Archive for 2016

The Manila Times - article about BUYINPORTUGAL.PT

I had an opportunity to attend a dinner for Portuguese President Marcelo Nuno Duarte Rebelo de Sousa. I explained to my host Ricardo Wallis of Buyinportugal.pt that the Philippines was discovered by Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese. With this information, he took me to the Cerimónia da Pêra Rocha, organizada pela Associação Nacional de Produtores de Pêra Rocha (ANP) where he was the speaker and sole tech marketing arm designated to showcase Portuguese products all over the world with his B2B startup. We connected as he read about what I proposed: that the Philippine government showcase everything related to the Philippines using a similar platform. It’s an Amazon/Alibaba/Lazada/Craigslist version for Philippine goods, including skilled and semi-skilled workers and services, crafts or manufactured, retail, wholesale or dedicated production. We know products are no good if they don’t get to be marketed. Ideally, the proposed marketing platform shouldn’t be privately spearheaded and owned, but government-funded, organically developed and maintained, to give equal footing to everyone who will upload and use the marketing platform. The analytics produced can help the government make informed decisions. What will all these small entrepreneurs do when they have been mentored, loaned money to, and bought equipment, but do not have the strength of a local and international marketing platform?Read More