Latest News – The Canadian Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines

Dear Members of CanCham,

Greetings! Turning over a new (maple) leaf…

I am deeply honored and excited to introduce myself as your new President of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines.

As I step into this role, I am filled with a sense of humility and gratitude for the trust you have placed in me and a strong commitment to serve our community.

Firstly, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to Julian Payne for his outstanding leadership and dedication over the past 15 years. He managed the Chamber in the best of times and the worst of times, most recently having had to deal with all the fallout that came with the COVID-19 pandemic from which we and many others still feel the impact. Yet, his perseverance and strong will have kept our Chamber alive with a renewed desire to raise our Chamber to greater heights in the years to come. Julian, thank you again for your lasting legacy which we cherish and commit to building upon.

Our Mission remains constant: "To represent, support, and promote Canada-Philippines business interests.” We have never veered from this guiding star. With you, our members – the physical representation of Canada-Philippines business interest – it is you we seek to represent, support, and promote. We remind ourselves of this to guide the future plans we have for the Chamber.

Our organization is built on the principles of collaboration, innovation, and mutual respect. As we move forward, I am committed to fostering an inclusive and empowering environment where each member's voice is heard and valued. To make this work, we will need each member to step up, speak out and let us know how the Chamber can be of service to you. From this insight, we hope to develop new initiatives and programs that better resonate with your needs and reasons for being part of the Chamber in the first place. And in return for this responsiveness to your needs, we will in turn seek your continued support to make these initiatives and programs successful. This will be about co-creation and partnership and I look forward to your active participation in this process.

In the coming weeks, we will be organizing a series of smaller meetings and events to better discuss our vision for the future of CanCham. We will also be conducting an initial survey for members as well where we shall seek your input on the sorts of services, plans, and programs you hope to see from the Chamber in the months and years ahead. We ask you to please participate so that we may learn how the Chamber can better serve you. Do watch out for the announcement of that survey.

Also, I'm pleased to announce the appointment of Rebecca Bustamante as our Acting First Vice President. Rebecca brings a wealth of executive experience in events management, leadership engagement and networking. She is also a strong advocate of inclusion and women empowerment. She's an exemplary addition to our leadership team here in CanCham and you will all have a chance to engage with her in the upcoming AGMM

In closing, I look forward to these opportunities to connect, collaborate, and celebrate our shared journey. Together we can and will make CanCham an even stronger and more vibrant community for generations to come.

With my sincerest appreciation,

Christopher Matthew A. Ilagan
President and CEO
Président et chef de la direction