Ambassador Antonio M. Lagdameo (3rd from right) and Chris Nelson (BCCP) (4th from right) discuss opportunities to increase trade between the Philippines and the UK. Nigel Rich (5th from right) congratulates Peter Beckingham (2nd from right) on the latter’s assumption of his new role. Photo by Rommel Romato

 22 September 2018 LONDON—Ambassador Antonio Lagdameo, the ex-officio co-chair of the Philippine-British Business Council convened a meeting at the chancery on 18 September to brief the group of top business executives and British diplomats on the recent developments in the Philippines, including the forthcoming high-level Philippine Economic Briefing in London scheduled next week.

PBBC was established to promote business and investments between the Philippines and the UK.

“The Philippines and the UK have traded with each other since the 1700s,” said Ambassador Lagdameo. “It is encouraging to see how much the trade relationship between both countries has deepened and matured over time. We are keen on nourishing this longstanding partnership.”

During the meeting, PBBC Co-Chairman Nigel Rich CBE announced that he would be stepping down as the business council’s co-chair. It was also confirmed that former UK ambassador to the Philippines Peter Beckingham will take over at the helm of the group.

Mr. Beckingham served as Governor of Turks and Caicos Islands from 2013 to 2016 after his diplomatic assignments in India and the Philippines.

Ambassador Lagdameo welcomed the new PBBC co-chair and expressed his gratitude to Mr. Rich for his leadership and services to Philippine-British economic relations.

PBBC was launched in Manila in 1995 during the visit of the late Lord Fraser of Carmyllie, then UK Minister of State for Trade and Industry. It is co-chaired on the Philippine side by Mr. Jesus Tambunting OBE, former Philippine Ambassador to the UK. Mr. Beckingham is now the new PBBC co-chair on the British side. END