The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the Philippines will set up centers to identify business and investment opportunities in the GCC states and in the Philippines. The first such centers will be established in Manama, Bahrain. A counterpart center will also be located in Manila. The setting up of the Bahrain and Manila centers, to be called the GCC-Philippine Economic and Investment Center, was given the go-ahead signal during a meeting here Sunday between Ambassador Amable R. Aguiluz V, special envoy of the President of the Philippines to the six GCC member states, and officials of the Federation of GCC Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FGCC Chambers) and leading businessmen from the region. “The Philippines is pleased with the plan to establish the centers, which will certainly expand and promote bilateral economic relations between us and the GCC countries,” Aguiluz said. He said the centers will closely coordinate in identifying areas of economic collaboration and specific projects. “There are bilateral opportunities in trade, investment, industry, agriculture, technology transfer, education, human resource, tourism, among others, that could be implemented. The centers will play a key role in fast tracking these opportunities,” Aguiluz said. Dr. Essam Abdullah Yousif Fakhro, president of the FGCC Chambers, said GCC considers the Philippines a strong partner in establishing enlarged trade collaboration and agricultural projects, in addition to human resources and education. Abdulrahim Hasan Naqi, secretary general of FGCC Chambers, said both centers will also serve as the platform for enhancing cooperation between businessmen of both sides through bilateral trade missions, conferences, holding of trade shows and exhibitions, and exchange of information. Fakhro headed the FGCC Chambers delegation that attended the meeting, which included Naqi, Abdulrahman Rashed Al-Rashed, president of the Asharqia Chamber Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia; Jawad Yousuf Alhawaj, member of the executive council of the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Abdulnabi Alsho'ala, chairman of the Alsho'ala Group of Companies, Abdul Aziz Abdulhadi Al-Qahtani, chairman of Abdulhadi Sons Group; Dr. Richard B. Joseph, chairman of RRJM International Manpower Services, Inc.; and Jose dela Rosa Burgos, charge d' affaires at the Philippine Embassy in Bahrain. The FGCC Chambers will be sending a 15-member delegation to Manila on June 25-27 to meet President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. __
