MANILA, Philippines - Delegates and officials from the United Kingdom and the United States are visiting Manila this week to boost trade and consider investment opportunities.

Arriving in Manila for September 19 to 20 meetings with officials and potential partners and customers are representatives of 14 American energy and environmental companies, the United States Embassy in Manila said in a September 17 statement.

This is the 4th US trade visit this 2013 and the largest American trade delegation to visit the country in years, the embassy said.

"These companies have immense experience and expertise in the renewable energy sector in the US and worldwide. I believe they can help address the growing energy and environmental needs of the Philippine economy," US Ambassador Harry Thomas Jr. said.

The delegates belong to top firms offering products and services from the renewable energy and sustainable engineering sectors, the embassy said. They are as follows:

Auxin Solar: solar modules (California) DSC Dredge: portable dredges (Louisiana) First Carbon Solutions: environmental consulting and software (California) Lumi-Solair: grid-free renewable energy solutions, including solar, wind, and hybrid (New York) NTFB Combustion: industrial combustion burners (California) Opower: energy efficiency (California) OSISoft: software for real-time infrastructure solutions (California) Photonworks Engineering: renewable energy systems, energy services, and sustainable building design and development (Hawaii) SAIC: advisor for energy project financing (Colorado) Severn Trent DeNora: water disinfection systems (Texas) Silver Spring Networks: networking platform and solutions provider for smart energy networks (California) SoEnergy International: energy solutions via various energy sources (Florida) SunEdison: solar technology (Arizona) Recently, the highland bananas from Mindanao arrived in Los Angeles, making the Philippines the first Asian country to export bananas in the US.

Lord Green in town

Meanwhile, UK Minister of State for Trade and Investment Lord Stephen Green of Hurstpierpoint is in a 3-day Manila visit as part of efforts to double trade between the Philippines and the United Kingdom "over a 5-year period."

In a September 17 briefing with local reporters, he said this goal involves "encouraging British businesses to look at opportunities here and encouraging Filipino businesses to look at opportunities [in UK] through trade missions."

During his visit, Lord Green is meeting the economic managers, as well as business leaders in trade, infrastructure and finance.

"This is a two-way thing... In two weeks' time, there is a Filipino trade mission going to the UK and we're hoping that there will be a big number of Filipino businesses joining that trip. The purpose of this is to look for opportunities in Britain," Lord Green said.

The British Embassy in Manila said trade of goods and services between the two countries reached about £1.2 billion in 2012. Total UK exports of goods and services to the Philippines was up 13% to more than £550 million in 2012. The UK is the highest European and 4th highest overall source of foreign direct investments in the Philippines.

At the press briefing in Pasay City, Trade Undersecretary Ponciano Manalo Jr. said the Philippines can offer UK firms products and services from the following: business process management, automotive parts, creative services and processed and consumer-packaged food.

More British companies are expanding and entering the Philippine market. Among the recent successes are the launch of men's wear brand TM Lewin, the opening of the new Bentley showroom, the entry of Rolls Royce, and the tender won by GlaxoSmithKline for the supply to the Department of Health of pneumococcal vaccine this 2013.

A number of British companies are also doing well in the Philippines, including Unilever, Shell, HSBC, Standard Chartered, Pru Life, De La Rue, GSK, Arup and Halcrow.

Philippine Airlines visit

Lord Green also attended the "renewal of ties" with Philippine Airlines, which is mounting its first Manila-London direct flights starting November 4. The initial 5x a week flights between Manila and Heathrow airports is the first after a 15-year lull.

In a September 17 ceremony and press conference on September 17, PAL said it is mulling whether it will use long haul Boeing or Airbus aircraft for these revived route. Parts of Airbus are made in the UK.

PAL has aircraft orders, including new Airbus planes, under its $7-billion refleeting program.

By Rappler.com

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