by Anne-Birte Stensgaard, Senior News Editor
The Philippines clinched $1.9m worth of negotiated deals in The Big 5 Show held from 25-29 November in Dubai, followed by business missions and exploratory talks in Abu Dhabi and Fujairah.
The second Philippine participation to The Big 5 Show was organized by the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), the trade promotion arm of the Department of Trade and Industry, tasked to further boost the country's revenue streams.
To sustain the awareness created by the Philippines in the previous participation in similar events in the Middle East, as well as explore new business opportunities in the region, the country sent Grace Park International (solid wood doors and framings), Icoast Manufacturing Group, Inc. (evaporative misting system), Pacific Timber Export Corporation (PATECO) (molded doors, fire-rated doors), Piedra Systems, Inc. (manufactured stones), Raphael Legacy Designs, Inc. (resin-made and pearl inlaid mosaic tiles), Sanyo Seiki Stainless Steel Corporation (stainless steel tubes, pipes, plates, and metal sheets), TMC International Corporation (marble floor tiles, slabs, and splitface material), YYD System Interiors, Inc. (laminated doors and accessories).
Raphael Legacy, TMC International, and Grace Park International as second time participants had a chance for follow up negotiations. An owner of a 5-star hotel to be constructed in Fujairah next year expressed strong interest on Raphael Legacy's pearl-inlaid and resin-made tiles, while TMC's unique splitface marble attracted buyers from the US, KSA, India, UAE, Oman and Russia. TMC outshone its competitors from Turkey and India since the company has its own quarrying site, making it a reliable source of the unique material. Grace Park's solid doors with pearl inlay got the attention of distributors and contractors as well.
First time participant Piedra Systems captured the interests of buyers from the UAE, KSA, and Iran with its manufactured stone veneers, specifically the flat ridgestone and valley ledgestone. The company also received offers for manufacturing license and technology transfer for the pigments and binders it is using.
Icoast Manufacturing attracted buyers and distributors from the UAE, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan, Bahrain, Lebanon, and Sudan for its misting system that adapts unique evaporative technologies and misting techniques, beating competitors from Thailand and the USA.
Some oil exploration companies and distributors from the UAE, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, and Syria are scheduling plant visits to Sanyo Seiki for the company's stainless steel tubes, pipes, and sheets. The ongoing construction boom in the Middle East also paved prospective deals for Pateco's HDF molded, solid doors, and jambs, and to YYD's laminated MDF doors and framing.
'This CITEM-organized participation opened our eyes on the opportunities outside. It gave our company a chance to evaluate our capacity, think on where we want to go, and what we want to establish,' said Glenn Chan, Vice President for Operations of Sanyo Seiki Stainless Steel Corporation.
'The participation also became a motivation for homegrown companies who courageously invested their money and effort to provide more jobs and contribute more for the country,' added Chan.
Danny Baldonado, Managing Director of Icoast Manufacturing Corporation who has been joining CITEM-led participation for more than a decade added that he was able to establish two plants in Cavite as a result with a deal forged five years after participating in a Hannover show in 1993. 'After establishing our name in the manufacture of isolator for cell sites, we knew that through this CITEM-led participation, our new product line of misting system will likewise be recognized in the international market, ' he added.
World Class Laminate, Inc. (WLC) and Ricad, Inc. joined the Philippine delegation in the Fujairah mission co-organized by the Philippine Trade and Investment Centre (PTIC). WLC was able to promote its melamine laminated boards and synthetic granite, while Ricad showcased the Machuca Baldoza hand-made cement tiles that can withstand harsh weather and climate.
The Middle East consistent economic growth gave birth to sophisticated retail, commercial, and residential structures that identifies opportunities for the Philippine building materials sector. The Big 5 Show, as the largest and longest running construction and contracting event in the Gulf became a strong and essential meeting place for the Philippines to meet consultants, architects, developers, contractors from the GCC. Last year, the Big 5 Show accommodated 2,894 exhibiting companies from 67 countries and attracted a total of 41,058 visitors and buyers.
The meeting of the Philippine delegation in Dubai with the UAE Contractors Association also became a follow through activity of the Construction Business Mission in the Middle East last April led by Construction Industry Business Manager Sonia Valdeavilla. UAE Contractors Association Chairman Bel Hasa proposed to Philippine Ambassador to the UAE Libran Cabactulan to establish bilateral cooperation between the UAE Contractors Association with the Philippine counterpart.
Impressed by the unique crafted Philippine-made building materials and furniture, H.E. Khalfan Obaid Khalfan, Chairman of ATC Group based in Fujairah expressed his willingness to assist in the establishment of the proposed Philippine Trade Center, where Philippine exporters can showcase their products and have an on-site representation in Dubai.
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