British Ambassador to the Philippines Peter Beckingham on Thursday visited Surigao City for a series of meetings with the local business sector here. Beckingham will meet city officials, some overseas investors and members of the local business chamber in his two-and-a-half day stay to discuss potential business investments from companies in the United Kingdom.

In a luncheon held at the Surigao City Cultural Center, Beckingham underscored the important relations shared by the Philippines and Great Britain. “There are two clear and straightforward reasons why two countries matter to each other … [First,] we issue about 50,000 visas a year for Filipinos to travel, to visit or indeed to go at work in the United Kingdom [as] the Philippine community has been increasingly recognized to be of huge value to us. The second reason is we are a big investor in the Philippines,” the ambassador said.

Despite the travel advisory for British nationals not to come to Mindanao, the British ambassador said that he is “very pleased to say that British companies are largely doing business here [in Mindanao].” In October last year, the United Kingdom Embassy raised an advisory warning its citizens “against all travel to Mindanao because of ongoing terrorist activity.”

Investment in mining

The ambassador’s visit was a result of mining exploration activities of Anglo American in the province of Surigao del Norte, of which Surigao City lies. Anglo American is one of the largest mining conglomerates in the world.

“One of the reasons I have come to Surigao is Anglo American, and I look forward very much to talking to them, to the representatives of the business community, about [Anglo American's] plans [which is] a major investment in your province and affecting your city,” the ambassador said.

“I’ve had the opportunity to go and talk to the senior directors of Anglo American in London to talk about their investment and I know that they are very serious about it … I am completely confident [to say] that they will respect the environment in a way that they developed their mines in the Philippines. I’m confident that companies in the side of international flagship of Anglo American can handle and develop [mines] which will be environmentally and socially friendly and, I believe, with great benefits to the Philippines,” the ambassador said further.

Surigao’s investment center inaugurated

The ambassador’s visit was also the highlight of the opening of the newly created Investment Assistance Center (IAC) at the ground floor of the city hall’s main building. Beckingham and Mayor Alfonso S. Casurra led the ribbon-cutting ceremony, together with Ma. Lourdes Arsenas of the Mindanao Business Council, members of the city council, and personalities from the local business sector. The IAC serves as the city’s one-stop center for investors looking for information to get them started in doing business here.

The ambassador said that the opening of the IAC was timely as his visit was very much involved with business. “In your city you are looking for overseas investors, and indeed there are Korean businessmen here with us today,” Beckingham said. Some Korean investors, who were meeting up with Mayor Casurra, were also present during the luncheon to witness Beckingham’s visit.

The creation of the IAC brought in services aimed at businessmen, providing them with assistance in terms of information to business data, coordination with government agencies and private institutions, and tie-ups with local business chamber and industry associations.

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