Together with partner organizations that have promising agri-business projects, the PUMP-PINAS team met with New Zealand Delegates to discuss about PUMP-PINAS and joint initiative in jump-starting some agri-business pilot projects. Mr. John Hong, Chief Executive Officer of New Zealand Council – One Belt One Road, with fellow key officers Mr. Manuel Valdez (Chief Investment Officer- Pacific Trade Invest) and Tate Hui have seen the relevance and innovativeness of crowd-sourcing impact investment that PUMP-PINAS has devised. Mr. John Hong’s group directs investments and trade integrations in the Asia Pacific islands with a strong connection with investors from New Zealand and China.
Mr. Jun Cruz, Mr. Greg Mabbagu (PUMP-PINAS Co-Founder & Director for Finance), Dr. Nick Alviar (Dean, UA&P School of Law & Governance), Mr. Ramon Roxas (PUMP-PINAS Director for Public Relations), Mr. Arwin Leobano (Adonis’ Chocolate Group-Cavite), Mr. Mar Bautista (Jolly Ting’s Group in Mindoro), Mr. Jim Pedrosa (Porac Pampanga Cassava Project), Mr. Vivencio Corpuz (Porac Pampanga Cassava Project), Mr. Danilo S. Venida (NAKAR Project-Quezon Province), Mr. Benedick Leobano (Adonis’ Chocolate Group-Cavite), and Mr. Bienvenido Nito (PUMP-PINAS Corp. Secretary).
Sitting from left to right:
Mr. Augusto P. Uyenco, Jr. (PUMP-PINAS Co-Founder & Director for Concept Development), Mr. Tate Hui (New Zealand Key Investment Officer), Mr. John Hong (CEO, New Zealand Council- One Belt One Road), Mr. Manuel Valdez (Chief Investment Officer – Pacific Trade Invest, New Zealand), Dr. William Dar (PUMP-PINAS Adviser and Chairman of Board of Directors; President of InangLupa Movement; Former Philippine Agriculture Secretary), and Mr. Flor Orendain (NAKAR Project-Quezon Province).
The PUMP-PINAS main objectives are to harness impact investment capital, empower and enable the partner organizations and ensure transparent and accountable impact investment platform that efficiently links both the partner organizations and impact investors by providing competent technocrats and professionals. It seeks to encourage Filipinos to be of help to their own fellow countrymen who are in most need. This is why “PUMP” of PUMP-PINAS stands for Pinoys-Uplifting-Marginalized-Pinoys. There are about 21 million-plus poor Filipinos who are mostly farmers and fishermen residing in rural areas. This is why PUMP-PINAS seeks to impact invest in the agriculture sector.
During the open forum, Dr. William Dar, Chairman and adviser of PUMP-PINAS, highlighted that it is high time that we unlock the opportunities in the Philippine agriculture sector and start to apply innovative ways for the betterment of the farmers and fishermen.
In his presentation, Mr. John Hong shared the advanced security system that they have in New Zealand and talked about urban agriculture. He mentioned that they also look into investment opportunities across different sectors and industries. His group is willing to be of help not only in the Agriculture sector especially if it will contribute to regional integration.
There were partner organizations who presented their promising agri-business projects coming from Cavite, Mindoro, Quezon Province, and Porac Pampanga. Some needs funding, while some need marketing support.
There will be a continuous dialogue between the New Zealand delegates and PUMP-PINAS team as both plans to have another major meeting this coming November 2019 wherein investors in the Asia Pacific will be invited with the launching of some pilot projects.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between the PUMP-PINAS and New Zealand Council One Belt One Road with the presence of key Officers of Philippine Board of Investment (BOI), Department of Trade & Industry (DTI). Present in the MOU signing were Mr. Tate Hui (Key Investment Officer), Mr John Hong (CEO) and Mr. Manuel Valdez (Principal Adviser) from New Zealand Council One Belt One Road; Mr. Augusto Uyenco Jr. (Co-founder and Director), Mr. Ramon Roxas (Director for Public Affairs), and Mr. Greg Mabbagu (Co-founder and Director for Finance) from PUMP-PINAS; Ms. Lanie Dormiendo (Division Chief, International Investments Promotion Service of BOI) and two other BOI Key Officers.
