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Filipina Women's Network to recognize 100 most influential Filipino women in the U.S

Chris — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 13:15:00 GMT

The Filipina Women's Network (FWN)’s search for the 100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the U.S. in now underway. FWN shall recognize these 100 Filipino women who have shifted the course of events in their own area of influence through ideas, activities, or interactions at a special awards event during the 5th Annual Filipina Summit to be held on October 25- 27, 2007 in Washington DC.

FWN’s nationwide search for 100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the U.S. is a groundbreaking endeavor to bring together Filipina women recognized for their influence in shaping the Filipino American community nationally, in their local communities, in their organizations and professional practices, and in public policy and industry. It is a part of FWN’s campaign to change public perceptions of Filipino women’s capabilities to lead, innovate and influence the society. Moreover, it is a celebration of 100 years of Filipino presence in America.

“Filipinas have been praised as the ‘silent but talented minority group’ and at the same time perceived as ‘submissive and exotic,’ overlooking their leadership and management skills. It is time that we actively promote Filipina women's capacities to lead, manage, and persuade,” said Ms. Marily Mondejar, President of the Filipina Women's Network (www.ffwn.org). “It is a shame that many Filipina women are not recognized in their positions of power and influence. We need to change that,” she added.

The search for 100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the U.S. is an initiative of Filipina Power 2012, a result of the Filipina Summit's Future Search last October, which was born with a powerful purpose to create strong leadership in the Filipino American community by 2012.

“We call on these women to collaborate resources towards continuing their work and seek their assistance in 'womantoring' the next generation of Filipina leaders. Their experiences need to be shared and we invite them to help in the succession planning of our community,” said Filipina Women's Network (www.ffwn.org) Board Chair, Tessie Zaragoza.

The Filipina Women's Network is a non-profit association for women of Philippine ancestry. FWN provides educational resources through publications, lectures, activities, and programs to further the professional and personal development of its members.

Nominations for FWN’s 100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the U.S. is extended until June 30, 2007. More details about the search are available at www.ffwn.org.

25-Jun-07 9:15 AM

“Memories of Philippine Kitchens” - Book Launch/Discussion

Chris Baltazar — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 14:24:43 GMT

Untitled Document

Thursday, June 14th from 6:30 to 8:30 pm

Embassy of the Philippines
Romulo Hall
1600 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC

Books will be available for signing at $28.00 per copy (cover price is $35.00/copy).

Sponsored by Cess Lauchengco of Fil’s@Home Int’l Realty : http://www.filamca-osw.org/gallery.html

Advanced reservations required as seating is limited and books are pre-ordered. RSVP by June 12th to Mitzi Pickard: mailto:mitzip888@yahoo.com/703.909.0791 or info@paccdc.org. There will be a guest list at the door.

The essence of Filipino food has always remained somewhat secluded in the family kitchens of Filipino homes, passed down through the generations, melding native traditions with those of Chinese, Spanish, and American cuisines. With "Memories of Philippine Kitchens" Amy Besa and Romy Dorotan, owners and chef at Soho's popular Cendrillon restaurant, present a fascinating look at Filipino cuisine and culture. They have spent years tracing the traditions of the food of the Philippines, and here they share the results of that research. “Memories of Philippine Kitchens” was recently awarded the prestigious International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) Jane Grigson Award for Distinguished Scholarship in the Quality of Research and Presentation for 2007. The book was featured in the New York Times Food Section of November 2006 and NPR’s “The Splendid Table” on May 26th.

12-Jun-07 10:24 AM

RP ranked 8th among countries with super-growth companies

Mon, 02 Apr 2007 14:00:00 GMT

A research conducted by accounting and consultancy firm Grant Thornton International shows Philippines is eight among the countries hosting companies with “super growth” status. Super growth companies are defined in the research as those firms that have grown “considerably more than the average measured against key indicators including turnover and employment.”

This year, US again tops the Super Growth Index with 44 percent of its companies reaching the super growth status. Armenia replaces India in the second rank while the latter dropped considerably to the 14th spot.

Philippines is considered as one of the “significant climbers” in the Super Growth Index moving from 23rd to the 8th rank. Other significant climbers are Russia, which moved from 29th to 18th rank; Argentina, which moved from 27th to 15th rank; and Italy, which moved from 30th to 21st rank.

It is “very interesting to see Russia and the Philippines jump from 29th to 18th and 23rd to 8th respectively,” said Alex MacBeath global leader of privately held business services for Grant Thornton International.

“Planning, productivity and good governance” explain the country’s good ranking in the Super Growth Index 2007, said President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in her keynote speech at the 26th Biennial Convention of the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Inc. (FFCCCII).

She also attributed the country’s high rankings to the continuous investments in the call center, business process outsourcing (BPO), and tourism industries.

Recently, Philippines has just been touted as the most favorable place for BPO, call center and IT-related investments in Asia. President Arroyo said Philippines has already found a niche in the world. “I have no doubt that the Filipino will prevail against all odds and against the politics of tearing down and destructionbuilding on the foundations of a new economy keyed to needs of the world and to the skills of our peopleas we shape a secure democratic future for peace, unity and security,” she added.

2-Apr-07 10:00 AM

Job Creation Continues – More Than 7.4 Million Jobs Created Since August 2003

Fri, 02 Feb 2007 15:00:00 GMT

Today, The Government Released New Jobs Figures – 111,000 Jobs Created In January.

Since August 2003, more than 7.4 million jobs have been created − more jobs than the European Union and Japan combined. Over half a million jobs (513,000) have been added in the past three months alone. Our economy has now added jobs for 41 straight months, and the unemployment rate remains low at 4.6 percent.

American Workers Are Finding Jobs And Taking Home More Pay

Real Wages Rose 1.7 Percent In The Past 12 Months. This means an extra $1,030 in the past 12 months for the typical family of four with two wage earners.

Real After-Tax Income Per Person Has Risen By 9.8 Percent – More Than $2,800 – Since The President Took Office.

The Economy Grew A Strong 3.5 Percent In The Fourth Quarter Of 2006. The economy grew 3.4 percent last year, up from 3.1 percent in 2005.

Since The First Quarter Of 2001, Productivity Had Strong Average Annual Growth Of 3.1 Percent. This is well ahead of the average productivity growth in the 1990s, 1980s, and 1970s.

The President's Agenda Will Help Keep Our Economy Flexible And Dynamic

America's Economic Leadership Depends On Sensible, Pro-Growth Tax Policies. To help bring our economy out of a recession and recover from September 11th, the Administration cut taxes on everyone who pays income taxes, doubled the child tax credit, reduced the marriage penalty, cut taxes on small businesses, and cut taxes on dividends and capital gains. The President asks Congress to help keep our economy growing by making his tax relief permanent.

We Must Spend Taxpayer Dollars Wisely To Keep The Economy Growing And Balance The Budget. On February 5, the President will submit a budget that will eliminate the deficit by 2012. To help set spending priorities, the President will work with Congress to cut the number and cost of all earmarks at least in half by the end of this session. He also believes Congress should enact a legislative line-item veto to help the legislative and executive branches work together to eliminate wasteful spending.

This Week, President Bush Delivered A Report On The State Of The U.S. Economy. America is the undisputed leader of today's global economy. The President discussed his agenda to keep our economy competitive and make it more flexible and dynamic by:

Removing Obstacles To Trade: The President has asked Congress to extend Trade Promotion Authority, which allows the Administration to negotiate trade deals, including the Doha Round. Breaking down barriers to trade and investment opens up new markets for American businesses, workers, and farmers, and results in lower prices, higher productivity, and better American jobs.

Reforming Our Health Care System: President Bush has proposed reforming the tax code with a standard deduction for health insurance to make private health insurance affordable for more Americans. He has also proposed Affordable Choices grants to give States the money and flexibility to ensure the poor and the hard-to-insure get the private health insurance they need.

Diversifying Our Energy Supply: The President has set the goal of reducing projected U.S. gasoline usage by 20 percent over the next 10 years to help diversify our energy supply and confront the challenge of climate change. To reach this goal, he has proposed setting a mandatory fuels standard to require 35 billion gallons of renewable and alternative fuels in 2017 and reforming and modernizing fuel standards for cars as we did with light trucks. The President has also proposed doubling the current capacity of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to 1.5 billion barrels by 2027.

Strengthening Public Education: The government has a responsibility to ensure our education system is preparing American workers to compete in an economy that increasingly rewards skills and education. The President asks Congress to reauthorize the No Child Left Behind Act that is getting results for our children and our economy. In addition, the President's American Competitiveness Initiative seeks to improve math and science education in middle and high schools.

2-Feb-07 10:00 AM

Sister city relationships between RP and US foster cooperation

Fri, 08 Dec 2006 20:00:00 GMT

By Artemio F. Cusi III

Success in community development has encouraged further promotion of the "sister city" partnerships between the Philippines and the United States.

Cooperation among urban communities of these two countries has spawned various forms of aid to the areas greatly in need of such help. The results of the partnerships are seen in the assistance poured by US donor cities into infrastructure, education, and health sectors, among others, in Philippine local government units.

The city of Vallejo in Northern California is one of US cities with sister-city relationship with Baguio. Members of the Vallejo Business Alliance Mission visited the Philippines from 22 to 29 October 2006 to explore business opportunities in the country as well as strengthen the ties of the Vallejo-Baguio City Sister City Relationship. Seen in the picture is Mayor Anthony Intintoli, Jr. of Vallejo (5th from left) handing a gift to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Honorable Jose de Venecia (4th from left).

Last July 2006, the World Bank Institute sponsored a seminar for the Sister Cities International 50th Anniversary Conference in Washington on how the collaborative efforts can extend support at the organizational level and identify the relevant development tools required to be effective.

Even much earlier, however, the support from the communities in the US to eradicate poverty and hunger at the city level in the Philippines has been growing.

A memorandum of agreement, for instance, had been signed by the cities of Davao and Tacoma in March 17, 2000 to stamp out the vitamin A and iron deficiencies, which are also referred to as "hidden hunger".

In addition to the long-term needs, sister cities have proven their crucial role during disaster relief operations, which require immediate response.

The cities of Makati and Los Angeles forged an agreement for an Emergency Preparedness Partnership.

In 1995, after the onslaught of Typhoon Angela, the Naga Relief Project was organized by sister city San Leandro. Medical equipment and cash donated by businesses and other groups were sent to Naga city.

In the succeeding periods, an ambulance was given by the American Medical Response of San Leandro. The Kindred Hospital and the Eden Medical Center also donated medical equipment and hospital supplies.

Although the cooperation between sister cities might provide the wrong impression that it is simply confined to that of a patron-beneficiary relationship, the advent of the information and communications technology (ICT) has further affirmed the reality of comparative advantages, and thus presented the benefits of outsourcing to both
cities involved.

While providing employment to the host area, the outsourcing firm would reduce its cost of operations because of the abundant cheap quality labor in the Philippines. Local government leaders of Bacolod city are keen in attracting business process outsourcing (BPO) and call centers investments from sister city Long Beach.

Aside from those already mentioned in this article, the following are the cities in the Philippines that have created sister city partnerships with their US counterparts:

1- Angeles City - Las Vegas, Nevada
2- Baguio City -Honolulu, Hawaii; Chicago, Illinois;     Vallejo, California
3- Cavite City - San Diego, California
4- Camiling - Juneau, Alaska
5- Cebu City - Seattle, Washington
6- Davao City - Tacoma, Washington
7- Iloilo City - Stockton, California
8- Lipa City - Fremont, California
9- Manila - San Francisco, California; Honolulu,     Hawaii; Sacramento, California
10- Makati City - Los Angeles, California
11- Palo - Palo Alto, California
12- Quezon City - Daly City, California; Salt Lake      City, Utah
13- Sariaya City - Santa Clarita, California
14- Zambales - Maui, Hawaii

8-Dec-06 3:00 PM

More Foreign Firms Calling Fairfax Home

Thu, 07 Dec 2006 20:00:00 GMT

John K. Yang fiddles with the blue, pen-shaped computer mouse he has spent three years peddling to local stores and national retail chains.

In Seoul, a team of two dozen businessmen and 150 manufacturers work to produce the ergonomic mouse, designed to reduce wrist strain, for customers in Europe and Asia. In marketing it in the United States, though, Yang is on his own.

He won't be much longer. His company, Waawoo Technology Inc., plans to move its headquarters from Seoul to Fairfax County as soon as it finds office space. Fairfax County's respected school system, diverse community and wide array of business opportunities make the area "a perfect fit" for the company, said Yang, immaculately dressed in a dark suit and bright green tie that matched the mouse packages that filled his Vienna office.

Waawoo Technology will join other foreign companies that are expanding their presence in the county, creating thousands of jobs and contributing millions of dollars to the tax base. In 1997, 17 foreign companies had Fairfax-based operations. Today, more than 350 companies from 30 countries employ about 20,000 people in the area.

The Fairfax County Economic Development Authority has aggressively recruited overseas companies to the area for more than a decade. It has opened satellite offices in key markets such as Tokyo, Tel Aviv and Frankfurt, Germany, and fostered business relationships with foreign delegations. Other local economic development agencies have also stepped in to tout the business communities of Northern Virginia, especially Fairfax County.

"We're constantly asked by embassies and trade groups to meet our member companies to try to partner up with them," said Randall Reade, chairman of the international committee of the Northern Virginia Technology Council, a consortium of 1,100 technology companies. "This is the largest concentration of tech firms outside of Silicon Valley, so it just makes sense to come here."

Nestled between Dulles International Airport and the federal government hub of Washington, Fairfax County has attracted a broad mix of nationalities, and many have set up shop in Reston, Herndon and Tysons Corner. Last month alone, 11 companies from Korea, 2 from Japan, 3 from Israel and 1 from the United Kingdom established or expanded offices in the county. Fairfax officials count about 50 Korean-owned companies, up from four in 2000. Four of the county's largest employers are headquartered outside the United States, including U.K.-based BAE Systems.

Gerald Gordon, president and chief executive of the county's Economic Development Authority, said many companies that establish a presence in the county "start with two to four people, get a contract, make a sale, and then they start growing dramatically."

Yang has found success in Fairfax, placing his product on the shelves of CompUSA and negotiating with Best Buy and RadioShack to do the same.

"This is a huge market, close to the federal government and lots of technology companies," he said. "If you want to be a global company, you have to be in the U.S., and we want to be in Fairfax."

Yang's office is housed in the Korean Business Development Center, a small-business incubator in Vienna, financed largely by the Korean government that helps Korean-based companies launch in the United States. Nine companies operate from the center, and the number of applicants has risen steadily in the four years since it opened.

Getting established, though, is not without difficulty. Obtaining work permits, visas and lines of credit is a long process for which many businesses, especially start-ups, are not prepared. Translating legal documents can also be a challenge, and the aggressive business culture of the United States sometimes catches companies off guard.

Madan Kondayyagari founded USM Business Systems Inc., a Chantilly IT consulting company, shortly after moving from India 10 years ago. It took nearly 18 months of working 17-hour days before he felt comfortable in the business community.

"We speak English, but this is still a foreign country," Kondayyagari said. "You have to accommodate another culture."

Other companies face hurdles even after establishing their U.S. presence. David Callahan, senior adviser of the Korea Business Development Center, said some companies have a hard time surviving outside the center's incubator program. Of the nine companies that have graduated from the program, one went out of business, another moved back overseas and four have stayed in the county.

"As with any small company, some will grow into the market and some won't," Callahan said, adding that some ventures don't get enough support from the parent companies back home.

The county's Economic Development Authority and the Northern Virginia Technology Council steer new companies to local real estate agents, lawyers and banks to help them get started. Individual countries have also set up offices in Fairfax to assist their companies relocating to the area. In Vienna, the Hungarian Technology Center opened three years ago to help companies expand in the United States. Also in Vienna, the Virginia Israel Advisory Board promotes the area to Israeli start-ups, and the South East England Development Agency plans to open an office next month.

Strategic Thought Inc., a British software company, benefited from the resources of its parent company 3,000 miles away. The company, which opened a U.S. office to be closer to federal customers and the local talent pool, has grown quickly since it opened a temporary, one-person office in Herndon two years ago. After landing contracts with NASA and Lockheed Martin, Strategic Thought moved in October to a new space in Herndon with enough room to accommodate 10 hires.

"Many [agencies] prefer to do business with a U.S. company," general manager Karl Pringle said. "If you're here in the market, you just hear things on the street you wouldn't hear otherwise."

Pringle said Strategic Thought chose Fairfax County because of its proximity to Dulles and relatively inexpensive office space.

"The time difference back to the parent company is less of an issue here, and you can get anywhere in the U.S. very easily because it's a travel hub," he said.

Fairfax has also attracted entrepreneurs. Seven years ago, Kiran Gullapalli followed friends and family to Fairfax from Hyderabad, India, and worked as an information technology consultant for several large companies. He then decided to start his own venture, Rapid Refill Ink, which refills and recycles printer ink cartridges. He opened his first store in Herndon in February and hopes to open two others in the area next year.

"This is an emerging high-tech region, so I've gotten a great response from small and large companies," Gullapalli said. "This area is very conducive to innovative businesses."

Yang has similar reasons and said the community, with its well-regarded schools and diverse neighborhoods, was a big selling point when the company chose to locate its U.S. operations in Fairfax.

Fairfax County's concentration of high-income consumers and technology-friendly markets is similar to Korea's business climate, so companies make an easy transition to the country, said Do Hyun Woo, the center's director.

The Economic Development Authority spends about $500,000, around 7 percent of its annual budget, to run offices in Seoul, Frankfurt, Bangalore, London and Tel Aviv. It plans to open a sixth office in a Latin American city.

Spending such resources on overseas offices has not always been popular. Five years ago, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors criticized the agency as spending money to benefit foreign businesses rather than revitalizing faded areas of the county. Some politicians urged the agency to form partnerships with other countries without spending so much money.

But Gordon said the agency is more concerned with investing in the county's tax base. "Trade is a wealth generator, but it doesn't fill office space and help pay for public schools," he said. "I think people acknowledge the return has been much greater than the investment."

The technology council's international committee, which is organizing a venture capital event for March, has hosted groups from Argentina, Belarus, Latvia, India and Egypt. This month, organizations from Ukraine, Japan and Russia will visit Fairfax.

"Theoretically you can start a business in the middle of North Dakota as a way to get into the U.S., but you really need to be in an area where there's a high concentration of similar businesses around you to learn the lingo, get the best advice and meet people face-to-face," said Reade, of the Northern Virginia Technology Council. "The caliber of people I meet on a weekly basis is just astounding."

7-Dec-06 3:00 PM

New Va. bank targets Asian customers

Fri, 25 Aug 2006 19:00:00 GMT

A Texas bank that caters to the Asian community will open a full-service branch Sept. 1 in Springfield, its first in the area.

Dallas-based United Central Bank, which opened loan processing centers in Alexandria and Richmond earlier this year, plans to take full advantage of what many people see as one of the hottest banking markets: Immigrants.

Going after the Asian market is not a new practice for financial service companies.

"If you are not marketing to Asians, you are already behind," says Saul Gitlin, executive vice president at Kang & Lee Advertising in New York.

There's plenty of immigrant business to go around in Greater Washington.

Nearly 20 percent of the region's population is foreign born, according the 2005 American Community Survey released by the Census Bureau, and 36.1 percent of the slightly more than 1 million foreign-born residents in the area came from Asian countries.

In addition, 24.1 percent of the region's population over the age of 5 speaks a foreign language as its primary language at home.

United Central's new branch will have 10 employees who speak seven languages including Korean, Mandarin Chinese, Hindi, Urdu and Vietnamese.

The bank has begun marketing itself to potential customers through ads in ethnic newspapers and on cable TV programs, says David Kim, vice president and business development officer.

United Central Bank will offer checking and savings products, as well as a variety of commercial and SBA loans.

The bank already is active in local SBA lending. It made four loans for a total of nearly $1 million between October 2005 and July 2006, according to the SBA.

That makes the bank the 30th most active lender in the Washington area for that period.

25-Aug-06 3:00 PM

Asian-Owned Firms Booming: Contracting and Outsourcing Help Fuel the Growth of a Regional Economic Force

Cecilia Kang — Mon, 21 Aug 2006 16:00:00 GMT

The number of Asian-owned businesses surged in the Washington area from 1997 to 2002, as a diverse mix of entrepreneurs with broad global ties flocked to the region's technology and government contracting sectors in suburban commercial centers outside the District, according to a U.S. Census Bureau report released yesterday.

The number of firms owned by ethnic Asians locally rose 30 percent, to 40,152, during the five years studied, double the national rate of growth for all businesses and more than the 24 percent growth in Asian-owned firms nationwide.

Though the number of Asian-owned firms in the District fell slightly, growth in the outer suburbs was explosive, with the number of firms roughly tripling in Loudoun and Frederick counties and more than doubling in Prince William.

It was a trend driven by small-business aspirations, familial interests and larger global forces -- from the tech boom to the rise in government contracting and corporate outsourcing.

Indian-owned government contractor Zolon Tech Inc. began in Sterling and later opened an engineering development office in Hyderabad, India. Lani Abeya-Barnabas started home-health-care firm Encore NG Services Inc. in Rockville with the help of relatives here and in Manila. South Korean-owned New Star Realty has offices in Fairfax and Centreville and sends agents to market local properties in Seoul.

Maria Nguyen, 36, owner of Elegance Nails in Fairfax, used the salon as a steppingstone after emigrating from Vietnam. The business helped her support a family while attending computer science classes, but she now plans to sell it after being offered a job at the Defense Department.

"I'm going to sell my business through a Vietnamese broker who will find another family that is in the same position as ours was when we first started," Nguyen said.

"Asian businesses are different from other minorities in that they are using family connections and connections to their home countries to make these businesses work," said Ying Lowrey, a senior economist at the Small Business Administration. "That kind of capital mobility within a global arena is important and has a positive impact on our economy."

The number of local Asian-owned firms grew more slowly than did the number of Hispanic- and black-owned businesses, which increased 50 percent to 28,936, and 38 percent to 67,213, respectively, during the same period.

But the Asian-owned firms tended to bring in more revenue, as Indian and Korean entrepreneurs in particular, many concentrated in scientific and technical fields, benefited from a boom in technology and security spending. During the period included in the recent report, the revenue of Asian-owned firms increased 36 percent, to $10 billion.

Businesses created by all major Asian ethnic groups grew in the Washington area, but growth was most rapid among the Filipino and Japanese communities. The number of Filipino-owned firms more than doubled to 3,436, and the number of Japanese-owned firms grew 69 percent to 1,216.

However, the South Korean community had the largest number of businesses, with 9,406, while Indian-owned firms pulled in the most revenue. The number of Indian-owned companies grew 46 percent to 8,707, and they earned $3.8 billion.

Sudhakar Shenoy, president-elect of Indian entrepreneur association Tie-DC, said a number of Indian business owners have migrated to the Dulles corridor of Fairfax County because of the area's connection to the federal government.

Fairfax county had the largest number of Asian-owned businesses at 14,313, up 35 percent from 1997 to 2002. The number of Asian-owned firms in Montgomery County rose 17 percent to 10,819.

"So many Indian-owned high-tech companies have started getting 8(a) designations," Shenoy said, referring to the federal program that provides government contracts for minority-owned firms. "This has attracted highly educated and skilled Indian professionals, particularly in engineering."

Shenoy estimates that 80,000 people in the region are employed by Indian-owned firms. Tie-DC says it has 290 member companies that are Indian-owned.

The growth in Filipino and Japanese businesses points to an economic evolution in groups that historically have not been known for their entrepreneurialism in the United States.

Filipino Americans have for years had a foothold in professional services such as health care and teaching because of their English proficiency and the high education levels among immigrants. Lately, there has been a movement toward business ownership in related fields and retail firms that serve the region's growing Filipino population.

"This is the second and third generation that is really motivated," said Mitzi Pickard, head of the Philippines American Chamber of Commerce in the District. Businesses have stretched beyond the largest Filipino centers in Prince George's County and into suburban areas such as Fairfax, Prince William and Montgomery counties, she said.

Abeya-Barnabas, a second-generation Filipino American, took the combined experiences of a family of health-care professionals to form Encore. And initially, she tapped into the community's pool of nurses and caregivers for employees of her business, which offers home care for the elderly and disabled.

"We worked with the circles that we knew," Abeya-Barnbas said.

Japanese business organizations were surprised by the rapid growth in Japanese-owned firms. They said the growth has come in part from Japan-based biotechnology and high-tech companies opening local offices in Fairfax and Montgomery counties. With the recent recovery of Japan's economy, more investments have been made overseas, he said.

"Even though we have seen numbers increase in our membership, it is not even close to these numbers," said Takashi Misukami of the Japan Commerce Association of Washington.

The number of Vietnamese-owned firms rose 38 percent to 6,071, while the number of Chinese-owned firms increased 14 percent to 7,591.

21-Aug-06 12:00 PM

Filnet Featured in the Washington Business Journal

Dennis Powell — Wed, 16 Aug 2006 16:00:00 GMT

CEO Talks to WBJ about Improvements That Make Office “More Conducive to Creativity”

Alexandria, VA, August 16, 2005-Filnet is featured in the “Sources Say” column of this week’s Washington Business Journal (WBJ). WBJ editors asked Filnet CEO/President Chris J. Baltazar and four Washington area executives about improvements they have instituted to make their workplaces “more conducive to creativity.”

According to Mr. Baltazar, “Since most of our employees are programmers or designers, creativity is essential. Naturally, we want to keep our team in an environment that is ergonomically sound and promotes ingenuity. In terms of interior design, our high-tech themed office has plenty of open space, large work areas and an abundance of natural lighting thanks to a promenade of windows next to work stations. Beyond the windows, our staff is treated to scenic vistas of lush woodlands in the summer and vibrant foliage during autumn.”

The complete news feature can be found on page 47 in the print version of the Journal (August 11-17, 2006). Filnet was also featured in “Sources Say” last fall (October 21-27, 2005 issue).

The Washington Business Journal (WBJ) is the most read business publication in the region. Over 105,000 government and private sector executives and their staff scan the pages of WBJ every week. WBJ is located on the web at http://washington.bizjournals.com/

Filnet is a certified SBA 8(a) business that provides data quality, web applications and web development services for government and commercial enterprises. Privately owned and operated, the firm also offers full-lifecycle development and support services, IT staff augmentation, web hosting and online training products. Filnet has ranked 14th in Deloitte’s Virginia Fast 50 and ranked nationally in the Fast 500. Filnet is on the web at www.filnetinc.com.

16-Aug-06 12:00 PM

On the Rise

Wed, 17 May 2006 17:00:00 GMT

There are more Korean firms in the Washington region, while Filipino-owned businesses increased the most from 1997 to 2002.

SOURCE: Census Bureau | GRAPHIC: The Washington Post - May 17, 2006

17-May-06 1:00 PM

Revenues for Asian-Owned Firms Surpass $326 Billion, Number of Businesses Up 24 Percent

Mike Bergman — Tue, 16 May 2006 16:00:00 GMT

The number of Asian-owned businesses grew 24 percent between 1997 and 2002, approximately twice the national average for all businesses. The 1.1 million businesses generated more than $326 billion in revenues, up 8 percent from 1997. This is according to a new report, Survey of Business Owners: Asian-Owned Firms: 2002 [PDF], released today by the U.S. Census Bureau.

“The robust revenues of Asian-owned firms and the growth in the number of businesses provide yet another indicator that minority entrepreneurs are at the forefront as engines for growth in our economy,” said Census Bureau Director Louis Kincannon.

Nearly half (47 percent) of all Asian-owned firms were Chinese-owned (290,197) and Asian Indian-owned (231,179). Korean-owned firms were the third largest at 158,031, followed by Vietnamese- (147,081), Filipino- (128,223) and Japanese-owned firms (86,863).

Almost 1-in-3 of all Asian-owned firms had paid employees. These 319,300 businesses employed more than 2.2 million people and generated revenues of nearly $291 billion.

Other highlights:

In 2002, slightly more than 3-in-10 Asian-owned firms operated in professional, scientific and technical services as well as other services such as personal services, and repair and maintenance. These firms accounted for 6 percent of all such businesses in the United States.
Wholesale and retail trade accounted for 47 percent of all Asian-owned business revenue.
There were 49,578 Asian-owned firms with receipts of $1 million or more. These firms accounted for 4.5 percent of the total number of Asian-owned firms and nearly 68 percent of their total receipts.
There were 1,863 Asian-owned firms with 100 employees or more, generating nearly $52 billion in gross receipts (18 percent of the total revenue for Asian-owned employer firms).
California and New York accounted for 59 percent (170,547) of all Chinese-owned firms, 37 percent (86,494) of all Asian Indian-owned firms and 46 percent (73,466) of all Korean-owned firms.
California and Texas accounted for 51 percent (74,634) of all Vietnamese- owned firms.
California and Hawaii accounted for 54 percent (69,061) of all Filipino- owned firms and 65 percent (56,490) of all Japanese-owned firms.
Forty-nine percent (35,224) of all other Asian-owned firms were located in California, New York and Texas.
Los Angeles County, by far, had the largest number of Asian-owned firms in 2002 with 140,411 or 13 percent of all Asian businesses. These businesses generated $52.5 billion in receipts. Queens County, N.Y., was second (48,241), followed by Orange County, Calif., (46,015) and Honolulu County, Hawaii (35,376).

States With the Largest Number of Asian-Owned Firms: 2002

State	Firms (number)	Percent of total	Receipts (billion dollars)	Percent of total
California	371,415	33.6	125.6	38.5
New York	145,519	13.2	30.4	9.3
Texas	77,980	7.1	20.6	6.3
New Jersey	51,948	4.7	18.5	5.7
Hawaii	44,969	4.1	12.6	3.9
Illinois	44,480	4.0	14.6	4.5
Florida	41,278	3.7	11.2	3.4

Counties With the Largest Number of Asian-Owned Firms: 2002

County	Firms (number)	Receipts (billion dollars)
Los Angeles County, Calif.	140,411	52.5
Queens County, N.Y.	48,241	5.5
Orange County, Calif.	46,015	11.3
Honolulu County, Hawaii	35,376	9.8

Cities With the Largest Number of Asian-Owned Firms: 2002

City	Firms (number)	Receipts (billion dollars)
New York, N.Y.	112,853	22.0
Los Angeles, Calif.	47,714	19.5
Honolulu, Hawaii	22,394	7.1
San Francisco, Calif.	19,639	5.4
San Jose, Calif.	16,233	6.1
Houston, Texas	15,966	5.5

Asian Ownership of Firms by Detailed Group: 2002

Group	Firms (number)	Percent of total	Receipts (billions of dollars)	Percent of total
Asian-owned firms	1,104,189	(X)	326.4	(X)
Chinese	290,197	26.3	106.3	32.6
Asian Indian	231,179	20.9	89.0	27.3
Korean	158,031	14.3	46.9	14.4
Vietnamese	147,081	13.3	15.7	4.8
Filipino	128,223	11.6	14.6	4.5
Japanese	86,863	7.9	30.6	9.4
Other Asian	71,439	6.5	20.3	6.2

The 2002 Survey of Business Owners (SBO) defines Asian-owned businesses as firms in which Asians own 51 percent or more of the stock or equity of the business. Separate reports on additional minority-owned firms, including a new report on businesses owned by native Hawaiians and other Pacific islanders (previously included in the report on Asians), will be issued over the next two months.

The SBO is part of the 2002 Economic Census and combines survey data from a sample of more than 2.4 million businesses with administrative data.

Data for 2002 are not directly comparable to previous survey years because of several significant changes to the survey methodology. See “Comparability of 2002 and 1997 SBO Data” at <http://www.census.gov/econ/census02/text/sbo/sbomethodology.htm#comparability>.

The data collected in a sample survey are subject to sampling variability as well as nonsampling errors. Sources of nonsampling errors include errors of response, nonreporting and coverage.

16-May-06 12:00 PM

Foreign Chambers Aim to Promote Global Business Relationships

David Tobenkin — Wed, 01 Mar 2006 17:00:00 GMT

Whether promoting U.S. business abroad, foreign investment in the United States, or a specific set of policy issues, inter-national trade and commerce chambers act as honeybees to pollinate global business relationships.

Although most of these associations are located in Washington, D.C., or New York City, many countries and regions boast multiple chambers. New York organizations tend to focus on the United Nations and foreign consulate work, while those in Washington, D.C., are more attuned to embassies and U.S. federal legislation.

There is no one national association of foreign chambers, and the range of organizations runs the gamut from think tank-oriented operations to associations that attempt to resolve specific disputes. Associations also vary in whether they are bilateral, with members in more than one country, or unilateral, which often work on behalf of U.S. companies promoting trade in a foreign country.

And don’t be surprised if you call a listed chamber, particularly a smaller bilateral chamber, only to find the number has been disconnected. Many are created to support a narrow investment policy or project, or they have a single large backer. When the objective is achieved or the priorities shift, the operation may be mothballed.

The Washington Diplomat profiles several of the more active organizations that help promote international commerce:

National U.S.-Arab Chamber
of Commerce
If you are a U.S. businessperson looking to engage in commerce with the Arab world or an Arab resident looking to expand into the United States, a meeting with David Hamod is a good place to start.

“We’re a bridge between the United States and Arab world,” said Hamod, president and chief executive officer of the National U.S.-Arab Chamber of Commerce (www.nusacc.org). Based in Washington, D.C., the chamber is routinely in contact with more than 1,500 U.S. companies. “We’re the point of contact in the U.S. for national chambers of commerce in 22 Arab countries. For the Arab world, we are the only chamber of commerce in United States recognized and authorized by the Arab League and the General Union of Arab Chambers of Commerce in Beirut,” Hamod said.

The 10-employee chamber also serves as a business resource to Arab chambers of commerce and business people throughout the Arab world, noted Hamod. “They contact us with questions regarding due diligence efforts and to find reputable partners in the U.S. They also ask us to organize visits to the U.S.”

Hamod said his chamber has recently facilitated visits for chambers from Lebanon and Bahrain. Likewise, Hamod’s group serves as a resource to U.S. businesspeople looking for reputable partners in the Arab world and for trade and investment opportunities. As such, his group also leads U.S. delegations to the Arab world, including planned delegations to Tunisia and Libya in the first quarter of this year.

The chamber is also active in promoting free trade agreements. The first U.S.-Arab FTA, between the United States and Jordan, went into effect in 2001. A U.S.-Morocco FTA was approved by Congress in 2004, and a U.S.-Bahrain agreement was passed by Congress in December and must now be signed into law by the president. Next up is Oman, with notification from the White House to Congress that an agreement had been reached in October.

Hamod noted with pride the chamber’s role in providing testimony during the Moroccan and Bahraini congressional FTA hearings. “That’s a big deal for us,” he said. “We feel we were the only ones that could really talk about the benefits those agreements would bring.”

In addition, the chamber is there to answer Arab embassies’ questions regarding trade and investment, help with due diligence work, and address any commercial issues that may arise. “U.S. companies with problems in the Arab world and Arab companies with problems in the U.S. contact embassies, but most embassies don’t have resources to launch an investigation to determine if a company has lived up to its agreement,” Hamod said. “We can perform due diligence type of work, both ahead of time and after operations start. We also attempt to resolve commercial disputes through processes like arbitration after things go wrong.”

The chamber has also addressed the impediments to U.S.-Arab trade caused by post-9/11 measures. “We had meetings one on one with Secretary of State [Colin] Powell and Homeland Security Secretary [Tom] Ridge, when they held those positions, to address those issues,” Hamod said. “We also prepared a report that is now a year old that described the amount of investment being lost by the United States as a result of its restrictive visa policy that got very nice play in the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times and on National Public Radio.”

And in a larger sense, the chamber is a voice for the positive during a challenging time for U.S.-Arab relations, said one Arab diplomat.

“I think the chamber is assuming an increasingly important role between the Arab world and the United States that goes beyond facilitating business opportunities and promoting business relationships,” said Hussein Hassouna, ambassador of the League of Arab States to the United States. “It is helping citizens of the Arab world and citizens of the United States to gain a better understanding of one another at a time when the image of each has suffered harm in the other’s mind.”

Canadian American Business Council
The Canadian American Business Council (CABC), established in 1987, is a nonprofit, issues-oriented organization aimed at elevating the private sector perspective on issues that affect the two nations (www.canambusco.org). The group, with 150 paying members but more than 2,000 on its mailing list, supports only one full-time employee and relies on resources donated by members. It eschews involving itself in narrow, transaction-related issues and instead focuses on larger underlying policy issues.

“Where we take on issues is where the interests of Canada and the U.S. connect. We don’t come out on one side or the other in a trade position,” said CABC Executive Director Maryscott Greenwood.

There are exceptions, however, such as when one side seeks to avoid complying with international rules. In a currently raging soft timber trade dispute between companies in each country, the organization plans to file a brief opposing efforts by some U.S. lumber interests to declare the dispute resolution provision of the North America Free Trade Agreement unconstitutional. “If the NAFTA dispute resolution process were to break down, it would be terribly concerning to all our member trading partners,” Greenwood said.

The diplomatic corps of both countries are intimately involved in the organization’s affairs, she added, noting that the CABC’s advisory board is co-chaired by the current ambassadors of each country to the other. In addition, many former ambassadors between the two countries are on its advisory board. Greenwood said that beyond lending credibility to the organization, they sometimes advance policy suggestions, such as a recommendation by several former ambassadors two years ago that there needed to be greater focus by the council on border infrastructure issues, pointing out that one of the world’s busiest border crossings, the Detroit Windsor bridge, was becoming a bottleneck because of its inability to handle more traffic.

U.S.-ASEAN Business Council
The U.S.-ASEAN Business Council Inc. (www.us-asean.org), referring to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, seeks to be the voice of the American private sector in the 10-country ASEAN market. It has 150 members, nearly all of whom are headquartered in the United States.

“Our job is to help our member companies build their competitiveness and market share in Southeast Asia, whether in investment or market share,” said Council Senior Vice President Walter Lohman. “We also think that’s in the mutual interests of the countries in the region because with investments come American standards of management, jobs and many other things.”

The council was instrumental in developing and securing passage of the U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreement, the first in the ASEAN area and is now working to negotiate a U.S.-Thailand FTA.

The council also tries to resolve non-business challenges, such as the Southeast Asian tsunami and, more recently, the specter of avian influenza, serving as a clearing house of information for member companies on the development of disease prevention measures and providing health care training for avian flu prevention and control.

Lohman said his council has frequent contact with foreign embassies in Washington, and a question that often comes up is whether the council’s members can support micro businesses in thei r countries to help the nations’ lower economic strata.

“All the foreign politicians are looking at that because it’s a constituency issue. But that’s a hard area for us to find a match with our members, as the economies there are focused on things that we care about, such as handicrafts and rattan furniture, but that don’t match up with our members, who are largely Fortune 500 companies,” Lohman explained. “We tell them that if they improve the business environment generally for our businesses, that is the best thing they can do, because when a big company goes in there, they hire hundreds of small venders and that creates a ripple effect. By making it easier for large-scale U.S. investment in a country, you actually improve the opportunities for small- and medium-size local companies. American businesses are good at supporting those businesses.”

Council of the Americas
Founded by David Rockefeller in 1965, the Council of the Americas (www.americas-society.org) promotes understanding and dialogue in the Western Hemisphere through cultural, political and economic initiatives among all countries in the Americas. In particular, it seeks to promote core values including democracy, free trade, economic and social development, and the rule of law. It has 170 members in various business sectors, representing a large component of U.S. investment in, and trade with, the rest of the Americas.

“If you look at a continuum of a think tank on one side and a trade association on the other, we’d fall in the middle,” said Eric Farnsworth, vice president at the council. “We have aspects of a chamber of commerce. We work on issues such as promoting trade agreements, lobbying, supporting specific trade agreements, and resolving investment disputes. If a company has a specific problem in the region, we would, as appropriate, lend a voice to get it resolved in a favorable way.

“But we are also broader than that because we also like to help to establish a policy environment in which business can be conducted easily and effectively, including some issues more attuned to a think tank. We believe the most effective investment climate is one where people are the best educated, have good health care, and the business climate is protected. We’ll use our institutional weight with other governments and the U.S. to help create those conditions.”

The council focuses the majority of its outreach in New York and Washington, D.C., although it also holds an annual conference in major Latin American cities, such as Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro and Bogotá.

Farnsworth conceded that promoting the council’s goals of free trade and privatization have been complicated by problematic business privatizations in Mexico and Central and South America that in recent years have helped elect populist and left-leaning governments wary of outside interference and suspicious of the private sector.

“Right now we are in a downward cycle of leaders in power with respect to liberalization. We support bringing people out of poverty, as do all of these leaders, but the question is how you do it and do you do it in way that encourages direct foreign investment that’s necessary, or do you do it as a populist? Although there is a definite swing to the left, it’s important that each country be dealt with on its merits,” Farnsworth explained.

“We distinguish between the traditional left, such as the Brazilian government of [President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva], who has done a reasonably good job and who is fairly orthodox in his economics—which is also the case with Chile’s [President Ricardo] Lagos and Peru’s [President Alejandro] Toledo governments—and, on the other hand, the populist left leaders, such as Bolivia’s Evo Morales, who suggests that the woes of underdevelopment were caused by United States, has an aggressive anti-U.S. agenda, and who is threatening to nationalize all kinds of private investment, including the energy side.”

Philippine American Chamber of Commerce of DC
The Philippine American Chamber of Commerce of the Metropolitan Washington, DC Area, Inc. (www.pacc-dc.org) promotes Filipino and Filipino-American businesses in the metropolitan Washington area through educational seminars, networking events, and collaboration with other business and professional organizations, said President Mitzi Pickard.

“We also seek to increase the visibility and exposure of our members through our Web site, business directory and other links on the Internet, and serve as a liaison between American companies in metro D.C. interested in doing business in the Philippines,” Pickard said, noting that the chamber currently does not assist Philippine companies seeking to invest in the United States.

She said the chamber, created in 1993 and boasting 100 members, has expanded from largely focusing on service industries, such as travel, restaurants and realtors, to a wider range of business players, including consulting firms, government contractors, health care companies and financial services.

Pickard lauds Philippine Ambassador Albert del Rosario and the Philippine Embassy Commercial Office in Washington for their support in providing resources and referrals on how to do business in the Philippines, and attending the chamber’s programs and events. She said the embassy and the chamber have collaborated on several seminars, including “IT and Outsourcing Opportunities in the Philippines,” “Microfinance Opportunities in the Philippines” and “Current Business and Economic Trends in the Philippines.”

American-Israel Chamber of Commerce, Southeast Region
Although a number U.S.-Israeli bilateral chambers of commerce exist, the American-Israel Chamber of Commerce, Southeast Region (www.aiccse.org) is one of the more active in the area.

“Our focus is in developing business relationships through a variety of arrangements, including joint ventures and allied market agreements,” said Tom Glaser, president of the chamber, which is headquartered in Atlanta and serves 450 members in Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Mississippi and Israel.

“On the one hand, there is the typical pattern of Israel companies looking to get into the U.S. market. Through membership, we help to get them ready to market, introduce them strategic partners and customers, and help them open a U.S. operation and handle issues related to headquarters and substantial operations. We also work with American companies looking for technologies in Israel, to acquire an Israeli company, to establish operations in Israel, for partnership relationships, or for a way to export into Israel.”

Glaser said that since its creation in 1992, the chamber has been involved in facilitating completed transactions worth more than $850 million. An example he cited was assisting regional telephone giant BellSouth Corp. in acquiring rights to the newly de-monopolized wireless market in Israel and in BellS outh’s subsequent sale of its stake in to an Israeli partner. Glaser said the chamber assisted BellSouth with cultural issues dealing with Israelis, helped them meet governmental officials, and introduced them to real estate officials when trying to set up cell towers.

The chamber is a member of the Association of America-Israel Chambers of Commerce and Industry (AICCI), a national network of similar organizations throughout the United States. That network, Glaser said, allows the associated chambers to offer Israeli companies access to markets and industry expertise throughout the country.

1-Mar-06 12:00 PM