DESPITE the availability of assistance programs and light payment or investment schemes, only two overseas Filipino worker (OFW) households out of 10 choose to invest or save the remittances they regularly receive.

Based on a study made by The Nielsen Co., only around 17 percent of households said remittances go to savings and investments, while a whopping 96 percent of OFW households spend it on basic needs, such as food, utilities, bills, rent and education.

This data is very alarming and it only makes the task compelling in creating avenues for OFW and Balikbayan to be educated in entrepreneurship and wise investment.

In 2010 OFWs sent a total of $18.7 billion worth of remittances. If a large chunk of this remittance is invested into creating business a lot of people will have jobs and the trend of going abroad just to earn for a living will be abated.

This is the reason why Mega Balikbayan OFW Expo, an eight year event advocating entrepreneurship and investment directed at OFWs and Balikbayan continue to grow and reach-out this segment of the society.

Business has a multiplier effect that can make the nation progressive. The OFWs and Balikbayan have the income to enter in a business provided they are guided and educated there is no reason they cannot be successful in this field.

Government figures showed that for the January-to-June period, OFWs already sent $11.3 billion worth of remittances, despite the global crises, which initially was expected to cut remittances in 2011.

This figure if only we can harness has a very promising potential in stimulating our economy to unprecedented growth.

As for Mega Balikbayan OFW Expo, the event is slated this December 9-11,2011 at Megatrade, SM Megamall.

For more information, call tel. 643.3887 or email at events@exlinkevents.com.

Another tourism congress will be held this coming November 10, 2011 at the PICC. The goal is to rectify what was wrong in the first tourism congress and to elect a new leadership in the private sector.

Last time around, the result created disunity and stalled what could have been positive action plans to uplift our tourism industry using the new tourism law.

It is with high hopes that this second Tourism Congress will create unity and move forward the industry.

As in any other body, there are a lot of groups and individuals who are trying to grab a seat or voice in the congress just to satisfy their self interest and not the industry. This is what we have to guard and be vigilant about.

Our tourism is one of the sunshine industries if only all the members of the sector will keep this in mind that we first serve our country before our interest.

This is the reason why the 8^th Megabalikbayan OFW Business Expo set this December 9-11, 2011, at Megatrade; SM Megamall is getting bigger and attracting a lot of business participants to welcome the arrival of our modern day heroes.

The 8^th MegaBalikbayan OFW Expo boasts of an exhibit area of 2,530 square meters and more than 200 companies. Add to this exciting event the co-located event Travel Philippines Expo that showcase different local tourism destination that aims to stimulate and increase the number of local tourists to our country.

Among the participants in the Travel Philippines Expo are Indochina Strings Philippines, Midas Hotel, Southwest Tours Boracay, Imperial Palace – Cebu, DOT Region 2, Trio Queen Travel and Tours, Lolo Oyong's Pensione House – Palawan, Bio Safe (Medical Tourism), Hotel Kimberly, El Puerto Marina – Pangasinan, Lotus Garden, One Tagaytay Place, Club Balai Isabel and a lot more.

Besides this offering, the 3^rd Outstanding OFW and Balikbayan Reputation Award (OBRA) will recognize this year’s OFWs and Balikbayans who have shown exemplary behavior in the field of work, family, entrepreneurship, community and nation building. OBRA is much awaited by a lot of OFW associations who have nominated their members in this much coveted recognition.

An OFW and Balikbayan family fund day is also a highlight of this year’s event where OFW and Balikbayan families were invited and gets to be treated inside the event by lots of exclusive educational sessions, freebies and raffles.

Some of the participants of the 8th MegaBalikbayan OFW Expo are Filinvest Alabang Inc., Eton Properties Phil. Inc., Finds Convenience Store, Insular Bank, Marubeni, Phil. Prudential Life Insurance, Mr. Liempo, Bio Essence, BPI, San Miguel Coffee Mix, Waki Health Products, Snoe Beauty Products and a lot more.

Last year a total of 12,000 visitors attended the event. This year, the event expects 15,000 visitors an increase of 20% compared last year.

The event is produced and organized by Exlinkevents. For partnership and additional information call tel. no. 6433887 or visit www.exlinkevents.com.

Finds Convenience Store joins Mega Balikbayan OFW Expo slated December 9-11,2011 at Megatrade Hall, SM Megamall.

Finds Convenience Store will offer to OFWs and Balikbayans franchising package for those interested in starting a convenience store.

The proliferation of convenience store in the country encouraged Finds Convenience Store to share its business model to our countrymen who wanted to increase their wealth through starting a manageable business.

For  more information about Mega Balikbayan OFW Expo call tel. no. 6433887. The event is produced by Exlinkevents.

I like so far what I am hearing from Department of Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez, Jr,; so far he is sending the right messages to ignite our tourism industry to a new level.

Recently, he said that “Tourism as a business needs momentum and that to make it successful we need to create a momentum”.

Well said and I am hoping that the soundness of the theory can be translated to actions and implementations.

For the beauty of theories and ideas have no value at all if we cannot see the concrete actualizations of such lofty ideas.

On the other hand, in as much as the idea presented about momentum is beautiful my only reservation about it is that it places the ball on the court of the private companies to build momentum alone and forget about the important role the government must play in stimulating our tourism industry.

Again, it remains to be seen.  I agree about the momentum thing and that the momentum should be created by the government and the private sector.

Travel Philippines Expo is set this December 9-11, 2011 at Megatrade Hall, SM Megamall. Travel Philippines focuses on the advocacy of promoting the Philippines' beauty and attraction that Filipino should be proud of. With this year’s theme: “Travel the Philippines & Experience its Wonder” the expo aims to showcase national parks, eco-tourism sites, beach resorts, scuba diving,golf courses, trekking, festivities, medical tourism, regional delicacies and native products from Luzon,  Visayas  and Mindanao.

The objective of the event is to encourage OFWs and Balikbayan to spend their holidays in the different tourist spots that our country offer.

The Department of Tourism aims to target 32 Million local tourists in the country by 2016. Travel Philippines Expo was created to support and achieve this goal.

 With this, more local tourists travelling interisland would mean more job opportunities for Filipino especially at rural areas. This will fulfil the projection of making tourism a key to our country’s economic progress.

The event will also offer lots of fun filled activities and surprises that guarantee fun and entertainment to the visitors.

The event is organized by Exlinkevents for more information call tel. no. 6433887

The search for the Outstanding OFW and Balikbayan Reputation Award (OBRA) is on. An annual event held in conjunction with the Megabalikbayan and OFW Expo (MBOX), OBRA aims to recognize OFWs and Balikbayans who are worth emulating by our countrymen because of their exemplary actions.

Now on its third year, OBRA has the following categories:

Outstanding Entrepreneur, Outstanding Community Builder, Outstanding Positive Character/Deed, Outstanding Family Builder, and Outstanding Work Ethic.

The Ram Charan Business Summit was a huge success. The event was held last September 29,2011 at the New World Hotel and was attended by more than 400 delegates, a very large turn-out compared to the expected 300 delegates.

Ram Charan discussed EXECUTION – the Discipline of Getting Things Done in the morning and got a lively interaction with the audience.

During lunch, a book signing took place and books on displayed in the book exhibitor’s area was sold out and left a large number of delegates requesting for additional orders of the book.

In the afternoon session, Profitable Growth is Anybody’s Business was discussed by Ram Charan followed by a CEO Forum. At this juncture, the discussion between Ram and the audience lasted for more than an hour. 

A lot of questions was answered by Ram and the answer gave audience incisive analysis on how to run a successful business.

The event survey’s show an above 90% approval rating of the event and an above 90% recommendation to repeat the same program for other CEO and Senior Executives to enjoy.

    

The first Filipino Therapists Conference and Expo held last September 24-25, 2011 at Crown Plaza was a success. As more than 200 therapists and rehab professionals attended the event to learn, network and share stories about their practice.

The event paraded different set of speakers that discussed topics that touched Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy and Child Therapy.

The event’s main speaker is Katherine Sherrington from Australia who discussed scientific studies on how to prevent fall from older people.

The positive and enthusiastic response of the attendees and the speakers to the event makes next year very promising and a positive addition to the promotion of knowledge and skills improvement of the therapy and rehab industry.

Around 30 companies supported the event.