THE Canadian Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (CanCham) Cebu Chapter has created a council to chart the direction of strengthening the trade relationship between Cebu and Canada.
CanCham Cebu president Felix Tiukinhoy Jr., in an interview Tuesday, said the council is composed of nine members each representing industries like medical institution, real estate, meat industry and visa consultancy.
“We created a council because we want to set direction in promoting the business interests of the country, particularly Cebu to Canada,” said Tiukinhoy.
Starting next year, the council will decide and embark on various projects that aim to promote business opportunities between two economies. Having each industry represented will help chamber members easily identify growth potentials and take advantage of the various programs that will be mounted, said Tiukinhoy.
This year, the chamber was aggressive in promoting the country as a prime destination for medical tourism and retirement as well as real estate investments.
Other than these sectors, CanCham Cebu also hopes to see other industries flourish, such as the student exchange program between Cebu and Canada.
“We are currently working on this program. We are in the process of identifying institutions in Cebu willing to adopt this program in their curriculum and at the same time identify universities in Canada willing to accept these students and vice versa,” said Tiukinhoy.
Canada, he noted, is an ideal country where Cebu universities can forge academic partnerships, especially for students taking up medical courses.
Data from CanCham showed that Canada’s bilateral merchandise trade with the Philippines reached more than $1.8 billion in 2014, higher by 3.9 percent from the previous year. Canadian merchandise exports to the Philippines were valued at nearly $570 million in 2014.