January General Membership Meeting: The 2022 Panorama: US & Philippine Business Climate

AmCham Philippines

AmCham came to life in 1902 as the Manila Coffee Round Table and later as Manila Merchants Association. Incorporated in 1920, it has since then recognized and reconfirmed the commitment of American business to the development and welfare of the Philippines and the Filipino people.

This is a commitment of long-standing, as its mission statement declares:

The Chamber exists to serve the interests of U.S. businesses through the participation of members in promoting their long-term objectives while contributing to the civic and economic development of the Philippines.”

Event Details

The public health crisis continues to affect businesses. But years into this pandemic, the Filipinos' ingenuity to address the challenges, and optimism for an imminent recovery remain strong -- especially with the recent warning of a new variant. It has been found that this new variant poses greater downside risks to employment and economic activity as well as increased uncertainty for inflation. Concerns about it could reduce people's willingness to work in person, which could slow progress in the labor market and intensify supply-chain disruptions.

This month's General Membership Meeting will focus on the latest outlook of the Philippine Capital Markets and investment opportunities for the private sector. Attendees will be given a clear understanding of the transactions that have occurred the past year and what government actions have been done to stimulate the economy back to pre-pandemic levels.

The American Chamber of the Philippines will be holding its General Membership Meeting for January entitled: The 2022 Panorama: US & Philippine Business Climate on January 19, 2021, from 12NN - 1:30 PM with the United States Embassy in Manila's Chargé d'Affaires, Ms. Heather C. Variava.

Members

Two (2) complimentary passes.

Use this ticket if your company is a member of AmCham Philippines or if you are a member's proxy.

Register here

Additional Members

Member companies may send additional representatives to our events, at the cost of ₱300 per head.

Standard Price: ₱300 + 10% | $5.88
-For online payments through credit card or Paypal, with an additional tariff due to service charge.

Standard Price₱300

Standard Price$5.88

Non-Members

For non-member company representatives.

Standard Price: ₱1,000 + 10% | $19.60
-For online payments through credit card or Paypal, with an additional tariff due to service charge.

Standard Price₱1,000

Standard Price$19.60

Speaker

Heather C. Variava

Charge ́d’Affaires, a.i. at US Embassy Manila

Heather Variava has been the Chargé d’Affaires, ad interim, at the U.S. Embassy in Manila, Philippines since September 2021. She is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister Counselor. Previously, Ms. Variava served as the Chargé d’Affaires, a.i., and Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Mission to Indonesia. While in Jakarta, Ms. Variava played a leading role in strengthening the U.S.-Indonesia Strategic Partnership. She also guided the Embassy and Consulates in Indonesia through the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, and she supported U.S. collaboration with Indonesia to respond to the pandemic, including the provision of vaccines and ventilators.

From 2015 to 2018, Ms. Variava served as the U.S. Consul General in Surabaya, Indonesia, where she led the Consulate General in diplomatic engagement with eastern Indonesia. Previously, she served as the Director of the Office of Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Maldives, and Bhutan in the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs at the U.S. Department of State. A member of the U.S. Foreign Service since 1996, Ms. Variava has worked overseas in Mumbai, India; Port Louis, Mauritius; Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; and Dhaka, Bangladesh. In Washington, she also has served at the State Department Operations Center and on the Thailand desk.

Prior to joining the Foreign Service, Ms. Variava worked as a newspaper reporter in Waterville, Maine. Raised in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, she received an undergraduate degree in international relations from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. She has a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri and received a master’s degree in European Studies from the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom. In 2012, Ms. Variava received a master’s degree in national security strategy from the National War College in Washington, DC, and in 2014 she completed a fellowship in executive leadership with the International Women’s Forum (IWF). She and her husband have two sons.