DTI-EMB Leads Business Mission to Dubai

The Department of Trade and Industry-Export Marketing Bureau (DTI-EMB), together with the Philippine Trade and Investment Center (PTIC) - Dubai and Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), organizes the Outbound Business Matching Mission (OBMM) to Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) for INDEX Dubai 2019 on September 13-21, 2019.

DTI-EMB invited 14 Philippine companies to participate in the business matching meetings and market sensing activities to be held at the NOVOTEL Dubai World Trade Center on September 15, 2019. The companies joining the business mission are: ARDEN Classic, Bidibidi Enterprise, Bon-Ace Fashion Tools, Coast Pacific Manufacturing Corporation, Furniture Doctor, Golden ABC, Kenro Boutique, More Than A Chair, Pascasio Pottery, DELCO Wood Producers Manufacturing/Renditions Furniture and Accessories, Cebu Homecraft, Kit Silver, Mel+Marie, and Betis Crafts.

DTI - Trade Promotions Group (TPG) Undersecretary Abdulgani M. Macatoman said that bringing the Philippines’ contract furniture, furnishings, fashion and apparel sectors in Dubai will help them gain more exposure for INDEX Dubai 2019 and in anticipation for the country’s participation in Dubai Expo 2020 presenting a golden chance to showcase the Philippine country brand.

“The mission will promote industry capabilities directly to prospective partners in UAE,” Macatoman said.

The EMB acknowledges the opportunity for industries to be able to sell to take advantage of all new market developments in the region.

“Middle East still remains to be largely untapped for Philippine lifestyle products but there are concrete indications of interest from buyers,” he added.

The main considerations for organizing this business mission include the inherent strength of the Philippine industries for furniture, furnishings, fashion and apparel; immense opportunity and potential demand in the UAE; and its reputation of being a fertile ground for company setup because of its commitment to sustainable development and economic diversification, progressive-minded government, and liberal corporate policies.

Tapping into the UAE market, the Philippines will benefit from key potential trends pointing to Dubai’s current status as a retail mecca and has seen a massive transformation in the last two decades to become the biggest trader among countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region.

The GCC with its young and affluent population and overall prosperity presents a very positive environment for retail businesses. Dubai continues to be a lucrative apparel and fashion market with foreign brands popular in the Arab world and fashion retailers discovering the franchise model ideally suited to Middle Eastern conditions. There is also growing niche market of fair fashion with increasing consumer awareness for sustainability, fair trade and eco compliance.

Most importantly, the UAE has a booming real estate sector with rising hotel, commercial, residential construction and housing activity following Dubai Expo 2020. It also has the potential to access many of the 430 million consumers in the wider Middle East and North Africa (MENA) market.

This EMB-led OBMM is a follow up undertaking for the Philippines to promote lifestyle products in the Middle East with the initial visit undertaken in 2015. The business matching meetings will target retailers, distributors, real estate, hotel and resort developers, interior designers, architectural firms, real estate and construction managers and fit-out contractors.

The EMB has identified mega-lifestyle show INDEX Dubai 2019 as the anchor event with Philippine participation being organized and led by DTI-EMB and CITEM. INDEX Dubai 2019 vis-à-vis the Design & Hospitality Week 2019 is the largest and most influential lifestyle exhibition in the Middle East. The show is a meeting point to: discuss options and opinions with other visitors, exhibitors, buyers and distributors; make contacts and strengthen network; or open unlimited prospects for cooperation.

INDEX Dubai 2019 is co-located with other 7 brands of shows – INDEX, The HOTEL Show, Workspace, The LEISURE Show, Surface Design, FIM and INDEX Home. Addressing every aspect of the lifestyle market, INDEX Dubai 2019 will showcase leading companies including the Philippines’ lifestyle sector that are shaping and presenting business development opportunities in all things design, lifestyle and hospitality in the UAE and across the globe.

Golden Phoenix Hotel Manila Joined the HSMA 2nd Virtus Award 2016

Golden Phoenix Hotel Manila hosted the Press Conference of the prestigious event for outstanding hotel professionals – the Hotel Sales and Marketing Association (HSMA)’s 2nd VIRTUS Awards at the Aura Ballroom. The Virtus Awards aims to transform the mindset of sales and marketing professionals in the hotel industry to set the tone for excellence, quips Ms. Margie Munsayac, the President of HSMA.
HSMA is an association of hotels and resorts sales and marketing leader which count 76 members of 3 to 5 star properties in the country.

Golden Phoenix Hotel Manila joins the competition with Ms. Adana Bautista; the hotel’s Corporate Graphic Designer for the Outstanding Sales and Marketing Associate and for the Marketing Campaign of the Year led by Mr. Juan Miguel Barrera, Marketing and Communications Specialist.



The Sales and Marketing Team of Golden Phoenix Hotel Manila (L-R:  Adana Bautista – Graphic Designer, Marieadeline Rono – Sr. Sales Manager, Juan Miguel Barrera – MarComm Specialist, and Desiree Santos – Sales Manager.

The hotel’s marketing campaign, Sleep with Us, focuses on the physical and mental benefits of sleep as it has a direct correlation with performance and giving guests more reasons to stay with them, whether it may be a business meeting,  a family staycation, or maybe even simply looking for new places to discover and explore.
HSMA with the support of the Department of Tourism and the Tourism Infrastructure Enterprise Zone Authority will announce the winners of the Virtus Awards 2016 on November 15, 2016 at the Novotel Manila Araneta Center. Virtus Awards Nights tickets are available athsmasecretariat@gmail.com.

Virtus Awards 2016 winners to be announced on Nov. 15

The Hotel Sales and Marketing Association, with the support of the Department of Tourism and 

the Tourism Infrastructure Enterprise Zone Authority, will announce the winners of the Virtus 

Awards 2016 on November 15, 2016 at the Novotel Manila Araneta Center.

The Virtus Awards is on its second year and the 2016 edition was launched last May 2016 to 

honor hotel sales and resorts marketing practitioners with a record of success in integrating 

creativity and dedication into strategies that deliver benefits to guests and a robust bottom line 

to their properties. 

Four winners will be declared in the multi-category initiative that includes outstanding Associate, 

Manager, Leader and Marketing Campaign in a glittery formal event befitting the Sales force, 

the lifeblood of the business.

The Virtus Awards Organizing Committee is composed of Margie Munsayac - HSMA President 

and VP Sales and Marketing of Maribago Bluewater Beach Resort, Rose Libongco - Virtus 

Awards Chair and HSMA Charter Director, Christine Ibarreta - Virtus Awards Public Relations 

Head and Director of Sales and Marketing of Golden Phoenix Hotel and Cielo Reboredo - Ways 

and Means Head and Director of Sales of Okada Manila. 

Munsayac affirms that new openings of hotels and resorts in the country highlight the growing 

importance of sales and marketing people. "The hotels and resorts sector is a most competitive 

field in tourism and the role of Sales at the forefront of promoting their properties cannot be 

overemphasized. Virtus which is the Greek word for excellence, ensures that the best practices 

in sales and marketing are given due recognition." Munsayac adds.

Twelve judges, three per category, convened with the nominees in a full day of interviews and 

presentations to select the four winners. An independent auditor will tally the scores and 

awardees will be known only on awards night.

The panel of judges includes the following: Ma. Corazon Jorda-Apo (Director, Market 

Development Group – Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam Department of Tourism), Ma. Christina G. 

Aquino (Executive Director for Planning and Development, Lyceum of the Philippines 

University), Cesar R. Cruz (President, Philippine Tour Operators Association), Millie F. Dizon 

(Senior Vice President for Marketing and Communications, SM Retail Inc), Leny R. Fabul 

(Executive Director, Philippine Hotel Owners Association, Inc.), Henrietta L. Ho 

(Founder/Principal, Break Thru-Solutions in Marketing), Cesar Jose C. Jesena, (Head, Tenant 

Management Division Shangri-La Corporation), Donald Patrick L. Lim, Ph.D., (Chief Digital 

Officer, ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp.), Isabelita Sy-Palanca, Ph.D., (President, The Mother 

Company), Lyn Gueco-Tamparong (Past President, Hotel Sales & Marketing Association), and 

Maria Concepcion M. Yabut (City Councilor First District-Makati City).

Libongco revealed that judges remarked on the entries and said they had difficulty in rating 

because of the quality of the interviews. "The statements of the judges pleased the organizers 

because the focus of the Virtus Awards is to raise the bar for the sales and marketing 

personnel, to give outstanding performers a channel where they can take pride in their 

accomplishments and to set their sights on new opportunities for business and personal growth. 

We are also on a quest to inspire young people to pursue career options in hotel sales and 

marketing." according to Libongco.

HSMA is an association of hotels and resorts sales and marketing leaders which count 76 

members of 3 to 5 star properties in the country. 

It was organized in 1976 after the proliferation of new international hotels which were 

established for the IMF-World Bank Conference. The Founders aside from Libongco were 

Melvin Cruz, first president, Aurora Paredes, Michael Cuisia and Peter Leitgeb.

The objectives of the HSMA include to professionalize the conduct of sales and marketing; to 

promote the Philippines and member properties; to educate, train and update members on hotel 

and tourism developments and to represent hotels and resorts in travel and tourism forums.

Virtus Awards Night tickets are available at hsmasecretariat@gmail.com

For inquiries and information, please contact Christine Ibarreta, Virtus Awards PR Head 

at virtusph@gmail.com