Yes, I’m definitely back in the motherland, feeling so free and getting all I ever want in an island holiday… “It’s more fun in the Philippines” is a new ad campaign for tourism, and I say, it can also be used in finance. After all, we are in a global economy and I have been monitoring the financial markets wherever I am. (But not during my island time, of course!)
I think investing in the Philippines is getting more attractive than ever before. As mentioned in a previous article, Southeast Asian countries (like the Philippines) are becoming economically important and attractive destination for investments from China, Japan, South Korea.
It is easy to see. Coming from the airport, I can see a new, almost unfamiliar skyline, building construction is everywhere. There are more and more shopping and lifestyle centers. Business advertisements line up the thoroughfares no end, from the “dominant” brands like San Miguel to new enterprises, to even new products.
A quick list of financial pluses for the Philippines –
1. Strong consumer demand
2. Dollar inflows (from remittances of overseas workers) and tourist spending
3. Jobs growth especially in the business process outsourcing sector which is becoming more technical (from the traditional call centers, there are global IT, finance, gaming service companies ).
4. Infrastructure spending (eagerly funded by Sovereign funds or corporations mostly by the neighboring “rich” countries.
Debt is not a concern and in fact, there is a high savings rate like in most Asian countries. This combination of economic activity will fuel more growth, certainly for companies that have had a strong footing in the market – I will next post an article on these companies that will make investing / trading “more fun in the Philippines”.
http://business.inquirer.net/39899/heavy-inflow-of-foreign-investments-seen
Island time
