press release - philippine business forum in edinburgh on renewable energy 2010

8/9/2019 Press Release - Philippine Business Forum in Edinburgh on Renewable Energy 2010

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PHILIPPINE BUSINESS FORUM IN EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND 21 MAY 2010

A Business Forum on the Philippines as a Premier Business Destination:Identifying Opportunities for Renewable and Green Energy was recently heldby the Philippine Trade and Investment Center - London. The businessforum was sponsored by 160 year-old Scottish law firm Morton Fraser andbusiness consultants International Market Analysts at the Morton Fraseroffices in the brand new Quarter Mile 2 development in Edinburgh,Scotland.

The Business Forum was well attended by about 24 individuals from many of Scotland’s big businesses particularly in the areas of Renewable Energy,Energy, Banking, and Finance Sectors. Among the attendees were officialsfrom the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, the Scottish Low CarbonInvestment Conference organizers, and the Scottish Development Council.Pioneering renewable energy R&D groups were also present in addition tovarious Renewable Energy companies based in Scotland.

The forum focused on promoting foreign investments and joint businessopportunities for Scottish Companies in the Philippines in Renewable Energyand other priority sectors such as IT and Business Support (Outsourcing),Infrastructure Development and the BOT Scheme and Mining.

The Business Forum provided presentations on the following topics asdelivered by officials from the Philippine Trade and Investment Center inLondon and the Embassy of the Philippines to the United Kingdom.

3rd Secretary and Economic Officer Vice-Consul Emmanuel K. Guzman of thePhilippine Embassy delivered an Economic Overview of the Philippines,

Investment and Trade Representative Vicente A. Casim of PTIC Londonprovided a Doing Business in the Philippines Introduction and Commercial

Attache & Director Michael Alfred Ignacio provided more specific details onOpportunities in Renewable Energy and Other priority Sectors for Investmentand Business Cooperation between the Philippines and Scotland.

Q&A Sessions immediately followed each presentation.

The important highlights stressed by the speakers during the presentationwere;

Pioneering and Highly Supportive Legislative Framework for RenewableEnergy initiatives, unmatched in the Region.



• The Philippine Renewable Energy Act of 20008 is the first and mostcomprehensive in Asia, which grants fiscal and non-fiscal incentives tobusiness engaged in renewable energy projects, such as wind energy,solar energy, geothermal, hydropower and ocean energy generation.

• The Philippines is the second largest producer of geothermal energy inthe world and the largest wind energy producer in Southeast Asia.

• The country also enacted the Biofuels Act of 2006 which mandates a 5percent ethanol blend with gasoline starting 2009 and 10 percent by2011.

In the area of IT and Business Support (Outsourcing and Offshoring)

• The country’s success and strength are well recongnized from theoutside perspective. In the United Kingdom, The Philippines, receivedthe Offshoring Destination Award in 2009 given by the UK’s NationalOutsourcing Association (NOA), the same award which the country alsowon in 2007. NOA is the only recognized industry association andauthority for outsourcing in the United Kingdom.

Strong Economy and sustainable economic gains make the Philippines a

highly attractive business and investment destination in addition to thecountry’s enormous human and natural resources, suited for the successfuldevelopment of the priority sectors mentioned.

It is envisioned that the visit of the PTIC London team and the holding of thefirst Philippine Business Forum in Edinburgh on Renewable Energy and otherPriority Sectors have laid the groundwork for closer collaboration betweenthe Philippines and Scotland - in attracting Scottish Investments to thePhilippines particularly in the priority sectors of renewable energy andbusiness support and IT (BPO).

More importantly, the Business Forum has achieved it’s goal of formidablypositioning the Philippines as a leading investment and business destinationfor such priority sectors in the Scottish Business community’s consciousness,given the natural resources available and the extensive legislative framework and government support readily available.

Substantial interest was signified and received from Scottish companies in thefollowing sectors:

On Renewable Energy these interests involved Wind Energy/ Offshore Wind,

Wave and Tidal Energy Technologies for use in the Philippine Setting,Research companies dealing in improved and efficient Biomass Generationand from Bacteria and Algae (excellent for Tropical Climate of the Philippines),



Waste to Energy innovations and Solar Power.

On Business Support & IT companies present in the field signified stronginterest to collaborate on Animation & Graphic Design Outsourcing, Banking & Finance Services and IT Support and other BPO services.

Scotties companies and Morton Fraser law firm also expressed their intereston Infrastructure Development particularly on Build Operate Transfer Projectsand Tourism Infrastructure Development opportunities.

PTIC London is now pursuing the individual contacts and networks gainedduring the forum, especially the interests brought forward. Post will sendindividualized memos on each contact’s interest accordingly, and will requestappropriate assistance for each.

Collaborators

Distinguished Law Firm Morton Fraser based in Edinburgh (www.morton-

fraser.com) hosted the venue and luncheon for the business forum andinvited their top business clients involved in the priority sectors we arepromoting. CEO Linda Urquhart of Morton Fraser and Partners Austin Flynnand James Rust expressed their desire to host the Business Forum for theproposed Renewable Energy Business Mission from the Philippines inSeptember or October proposed to be headed by a top official of the BOI andthe National Renewable Energy Board Vice-Chair Vince Perez.

Consulting firm, International Markets Analysts ( http://www.im-a.co.uk ),headed by Dr. Susan Carpenter was the event organizer and host for theevent and is responsible for the invitations of around 40 high-potential target

Scottish companies involved in our priority areas.

Marc Macaraeg, a filipino graduate of the MBA program of the University of Edinburgh made the introductions to Dr. Susan Carpenter and Morton Fraser,which eventually gave way to the hosting of the Philippine Business Forum atalmost no cost to the Philippine Government in terms of venue and theluncheon served.

/PTIC LONDON

http://www.im-a.co.uk/



http://www.morton-fraser.com/






The Philippine Tradeand Investment Center (PTIC) in London teamwith Vice-Consul and

Mrs. EmmanuelGuzman. PTIC London

is the representativeoffice and trade mission

of the Department of Trade and Industry in

the United Kingdom and

the Commercial Sectionof the Philippine

Embassy in London.Below, the team with

representatives of Morton Fraser and

International MarketsAnalysts.



Panelists from left to Right: Vice-Consul, 3rd Secretary & Economic Officer Emmanuel Guzman, moderator Dr. Susan Carpenter of International MarketsAnalysts, Honorary Investment and Trade Representative Vicente Casimand Commercial Attache & Director Michael Alfred Ignacio.

Mor ton Fraser Partner and Chief Executive Linda

Urquhart, openingt h e b u s i n e s sf o r u m a n dw e l c o m e t h es p e a k e r s a n dguests.



Commercial Attache & Director of PTIC London Michael Alfred Ignaciodelivering his priority sectors presentation and the attendees from RenewableEnergy companies and other business sectors in Edinburgh.

press release - philippine business forum in edinburgh on renewable energy 2010

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