LAOAG CITY—A group of business stakeholders and leaders in Ilocos Norte and the United States mostly in Hawaii is set to convene a forum on October 24 at the Ilocos Norte Capitol to promote business and investment opportunities here and abroad.
Organized by the East-West Center Alumni Association-Philippines Chapter, provincial government of Ilocos Norte and the state-run Mariano Marcos State University, the regional conference aims to present various opportunities to promote inclusive growth between and among Filipinos and Americans.
With the changing U.S. policy towards homeland security and immigration, organizers said more and more Filipino migrants mostly composed of retired Ilocanos are considering going back to the Philippines to invest in real estate and spend their twilight years here.
On the other hand, there are still a number of Filipinos who aspire to migrate to the US.
In view of this, the forum aims to gather insights from various participants on how to improve the business climate and encourage investments by migrants both in the Philippines and the US.
With the theme, “The Fil-Am Ties that Bind: Business and Investment Opportunities Amidst the Changing Climate,” a panel discussion will highlight the activity, bringing together resource speakers from the Filipino Chamber of Commerce, Hawaii and Ilocos Norte including from the government sector and the US Foreign Commercial Service.
Other topics in the forum also include a review and update on US immigration opportunities and rules and the opportunity to study in the USA.
Based on 2010 US census, it shows that Filipinos make up the second largest racial group in Hawaii, surpassing the number of ethnically Japanese.
Of the more than 342,000 Filipino migrants, about 85 percent are Ilocanos. (Leilanie Adriano/PNA)
