On October 24, Consul (a.h.) Thelmo Cunanan Jr met with leaders of the Association of Filipino Franchisers Inc. (AFFI) to plan the first Filipino Entrepreneurs’ Delegation to Georgia. The group is scheduled to leave for Tbilisi in the first quarter of 2016.
Present at the meeting, which was held at the AFFI Center in Pasig, were AFFI founder and chairman Butch Bartolome and leading entrepreneurs, led by Fiorgelato President & CEO Ricardo Cuna, Ferino’s Bibingka President and CEO Sonny Franciso and COO Anne Marie Francisco, Aquasuisse President John Chung and Vice President Jelyn Chung, and Chicken Shack President Byron Cheung. All are entrepreneurs and heads of the most popular and fastest growing franchise chains in the Philippines.
Consul Cunanan began the meeting by giving tourism, historical, and cultural presentations about Georgia, which included an official “Discover Georgia” video. He then proceeded with a detailed economic overview of the country, which included consumer spending patterns and practices, and an explanation of the retail landscape in the country.
The gathered entrepreneurs, who are all established business people and are setting their sights on overseas expansion, were very excited about the prospect of venturing to Georgia to establish a presence for their operations and asked Consul Cunanan plenty of questions regarding the viability of their businesses.
For his part, Consul Cunanan encouraged the franchisers to visit Georgia and explore the possibilities for themselves. He also committed all the resources of the consulate and his personal network in Georgia to aid and assist the Filipino entrepreneurs. “I am very elated that Filipino businessmen and women are gaining a broader worldview and have the courage and interest to try unexplored, unconventional markets,” stressed Consul Cunanan. “The established markets like the US, Canada, and Western Europe already have plenty of big players. But new markets like Georgia—albeit relatively small in size—do present good opportunities, especially for small to medium-size businesses.”
AFFI Chairman Bartolome was similarly excited about the project. “Philippine products and business models are innovative and competitive. We’ve proven it already in many markets. Georgia, with the view to expand in Armenia and Azerbaijan, is ready for us, especially since the spending and consumption levels are similar to those in the Philippines.”
Consul Cunanan, in partnership with AFFI, will go to Georgia in the first quarter of 2016.
