The group photo of the officials of the Philippines, Hong Kong and China taken during the event. Photo shows (3rd left to 3rd right) the Regional Director of South East Asia and South Asia of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, Mr Ronald Ho; Department of Trade and Industry of the Philippines Undersecretary Mary Jean Pacheco; the Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines, Mr. Huang Xilian; the Director-General of the HKETO Jakarta, Miss Libera Cheng; the Mayor of Taguig, Ms. Maria Laarni Lopez Cayetano. (Photo credit: The Government Information Centre, Hong Kong SAR)
The group photo of the officials of the Philippines, Hong Kong and China taken during the event. Photo shows (3rd left to 3rd right) the Regional Director of South East Asia and South Asia of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, Mr Ronald Ho; Department of Trade and Industry of the Philippines Undersecretary Mary Jean Pacheco; the Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines, Mr. Huang Xilian; the Director-General of the HKETO Jakarta, Miss Libera Cheng; the Mayor of Taguig, Ms. Maria Laarni Lopez Cayetano. (Photo credit: The Government Information Centre, Hong Kong SAR)

Manila City, Philippines — The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), through its overseas trade and investment office in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) and Macau SAR, the Philippine Trade and Investment Center-Hong Kong (PTIC-HK), supported a business seminar and luncheon. The event, titled “Building a Stronger Future: The Synergistic Power of Fintech and Logistics,” was held at the Philippines on February 14.

Hosted by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Jakarta, Indonesia (HKETO – Jakarta), in collaboration with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), through the Manila Consultant Office, the event gathered around 200 attendees from the Philippine government, business, academic, cultural, and media sectors.  

During the event, HKETO Jakarta Director General Libera Cheng highlighted the strong economic ties between the Philippines and Hong Kong SAR, noting the deepening economic and social connections between the two regions. She reported that bilateral trade in goods reached US 13.9 billion in 2024, with Hong Kong SAR being the Philippines’ fifth-largest trading partner and third-largest export market. 

“The Philippines is Hong Kong SAR’s largest source of tourist arrivals from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). We welcomed nearly 1.2 million Filipino visitors last year, significantly surpassing pre-pandemic levels. Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) connects to five major cities in the Philippines, facilitating easy travel for tourists to Hong Kong SAR and serving as an important international gateway to the Philippines. As we advance with the Skytopia airport city plan, HKIA will evolve into a world-class commercial and logistics hub,” Director General Cheng added.

In addition, then DTI E-Commerce Group Undersecretary Mary Jean T. Pacheco delivered the keynote address at the event.

The photo shows the Acting Deputy Director (Commercial Relations) of the HKETO Jakarta, Ms. Ida Ho (first left), moderating a business seminar panel discussion to explore with the industry leaders in the Philippines the latest developments of the relevant sectors. FTSO Beatrice Alexa G. Karamihan (middle), DTI-FTSC; attended the panel discussion. (Photo credit: The Government Information Centre, Hong Kong SAR)
The photo shows the Acting Deputy Director (Commercial Relations) of the HKETO Jakarta, Ms. Ida Ho (first left), moderating a business seminar panel discussion to explore with the industry leaders in the Philippines the latest developments of the relevant sectors. FTSO Beatrice Alexa G. Karamihan (middle), DTI-FTSC; attended the panel discussion. (Photo credit: The Government Information Centre, Hong Kong SAR)

Meanwhile, Foreign Trade Service Officer Ms. Beatrice Alexa G. Karamihan participated in a panel discussion moderated by HKETO Jakarta Acting Deputy Director (Commercial Relations) Ms. Ida Ho. The discussion focused on the latest developments in key sectors and explored potential cooperation between the Philippines and Hong Kong SAR.

Other notable attendees included Taguig City Mayor Maria Laarni Lopez Cayetano, Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Mr. Huang Xilian, HKTDC Regional Director for Southeast Asia and South Asia Mr. Ronald Ho, and senior representatives from major business chambers in the Philippines.

The HKETO promotes Hong Kong SAR’s economic and trade interests while managing trade and investment relations with four Association of Southeast Asian Nations: Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, and the Philippines. 

For more information, email the PTIC-HK at hongkong@dti.gov.ph, or visit our official Facebook account at DTI Hong Kong. ♦

Date of release: 01 March 2025 

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