The Philippine Consulate General in Dubai and Northern Emirates, in cooperation with SandBox Middle East, organized the “PHILx: More than Manpower” forum, which featured successful Filipino owned businesses in the UAE and their respective contributions to the economy, on 24 October 2021.
The forum was intended to uplift the image of overseas Filipinos and convey to the business community that Filipinos are also successful in business and entrepreneurship. The forum also aimed to inspire aspiring entrepreneurs in the Gulf to follow their dreams and set up their own business in the UAE.
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In his welcome remarks, Philippine Consul General to Dubai Paul Raymund P. Cortes provided a brief background on the contribution of Filipinos to the UAE economy being the fourth largest in its expat population. He further encouraged overseas Filipinos to always remember to give back to their home country. In line with the forum’s goal of motivating more Filipinos to be entrepreneurs, the Consul General noted that Filipinos can do anything if they put their hearts into it.
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The featured keynote speakers were Mr. Lito German, CEO of SandBox Middle East; Ms. Gina Valbuena, owner of Kubyertos Cuisine; Mr. Ishwar Chugani, Managing Director- Giordano Middle East; and Mr. Ezra Santos, internationally renowned fashion designer. They shared their inspiring experiences on taking the leap from employment to entrepreneurship. They also related their journey in making their way from scratch to top and the lessons they learned as they grew their business. They have proven to the business community that Filipinos are not only good at taking jobs but are also capable of creating jobs.
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For more information, visit https://www.dubaipcg.dfa.gov.ph or
https://www.facebook.com/PHinDubai.