The Philippines and Poland are further strengthening their bilateral economic relations through mutual promotion of trade and investments, as the two countries conducted the Philippines-Poland Business Forum in Manila recently (10 October 2016).

Jointly organized by the Philippine Board of Investments (BOI) and the Embassy of Poland in Kuala Lumpur (which also covers the Philippines), the whole-day business forum at the World Trade Center highlighted the business opportunities between the two countries through informative presentations from both sides followed by business-to-business meeting sessions.

“It was after 17 years that a business delegation from Poland, representing nine companies and agencies, visited the Philippines once again and meet their Filipino counterparts to explore business opportunities in areas of food/dairy, poultry, pharmaceuticals and software development,” said BOI Director for International Investments Promotion Service Angelica Cayas who welcomed the delegation together with Philippine Ambassador to Poland Patricia Ann Paez.

The Polish delegation was headed by the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Joanna Wronecka.  Joining her are the nine Polish companies namely Drob Bogs, PIAP, SkyCAsh, Polfa Tarchomin, Transition Technologies S.A., Polish Dairy Products, McPharma, LOds Agency of Regional Development Ltd. and the Pietrucha Group.

The Philippine delegation meanwhile comprised of Filipino counterparts exploring business opportunities in areas of food/dairy, poultry, pharmaceuticals and software development namely ALC Holdings, Apicius, Inc., Aurum Pay, Babci Kuchnia, Inc., Firstec Metallics Inc., Lingaro, Inc., Pointwest Technologies Corporation, S. Estuita Eco Farms, San Miguel Yamamura Packaging Corp., Surface Technology International Phils, Inc., Trans-Millennium Mercantile Corp, and United Laboratories, Inc.

Just recently, Trade Undersecretary and BOI Managing Head Ceferino Rodolfo met with executives from the Polish company Pietrucha to discuss its newly-established production facility at the Freeport Area of Bataan in Mariveles.

“Our consistent economic and governance reforms as well as competitive costs of doing business and labor have greatly improved investor confidence. We are confident that this significant investment in the manufacturing will create more stable and decent jobs and sustain the upward momentum of the Philippine economy,” Undersecretary Rodolfo said.

The plastics manufacturer is the first Polish company to establish a production facility in the Philippines which will produce high-strengthened polyvinyl chloride plastic sheet piles. Together with its local partner Design Science Inc., the company has started initial operations in June 2016 and is fully operational starting September this year.

Undersecretary Rodolfo said that the establishment of the facility will not only meet the growing demand of the domestic market but also unlock our country’s potential in securing a significant slice of the regional and global manufacturing market. “Catering to the needs of both local and foreign markets will position the Philippines as a manufacturing hub for the ASEAN region as well as a preferred source and destination of investments,” he added.