Philippines Shopping Festival ends on high note

MANILA, Philippines – The two-week Philippine Shopping Festival ends today, with the Philippine Retailers Association (PRA) expressing satisfaction with the preliminary results and  the boost it generated for the country’s bid to become a shopping Mecca in the Asia-Pacific region.

PRA president Lorenzo C. Formoso, COO of Duty Free Philippines, said it is worth noting that domestic retail industry demonstrated unity in ensuring the success of the undertaking.

“The solid participation of the country’s 13 major mall operators was already quite an accomplishment for us. It gives us the impetus to pursue this project with the Department of Tourism and make it an annual festival that the international business and shopping community would be looking forward to,” Formoso stressed.

PRA chairman and APRCE 2015 Manila overall chair Frederick D. Go, president of Robinsons Recreation Corp., said the Philippine Shopping Festival proved to be a fitting side event for the 17th Asia Pacific Retailers Convention and Exhibition (APRCE) that Manila hosted from Oct. 28 to 29.

“Our hosting of the APRCE and the simultaneous holding of the Philippine Shopping Festival demonstrated to the world that we are really serious in our position as the next retailing destination in Asia,” Go emphasised.

Participating in the two-week festival are Duty Free Philippines, Ayala Malls, Araneta Center, Inc., Shangri-la Plaza Corp., Starmall, Robinson Malls, SM Supermalls, Riverbanks Center, Festival Supermall, Fisher Mall, Megaworld Lifestyle Malls, Ortigas & Co., Greenfield Development Corp. and Sta. Lucia East Grand Mall.

The PRA and DOT thought of organizing the unity shopping festival to take advantage of the staging of two big global events that the Philippines is hosting this year — the APRCE 2015 and the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders Summit that is preceded by a long series of high-level technical committee and ministerial meetings.

“The two weeks of great retail bargains and other promotional activities nationwide, I’m sure, not only benefitted the retail and tourism industry but also contributed to other industries like hotels, transportation and etc., which in turn will boost the country’s economy,” Go added.

Manila last hosted the APRCE 22 years ago, also through PRA’s efforts with support from then President Fidel V. Ramos.  It was also under Ramos’ term that the country last hosted the APEC Leaders Summit in 1996.