Why invest in the Philippines? Find out at May 9-12 Grand Central expo

A panel on “Why Invest in the Philippines” will open the Explore Islands Philippines Expo on May 9, 2018 at 1:30 p.m. at the Vanderbilt Hall of the Grand Central Terminal on 42nd Street and Park Avenue in New York City.

The panelists include Manuel A.J. Teehankee, Undersecretary for International Economic Relations, Department of Foreign Affairs; Teodoro Locsin, Jr., Philippine Ambassador to the United Nations, and Nancy Vailakis, Business Development Director of Augentius, along with Bloomberg journalist Ramy Inocencio.

“I am confident that the Expo will successfully present the Philippines as a premier tourism and investment destination, and New York certainly offers an unparalleled international stage to bring people together whether as prospective tourists or investors,” Ambassador Jose Manuel ‘Babe’ Romualdez said in a statement after a briefing with the Explore Islands Philippines Team in Washington, DC.

Scheduled on May 9th are business panel discussions with professionals in real estate, architecture, engineering, biotech, technology and finance. Panel discussions will include:
• Architecture, Green Buildings and Sustainability in the Philippines. Nick Medrano (Skidmore Owings and Merrill) and Vram Malek (Skidmore Owings and Merrill) with Hank Hendrickson as moderator (Sustainability and Infrastructure)

• Smart Cities – Innovation Leading to the Future of the Philippines – Rhonda Binda (Smart Ventures);

• BioTech and Life Sciences: The effect on Business in the Philippines. Andrea Bartzen (Impactiv BioConsult).

On Thursday, May 10th, Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo will speak at 11 a.m. about various tourism initiatives including Beautiful Destinations, Students and Millennial tours, Diving Tourism, Cuisine as well as Arts, Culture and History. Josh Vasquez, Philippine Airlines Area Manager, will give a special presentation. Noted photographer and filmmaker Beth Watson and Rick Morris will be featured in “Exploring the Underwater Beauty of the Philippines. In a special appearance, the Bay Area Filipino dance company, Parangal, will perform at 1 p.m.

Arsenio “Nick” Lizaso, president and Chief Operating Officer of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, will open the arts and culture programming of the Expo on Friday, May 11, at 10:30 a.m. Kinding Sindaw, the prominent New York-based Filipino dance company, will perform at 11:30 a.m. At 1:30 p.m., Ruben Nepales, former chairman of the board of directors of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association; Janet Nepales, executive secretary, HFPA; and NYC filmmaker Hezues R. will speak. Aris Tuazon of Ugly Kitchen Restaurant will talk about Philippine cuisine.

On the final day, May 12, the Expo will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Explore Islands Philippines, a four-day expo promoting vacation destinations, trade and investment in the Philippines, will run for four days from May 9. The ribbon cutting ceremony takes place at 10 a.m. to be graced by Her Royal Highness Princess Katarina of Yugoslavia and Serbia. The expo is free to the public.

Vanderbilt Hall can be easily accessed by the Pershing Square, 42nd St. entrance of Grand Central Terminal. Grand Central can be reached by all major subways (4, 5, 6, 7 as well as the S train).

The Expo is presented by JS Productions, the Department of Tourism of the Philippines, Philippine Tourism Promotion Board, Philippine Airlines, and The Filipino Channel.

© The FilAm 2018