The Philippine Business Council (PBC) Dubai, whose officers were inducted on March 4 by Consul General Paul Raymund Cortes has lined up activities that would keep them busy this year.
The biggest project is the first-ever Philippine Food Festival in the UAE slated for November 17 and 18. The event aims to showcase Filipino food products and promote traditional, authentic Filipino cuisine to other nationalities in the UAE and the GCC region.
Headed by PBC Dubai’s director for Projects and Events, Andy Minodin, the group has invited celebrity chefs from the Philippines to hold cooking sessions, and some major Filipino-owned companies to join as sponsors and exhibitors.
“We have not yet held a food festival of this magnitude at a corporate level. We have witnessed other Asian countries holding food festivals. It’s high time that other nationals see a Filipino food festival,” said Kenneth Peralta, PBC Dubai’s director for PR and Communications.
The endeavor aims to gather around 2,000 to 5,000 visitors each day.
Other activities of the group include monthly business breakfast meetings that would gather all entrepreneurs in Dubai and northern emirates for networking sessions. Enrique Yamzon, director for Business and Corporate Affairs will spearhead the group that will facilitate all business breakfast meetings.
The activity aims to form a solid business network among business owners in the Filipino community.
Anabel Ramirez, the group’s Education and Development director, meanwhile, will take the lead in organizing periodic training, workshops and seminars to enhance entrepreneurial skills of PBC members and other Filipinos who want to become entrepreneurs.
Other activities lined up are the Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship (LSE) Program and preparations for EXPO 2020, wherein the group hopes to be involved as a part of the UAE community.
Marian Celeste Carella, Chairman; Lalaine Chu-Benitez, Vice Chairman – Marketing; Leo Barrameda, 1st Officer, Secretariat; Christine Gonzales, 2nd Officer, Secretariat; Sharon Gay Magsino, Director – Finance; Rebecca O. Desiderio: Director – Membership; and Marlene Murphy: Director – Education Programs, completes the leadership core of PBC Dubai.
The officers all have a tenure of two years.
In officiating the induction held at the Philippine Consulate General, Cortes said: “PBC Dubai has always been a wonderful partner of the consulate in trying to push forward the interest of the Filipinos here in Dubai and the Northern Emirates in the economic front. I do hope that their programs and projects would reflect the fervor and the intensity of the Filipinos to want to make their lives better.” (Henri Abenis-Macahilo)
