. The secretary emphasized the importance of providing a conducive environment for investors, ensuring higher returns on investments, and fostering a holistic experience of living, working, and enjoying life in the Philippines.
In November last year, Abalos launched the BIDA campaign which stands for “Buhay Ingatan, Droga’y Ayawan.” It is a six-year anti-illegal drugs advocacy program that aims to employ a whole-of-government and whole-of-nation approach in combating the proliferation of illegal drugs in the country.
On January 4 this year, Abalos called for the resignation of all generals and colonels on national television.
“All 935, except for one person, filed their courtesy resignation,” Abalos said as he saluted the police force for such an act.
The Interior chief reiterated the administration’s call for “house cleansing”.
“We made billions of arrests, six, seven billion in October, four billion of this year…we’re going after the big fish and we are serious in house cleansing,” Abalos stressed.
“After this, we’re going to go through the law, the recruitment, everything, and make sure that of course, with this, the structures of government will really be there to serve the people,” he added.
Further, Abalos described the qualities of Filipinos which are embedded in the country’s fight against illegal drugs. This includes family, religion, and the spirit of bayanihan.
“The war on drugs will not only be fought on the basis of apprehension, on the basis of family, but on the basis also of looking at policy reforms,” he concluded.
Growing Trade
According to Ambassador Ver, over a million Filipinos are now taking advantage of the opportunities available in the UAE.
“I’m telling the Filipinos here, if you have the correct and proper credentials, determination, the qualifications, you can come here and there’s a place waiting for you. This is the place where you can realize your potential in a competition with over 200 other nationalities. We are making a mark here,” Ambassador Ver shared in his opening remarks.
“The bedrock of our relations with people to people with one million Filipinos here in all levels. We’ve established that we’re highly recognized from the senior, the middle, even down to the household service workers,” he added.
Last month, the Philippines has generated $50.65 million in export sales, surpassing its target by over 300 percent, as per the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions.
In February this year, the Philippines and the UAE also signed the Proposed Philippines-UAE Comprehensive and Economic Partnership Agreement eyed to bolster economic ties between the two countries.
“We have a growing trend in trade… almost two billion but the potential is there, and the trend is increasing. The volume is smaller, but the value is bigger, but our volume is big especially food and agricultural products and that’s where so much potential that we can pursue,” Ambassador Ver noted.
“The initial capital here is the people that we have, then next the government…the government is providing the regulatory support that will be the catalyst to bring in the other investments, and then we have the high-level delegations,” he added.
For its part, the DTI presented the bright economic outlook of the Philippines in sectors such as construction, export, and manufacturing. It also highlighted the big role of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the country’s economic growth. Meanwhile, the BCDA has introduced their most recent and ongoing projects such as the New Clark City, Clark Freeport Zone, Clark International Airport, and Clark Global City which offer several investment opportunities for both international and Filipino investors.
Joint Collaboration
In a significant milestone for the Filipino community in Dubai, several prominent Filipino organizations and community leaders have joined forces with the NPM and The Filipino Times (TFT), the largest free newspaper in the Middle East and the largest digital news platform for overseas Filipinos worldwide, in a series of Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signing ceremonies to further promote the Philippines and recognize the Filipinos’ notable contributions in the UAE.
The MOU signings were witnessed by Sec. Abalos, Ambassador Ver and Dr. Remo.
Among the esteemed organizations included were the Mastah Bartenders Association, United Global Filipinos of the 21st Century – UAE, Filipino Nurses Association in the Emirates, Institute of Integrated Electrical Engineers of the Philippines – UAE Chapter, Institute of Integrated Electrical Engineers of the Philippines – Abu Dhabi Chapter, Bayanihan Council Abu Dhabi, Philippine Business Council – DNE, Philippine Business Council – Abu Dhabi, Ajman Filipino Community, United Cebuano – Dubai, Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants – Dubai Chapter, Pambansang Samahan ng Inhinyero Mekanikal – UAE Chapter, Filipino International Triathlete, Institute of Electronics Engineers of the Philippines – UAE Chapter, and United Architects of the Philippines – Abu Dhabi Chapter.
Moreover, the DILG signed an MOU with NPM and TFT to strengthen collaboration and promote the interests of the Filipino diaspora.
The MOU signings will pave the way for collaborative initiatives, knowledge sharing, and community-driven projects.
Investors of all ages
Additionally, the two-day event aimed to enhance the financial literacy of overseas Filipino workers and promote Philippine investments to foreign investors. It featured panel discussions, booths, and activities catering to the specific needs and interests of the attendees.
Investors from different ages and income brackets attended the event and shared their journey on how events like the PPIE paved the way for them to be financially literate.
Millennial Mary Ann Overa, Associate Manager of Ayala Land International Sales, Inc. said that through PPIE she realized that investments could yield big incomes.
“When I was a kid, I thought investment was for the rich people only, but I was wrong,” Overa stated as she pointed out that one of the factors to become rich is through proper learning.
Meanwhile, 21-year-old Anna Kyla Cruz, who is also an attendee of the PPIE, streamlined that through the support and insights of the people around her, she now has two properties at a young age.
“Nalapitan kami ng family friend namin, in-encourage niya kami na try niyo ‘to or makinig lang kayo…ako po talaga noong una ayoko, pera ko ‘to eh,” Cruz exclaimed. She noted, however, that through the influence and support from her parents, she was inspired to save up and invest and continue expanding her network and knowledge through events like the PPIE.
PPIE 2023 received support from Rockwell Land and RLC Residences as gold sponsors, along with Ayala Land as a silver sponsor. The exhibition also welcomed exhibitors such as the Department of Migrant Workers, DTI, BCDA, Megaworld Corp., VHermosa Bright Corp., Philippine Airlines, AQWIRE, and Remata.
Taking place at the Grand Zabeel Ballroom of Radisson Blu Hotel, Deira Creek, Dubai, UAE, PPIE 2023 served as a prime platform for industry professionals, investors, and prospective buyers to explore the dynamic Philippine property market.
