First SME Business Synergy Conference held

Transcript

00:00 A business networking confab arranged by the Asia Group Limited from Singapore and the

00:05 Pasay City LGU in the capital city seeks to bring together business people from both countries

00:11 to hook up for small business and lucrative ventures that our Charissa Espargo sums up

00:16 in this story.

00:19 Bobo Wan has been part of the shoe manufacturing industry for 10 years, but only decided recently

00:25 in 2023 to take charge of her own career and start a business.

00:29 She is one of 20 Singaporean company owners who participated in the first ever SME Business

00:36 Synergy Conference in the Philippines.

00:38 She hopes to use the three-day conference as an opportunity to collaborate with Philippine

00:43 business establishments to broaden the reach of her oil-proof, water-proof and shock-proof

00:49 shoes for service industry and construction workers.

00:52 "We hope to actually even get Philippine distributors to actually market the whole entire Philippines

01:00 for us because no matter where, Philippines is really very big.

01:04 If one company to actually do everything, it's very tiring as well."

01:09 The conference started with a matchmaking program, allowing businesses to forge connections.

01:15 There will also be a gala night the following day and an opportunity for the Singaporean

01:20 representatives to tour the walled city of Intramuros in Manila.

01:24 The conference was organized by the local Pasay City government along with Asia Group

01:28 Limited from Singapore.

01:29 "We think it's a big help that we have foreign investors who are willing to give their livelihood

01:40 to our citizens."

01:41 Aside from improving businesses, the future partnerships will also be beneficial for the

01:45 labor industry, which makes up close to 57 percent of Filipino employment.

01:50 "Five to ten percent, this is what I can see.

01:54 Because some companies are labor-intensive, maybe like F&B, let's say they open a company,

02:00 maybe open a restaurant here, they will confirm definitely need to hire labor like cook and

02:07 waitress."

02:08 Asia Group Limited hopes to broaden its partnerships and business collaborations in the future.

02:12 Chariza Espargo, from the National TV Network, for a new and better republic.