As the smell of barbeque, vegetable samosas and other gastronomic delights wafted in the air, the indefatigable Australian Ambassador HK Yu provided updates on the relations between Australia and the Philippines, noting that it’s been going strong.
This was during a recent briefing and sundowner reception for journalists hosted by Amb. Yu at the Australian Ambassador’s Residence in Makati.
It’s always good to hear of such developments because it tells us that while we are caught in geopolitical tensions with a powerful neighbor, we are able to maintain strong relationships with other countries.
Australia is one such strategic partner, with two-way trade as of end-2023 reaching a whopping P378 billion.
There are many areas of cooperation that both countries have been working hard to strengthen, Australian embassy officials said that evening. These include the areas of maritime cooperation, the fight against online child exploitation and economic partnerships.
Jollibee in Australia
As for me, I’d love to see tycoon Tony Tan Caktiong’s Jollibee finally make it to Australia as part of the Asian food conglomerate’s widening global reach.
That night, diplomats from the embassy said Filipinos in Australia are eagerly waiting to see Jollibee open Down Under. Such aspirations may not be far from being realized in the coming years, the diplomats said.
Thus, hopefully, it will happen in the next two to three years or sooner.
But as I said, there are many other areas of cooperation.
The two-way trade, in fact, is seen growing by 10 percent.
There are now so many Australian companies that are coming to the Philippines and Filipinos are going to Australia, said Luisa Rust, minister-counselor and senior trade and investment commissioner of the Australian embassy, during the briefing.
It’s interesting to note that there are also over 250 Australian companies in the Philippines employing over 44,000 Filipinos as of end-2023, according to the fact sheet provided by the embassy.
As the smell of barbeque, vegetable samosas and other gastronomic delights wafted in the air, the indefatigable Australian Ambassador HK Yu provided updates on the relations between Australia and the Philippines, noting that it’s been going strong.
This was during a recent briefing and sundowner reception for journalists hosted by Amb. Yu at the Australian Ambassador’s Residence in Makati.
It’s always good to hear of such developments because it tells us that while we are caught in geopolitical tensions with a powerful neighbor, we are able to maintain strong relationships with other countries.
Australia is one such strategic partner, with two-way trade as of end-2023 reaching a whopping P378 billion.
There are many areas of cooperation that both countries have been working hard to strengthen, Australian embassy officials said that evening. These include the areas of maritime cooperation, the fight against online child exploitation and economic partnerships.
Jollibee in Australia
As for me, I’d love to see tycoon Tony Tan Caktiong’s Jollibee finally make it to Australia as part of the Asian food conglomerate’s widening global reach.
That night, diplomats from the embassy said Filipinos in Australia are eagerly waiting to see Jollibee open Down Under. Such aspirations may not be far from being realized in the coming years, the diplomats said.
Thus, hopefully, it will happen in the next two to three years or sooner.
But as I said, there are many other areas of cooperation.
The two-way trade, in fact, is seen growing by 10 percent.
There are now so many Australian companies that are coming to the Philippines and Filipinos are going to Australia, said Luisa Rust, minister-counselor and senior trade and investment commissioner of the Australian embassy, during the briefing.
It’s interesting to note that there are also over 250 Australian companies in the Philippines employing over 44,000 Filipinos as of end-2023, according to the fact sheet provided by the embassy.
In her speech, Amb. Yu was also happy to note the presence of two big Philippine companies that have expanded in Australia – Razon-led International Container Terminal Services Inc. and Ayala’s energy arm ACEN.
Moving forward, the Australian government is looking to launch by early next year a program that will involve providing A$45 million (P1.69 billion) for the Philippines to boost trade and investments.
Ex-PAL chief Gilbert Sta. Maria joins Chelsea
Gilbert Sta. Maria, the former boss of Philippine Airlines, will be a good addition to Chelsea Logistics’ and Infrastructure Holdings Corp.’s board of directors.
Chelsea recently announced his appointment as independent director.
Sta. Maria, or GSM as he is often called in the industry, had a short stint in PAL but he led the flag carrier at a most turbulent period in its history – bankruptcy, COVID-19 pandemic, boardroom drama and what-have-you. He is credited for leading the company through that difficult time.
Chelsea, which was also affected by the pandemic as with the rest of Dennis Uy’s business empire, said it would benefit from GSM’s expertise in the transportation and logistics industry as he can provide valuable insights to help drive further growth for the company.
In the second quarter, Chelsea generated a net income before tax of P78 million, marking its first positive quarter since the pandemic.
It still has a lot of fixing to do in terms of optimizing operational efficiency and managing expenses. The company said it plans to increase revenues by expanding services which are responsive to market conditions. It also plans to focus on profitable routes.
Furthermore, Chelsea aims to diversify revenue streams and will explore strategic partnerships for growth and cost-sharing.
Hopefully for Chelsea, GSM can help the company become a more efficient logistics player and sustain its turnaround, post-pandemic.
Classrooms
Now for some good news. I recently learned that Hope, Abenson and House of Fruitas entered into an important collaboration for a joint classroom construction project in Sta. Lucia, Sta. Ana, Pampanga.
Hope, the country’s first certified B Corp., describes itself as an impact organization.
The classroom initiative underscores the three companies’ “commitment to community development, with a focus on education and youth empowerment in the region.”
The project will provide much-needed educational infrastructure for the construction of a modern classroom facility aimed at enhancing the learning environment for local students.
“We believe that education is the foundation for building brighter futures,” said Lester Yu, CEO of Fruitas. “This classroom construction project is a reflection of our unwavering commitment to supporting the next generation and uplifting the communities we serve.”
Construction is set to begin immediately following a recent groundbreaking ceremony, with the project targeted for completion in the first half of 2025.
“The new classroom will accommodate hundreds of students from surrounding communities designed to foster growth, creativity and collaboration,” proponents said.
At a time when Filipino students and the country’s educational system need all the help they can get, initiatives such as this are very welcome.
We hope to see similar and bigger projects in the future.
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Email: eyesgonzales@gmail.com. Follow her on Twitter @eyesgonzales. Column archives at EyesWideOpen on FB.