- 10 minutes ago
Catch Brian Connelly, President of the American Chamber of Commerce–Visayas, as he shares insights on the economy, the Food and Wine Festival, and the American Chamber’s role in the Visayas.
Tune in for an engaging discussion on business, industry, and regional growth.
Tune in for an engaging discussion on business, industry, and regional growth.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
02:47Hi, Brian.
02:47Welcome back to the show.
02:49Good to be back, DJ.
02:50Thank you for having me.
02:51Yes, we're also grateful for your time and for joining us today.
02:54So a lot of people have heard about American Chamber, but not everybody understands what it actually does.
03:02So can you walk us through about what the American Chamber is doing, particularly here in the Visayas?
03:08Well, I think from the overall structure, we have to look at Manila is the sort of the head office,
03:13and we're a branch office.
03:15So in Manila, they have between 700 and 800 members.
03:18It's quite, quite, very much an advocating sort of organization.
03:24From our point of view here in the Visayas, we are focusing on bringing American companies and Filipino companies together
03:31to see how we can work together to do business.
03:33And I think one of the things I'd like to dispel before we get too far is that it's not
03:38true.
03:38It's only Americans.
03:40We are probably 99% or 98% Filipino.
03:44So we want both American and Filipino members.
03:47So everybody is welcome to join.
03:49So what kind of businesses do your members represent now in the Visayas?
03:55Well, on our board, we try to have a smattering of everybody.
03:58So we have from whether it be hospitality, manufacturing, chip manufacturing to BPOs, to all the various industries that are
04:05out there.
04:06We offer, we're offering up support for all industries.
04:10And what are the, well, it sounds like an interrogation, but what are the things that the chamber actually does
04:17that people do not normally see?
04:20Okay.
04:20I think one of the things that we do is we provide advocacy.
04:23So if there's an issue within your industry and you want some support, we provide online and in-person training.
04:29So we'll provide training for various people in terms of leadership skills, training skills, things like that.
04:35And we also provide fellowship and an ability for people to work together and maybe exchange the business cards and
04:41see how we can help one another grow our businesses.
04:44And yeah, I've seen the effect or the positive effect of the gatherings.
04:50It's because it also, as you can see, I can attest to that.
04:53It also allows people to connect.
04:55Yes.
04:55And eventually better collaborate moving forward.
04:58And you of all should know.
05:01It does really allow that connection and that networking.
05:04And I hate to say the word networking because it is, but fellowship, it's based in fellowship, but it's also
05:09has a relationship building.
05:11Yep.
05:11Yeah.
05:12So how attractive is the WSIS with American companies?
05:17Well, I think it's got a lot to offer.
05:18We're in the center of the center.
05:20And I think Cebu offers a very prime location with our new airport and our, as a hub, really you
05:27have connecting now to 11 different countries, 20 different cities out of our airport, which gives you a great reach
05:34in terms of getting out there and accessibility.
05:36Also, between shipping and everything else, we're in the center, but we're on a smaller scale.
05:41We don't have the complexities that you have maybe in Manila or the challenges you have in other parts of
05:46the country.
05:46So I think that gives a big benefit to our potential investors.
05:51And well, they say competition, if viewed in a healthy way, is still positive.
05:57So if we are to look at the other regions in the country, how competitive is the WSIS?
06:03Well, I think you're probably talking more about the south in terms of Davao and the north in terms of
06:08Clark.
06:09Yes, those are all great options for somebody.
06:12For a lot of the BPOs, those are alternative sites or backup sites.
06:15So we are offering, I think, something a little bit more than they are because we have fantastic living conditions
06:22for people who want to live here, schooling, things to do.
06:26So I think we offer great staff.
06:29We have a lot of colleges here that are producing fantastic students.
06:33And we have a good relationship on AmCham with our colleges to see how do we grow the next level
06:39of students who are going to be ready for the challenges of tomorrow.
06:43I'm glad, actually, that you mentioned portions of infrastructure, the business environment, and even relationships within the ecosystem.
06:51But if there are opportunities or rooms to improve, what would this be?
06:58Well, when we talk about infrastructure, I think the first thing that comes to mind is our traffic.
07:03We're famous for it.
07:04We joke about it.
07:05It's a top of a conversation at all times.
07:07We really need to solve that.
07:09And from my perspective as a hospitality professional, that is key to growing the hospitality market.
07:14It takes too long to go from Cebu to Oslo, to go from Cebu to Danbantayan.
07:21We need to sort that out and really come up with a better way for people to transfer across this
07:25beautiful island.
07:26Otherwise, there are many sites that are not seen.
07:28They're just overlooked.
07:30Or because they can be stuck on the road.
07:33Yes.
07:33And they don't have as much opportunity to maximize their time.
07:36Instead of seeing maybe three churches, they see one church.
07:39Or there's four sites, they only see one site.
07:42So they don't get to see the full range that Cebu offers to a visitor.
07:46I've also observed, and correct me if I'm wrong, but the hospitality education in the Philippines have also expanded.
07:55Am I correct in that impression?
07:58There are many, many students coming out with a degree in the various different topics within hospitality.
08:04It's quite a wide-ranging scope within that industry.
08:08The question is making sure that they have the skills and the education and the experience to make sure they
08:13can make it to the next level.
08:15And that's what our job is as hoteliers, is to offer OJTs an opportunity to actually work and put the
08:21theory together with the practical.
08:23And while this is not originally in the set of questions, but I'm just reminded.
08:27If one of our viewers or a few of our viewers would want to establish their careers and become GMs
08:36in the future, Filipino, Cebuano, what would be the things that you would suggest that they should do now?
08:42Well, to remember that once college is over, to never forget that the education doesn't stop.
08:48And you have to take it upon yourself to grow in terms of expanding your leadership skills, your awareness of
08:53all the culinary delights, and various aspects of life.
08:57And the more you grow, the more you'll be more ready for the next time.
09:02There's an opening for you in another more senior, more responsible role.
09:05What about your suggestions in terms of international exposure?
09:10Is that necessary?
09:11Is that the route that they should also pursue and strengthen?
09:14Well, on a selfish basis, I don't want anybody to leave because I believe a lot of our fantastic staff
09:20leave the country because they can find a better opportunity abroad.
09:23But I think that opportunity to go abroad does strengthen their background, their experience.
09:29I know that right now, due to the situation in the Middle East, many are returning, and I've seen a
09:33flow of resumes on my desk.
09:35And the folks that are coming back have a well-rounded experience level in various aspects of the industry.
09:42And now that you've mentioned also the tension in the Middle East, can you also educate our viewers, including myself,
09:53how an incident that's thousands of miles away can actually impact the pump prices here in the Philippines?
10:02Well, I think, you know, having lived in the Middle East, both in Dubai and in Cairo, and understanding a
10:08little bit more than maybe the surface thing that we all do, the sort of the surface level, most of
10:14the oil in the world comes from the Middle East.
10:16And that the Strait of Hormuz, which is the big topic today, 20% of the global supply goes through
10:23that.
10:23Now, 20% doesn't sound like a lot, but for those of us who depend on that 20%, 100%.
10:28I think the Philippines is 98%.
10:30Right. So, that's why we have this tightening of the belt and people buying electric cars and turning their engines
10:37off instead of idling for the air con and perhaps not taking as many road trips as they did before.
10:42But I think we're hoping that in the near future, hopefully very near future, that this will get loosened up
10:48and the flow of oil will come back.
10:50And I'm not sure just yet if they are correlated, but I was at one of the malls in Cebu
10:57last Sunday,
10:58and I could tell that there's a significant difference on the number of cars that were parked.
11:04I don't know if it's just by coincidence or not, but it was an observation.
11:07I think you have a very good point. I've been out on the road. I get up very early and
11:10leave early.
11:11The traffic is much lighter than it has been before.
11:14We prefer to have the traffic.
11:16We already have enough issues with the traffic stopping people driving to try different restaurants,
11:21which hurts the commercial aspect of the island, but I think now it's even more so.
11:26And my personal gauge, I would continue to feel better if I would see more motorcycles on the street,
11:33because if I'll see fewer and fewer motorcycles on the street,
11:37then I could at least personally say that people more and more, Filipinos or Cebuanos, are now feeling the impact.
11:44So how vulnerable, aside from, of course, 98% of our oil comes from the Middle East,
11:49how vulnerable also is the Philippines when it comes to this type of shocks?
11:54Well, I think that's something we should think about from a security standpoint,
11:58not from a military security, but from a food security, energy security.
12:02There's a lot of aspects of our national security that we have to look at.
12:05And I think that, you know, when you think about everything is shipped to us.
12:10So we say, well, the price of coal did not go up very much as compared to Ukraine.
12:15But the transportation cost of that coal is going up by 100%.
12:19So regardless of whether the price of coal didn't go up,
12:22the impact of the oil issue will raise the price of electricity, and that will have an impact on us.
12:28And you've already introduced that, and we'll talk more about food security.
12:32But before we get into that, because I'm also interested about the festival and how it will improve food security.
12:38But before we get into that, just one last question about how these can be felt by everyday Cebuanos.
12:46Earlier this morning, I just saw that the forecast that they have for inflation is 4.2%,
12:51which actually looks, although it's on the higher side, but it looks manageable to me.
12:56So what are your thoughts also about how all these can eventually impact inflation?
13:01Because that's the one that's going to be felt by people at home.
13:05Yes, inflation hits all of us.
13:06And I think we've seen that inflation, whether it's because of the pandemic or Odette or the most recent typhoon.
13:14But it reminded me also of the overall analysis is really bound to hit us more.
13:18So you have the oil prices going up.
13:21We're now tipping on a normal day over 60 pesos to the dollar, which means that while our product is
13:28cheaper for the foreigner to buy,
13:30and maybe better for an investor to come in and invest, the cost of us buying that food that we
13:34have to import has just gone up.
13:36So speaking of food, now is the perfect time to discuss about food security.
13:41Can you tell us also about the food and wine festival that you and your team are organizing?
13:47Well, this started in the depths of the COVID, when we were looking at the fact that Busai,
13:53which has an abundance of fantastic growing areas and vegetables and fruit and produce, could not be brought to the
14:00city.
14:00So those of us in the city were not able to get the stuff, and the food was actually spoiling
14:05up in Busai.
14:05So we decided to do two things.
14:07One was to start a farmer's market, and that was started at the Marco Polo parking lot.
14:11And Federal Land has been a fantastic support of it.
14:14Marco Polo has been as well.
14:16And that has been every Saturday now for five years.
14:19We have between 40 and 60 vendors selling not only fruits and vegetables and nut,
14:23but a variety of different things from honey and eggs and food prepared to take home.
14:27In addition to that, we also looked at the food and wine festival.
14:31That is something where we wanted to begin to start to elevate the level of food cuisine in the whole
14:37country,
14:37but primarily in Cebu.
14:39And the idea was to help the Filipino restaurants in particular on the island
14:44start to look at elevating their cuisine to a higher level.
14:50And before we get into that, I just captured what you said about the food market.
14:54What's going on?
14:55So it's ongoing.
14:56Yes, ongoing.
14:57Okay, food traffic is good?
14:59Very solid.
15:00I'm glad.
15:02I would imagine some of the suppliers have been there for the entire five years
15:05because of the value that it brings to have people come up to Marco Polo.
15:09And it's a win-win situation for the farmers.
15:10Absolutely.
15:11The residents of Marco Polo get to use it,
15:13and all the residents of Subo are invited to come up there and buy your vegetables,
15:16being the bookends for this fantastic event.
15:19During the middle of that period of time,
15:21all the restaurants are being invited to take advantage of our platform
15:24and be advertising for free for special events,
15:28in particular trying to highlight the indigenous food of Cebu,
15:32as well as their own cuisine,
15:34or using those ingredients in their cuisine,
15:36as well as bringing in really good food and wine to complement that food,
15:40and really trying to elevate the experience for the diner
15:43and the people that are our customers to enjoy more food in Cebu.
15:48So how are the local cuisines highlighted?
15:52Now, can you give some examples?
15:54And what particular cuisine?
15:56Okay, well, our slogan is,
15:58Love Local, Dine Global.
16:00And we believe that we can put together the best of both worlds.
16:04So we try to take local dishes and elevate with international ingredients,
16:09but also through…
16:10Isn't that a fusion?
16:11Yeah, kind of.
16:11As long as it doesn't become confusion, we're okay.
16:14So we don't want to have confusion,
16:16but we do really work on trying to help the farmers elevate their product
16:20and try to ask them to do more products for us
16:22so we're less dependent on bringing things in from other countries or from Manila.
16:27So what particular cuisine, for example,
16:30in which we would be able to see a different…
16:34In Chicago, which is a Filipino 100% cuisine restaurant.
16:38I've tried to get in there numerous times.
16:40It's almost impossible.
16:41But that's an example of how Filipino cuisine can be elevated
16:44to that Michelin two-star level.
16:46And I have to tell you,
16:48people that I know have dined there,
16:50my brother lives in Chicago,
16:51they love it.
16:52It's really an experience that is delightful.
16:54And I'm curious about this
16:56because maybe this perception is outdated.
16:59And so it's time for me to update my impression.
17:02Do you also think that among the crucial elements
17:05of the Filipino cuisine is the presentation
17:08or the lack of presentation?
17:10It can be all of that.
17:11I mean, really, food, you eat with your eyes.
17:13And I think that's really important.
17:15When you first see that dish,
17:17that look is the first thing you see.
17:19And yes, we have to present better.
17:21We cannot just think of it simply as food thrown on a plate.
17:24It really is not.
17:25And we have wonderful food.
17:26And it's also about talking about the pork that we raise.
17:29How do we raise it?
17:30What is it?
17:31How do we cut it?
17:32How do we serve it?
17:33How do we prepare it for that dish?
17:35We love pork in the Philippines.
17:37And a particular ingredient,
17:38or this particular chef is coming in,
17:40we then post it on our website
17:42for them to then connect directly to the restaurant
17:45to make the reservation.
17:46Aaron, for the past,
17:48because this is going to be the fifth year now.
17:50Yes, yes.
17:51So for the past four years,
17:52which among these events
17:54do you consider as the signature ones
17:56that the public, including myself,
17:59should not miss?
18:00Well, I think for sure
18:01the opening and the grand finale,
18:03the grand opening and the grand finale
18:04are to showcase their food.
18:06So in events like this one
18:09and in the climate also of business in the region,
18:16what makes the Visayas and even Cebu unique
18:20on the standpoint of business climate?
18:23They're locked in between.
18:24They're neither oldest or youngest.
18:26And so we really try harder,
18:27I think, at the end of the day.
18:28And if there are three priorities
18:30that Cebu or the region should prioritize
18:35moving forward in general sense,
18:37at least from your perspective
18:39as the president of American Chamber of Commerce,
18:41what would that be?
18:43Educating our youth.
18:44That to me is a big priority
18:45because we need to make sure
18:47that our young kids and young students
18:49and young people are ready for tomorrow.
18:51And we need to make sure
18:52the education is well-founded.
18:55So this or that,
18:55who really went out and did that stuff?
18:57So the next time it happens, we're ready.
18:59And I think lastly,
19:00it's just to be more business-focused
19:02and really be open to making sure
19:04there's less red tape.
19:06It makes things smoother for the investor
19:08and that we show a little bit of resilience.
19:10For example, PESA and TIEZA are two examples
19:13that are trying to develop more business
19:15on the island in this case for us.
19:17So it's important to work with them as well.
19:19And because there are everyday Cebuanos like me
19:23and see how we can adapt them
19:24to our local environment,
19:26our local community,
19:27our local style.
19:28I think that's an example
19:31of local going global.
19:33Yes, absolutely.
19:34That's so important
19:35because sometimes there's no new ideas.
19:38It's about taking an idea
19:39that's existing,
19:40that's successful,
19:41and adapting it,
19:42twisting it,
19:43making it better in some cases,
19:44or making it more approachable
19:46to our local customers.
19:48And it's actually good
19:49to have experts like you
19:52and leaders like you
19:53who have seen the world
19:55and now leveraging your expertise
19:57to help elevate the local business environment,
20:01the local climate.
20:02So what gives you confidence in the Visayas?
20:05I hate to say the resilience
20:07because I think resilience can be a bad word in some cases,
20:10but I call it grit.
20:11And I think the grit of the Cebuano is incredible,
20:14whether it's typhoons or weather or water or whatever it is,
20:17we do have a sense of grit that we do not give up.
20:20We do not say,
20:21oh, woe is me.
20:22We say, darn the torpedoes,
20:25full speed ahead.
20:25And I think that's something that we have
20:28that a lot of places don't have.
20:29And the Cebuano here really enjoys working
20:32and they're very proud of the job that they do.
20:35And I'm also grateful for organizations
20:36like the American Chamber
20:37and how you connect opportunities
20:40from the U.S. and the world
20:42to the local opportunities.
20:44So if we are to look at,
20:45like, let's say three years from now,
20:47because five years is too long term now.
20:51Today's world,
20:52you never know what's going to happen tomorrow.
20:53So just for three years,
20:55what kind of...
20:55A lot of things.
20:56Let's look at what we used to make.
20:58Can we make those again and make them better?
21:01For the future,
21:02I think we need to look at what the trends are.
21:04You know, people keep talking about Facebook.
21:06Facebook's changing.
21:08My daughter doesn't use Facebook at all.
21:10She laughs at me for using Facebook.
21:12You know, they're onto TikTok
21:13and good knows knows what else they're onto.
21:15So, you know,
21:16I think we need to stay current
21:18and be abreast of the changing tides
21:20and the weather and the currents
21:21and the economy and everything else.
21:24I like actually your reminder
21:26about looking at the past
21:27and what we did right
21:30to continue doing them.
21:31because there's also...
21:33We know they're there.
21:34Let's look back.
21:34What are they doing?
21:35There's a gentleman on the island
21:36making hydroponics in those old bodegas.
21:39What an interesting concept
21:41to take that old bodega
21:41and make it into something valuable.
21:43And thank you very much for that reminder
21:45and also to continue learning
21:47about what the rest of the world is doing
21:49and find ways that we can twist them
21:52in a positive way.
21:53Absolutely.
21:54In a positive way.
21:56And Excel.
21:57And Excel.
21:57Thank you, Brian, for your time.
22:00My pleasure, DJ.
22:00And thank you also for joining us
22:02and hope our viewers were able to capture
22:05at least two things, two events.
22:08The Marco Polo...
22:10What's this?
22:10Farmer's Market.
22:11Farmer's Market at the Marco Polo,
22:13which is still ongoing every Sunday.
22:15Saturday morning.
22:16Saturday.
22:16My gosh.
22:18Every Saturday morning.
22:207 a.m.
22:217 a.m.
22:22And then the Food and Wine Festival,
22:23which will happen on...
22:25June 6th to June 20th.
22:26Grand openings at the Marco Polo on June 6th.
22:28The closing, the grand finale,
22:30June 20th at New Star.
22:31And hope our viewers were able
22:33to catch those details.
22:34I need to ask you to do it
22:35so that we can actively build together.
22:38So I'm DJ Moises
22:39and this has been Beyond the Headlines.
22:41Have a good afternoon.
22:50I'll see you next time.
Comments