By Raynald C Rivera
DOHA: The Philippine real estate sector offers great opportunities to overseas Filipinos as well as Qataris and other expatriates, said Ambassador Wilfredo C Santos as he addressed the opening of the first-ever Philippine Property Investor Show-Qatar (PPIS-Q) at Swiss-BelHotel Doha yesterday.
The two-day event has gathered the leading developers from the Philippines providing a one-stop shop for prospective Overseas Filipino homebuyers and Qatari and other foreign expatriate investors.
“I believe that attracting prospective buyers from over 200,000 Overseas Filipinos here should not be the sole purpose of PPSI-Q. There also lies the promising market of Qataris and other expats to invest in the Philippine property market,” said Ambassador Santos.
Organised by the Association of Filipino Real Estate Executives in Qatar (AFREEQ), the event aims to promote the Philippines as a leading investment, tourist and retirement destination.
“In partnership with Philippine Retirement Authority a wide array of incentives and benefits are being offered to entice more Qataris and expats to retire in the Philippines,” added the envoy.
He described the Philippine property market as “robust” and “one of the most evident signs of our fast-growing economy.”
The PPIS-Q, he said, is a way to further tap the purchasing power of Overseas Filipinos in Qatar searching for a worthy investment for their earnings.
“Being an Overseas Filipino is only a short term arrangement. There will come a time that the person will retire and he or she must have a form of investment to look forward to after retiring from overseas employment.”
The event features lectures on essential topics on Philippine property investment by leading developers and government agencies. AFREEQ Chairman Joseph Timothy Rivera announced the PPIS-Q exhibition had been moved to a later date as per advice by the Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA).
“QTA has requested us to separate the formal exhibition portion of PPISQ to November 20 and 21. We will be the first real estate organisation to host a property exhibition in Qatar that will be 100 percent compliant with the new rules and regulations of Qatar when it comes to property expo,” said Rivera.
He stressed that AFREEQ, which has 165 members mostly Filipino real estate development representatives in Qatar, intends to expand membership to more sectors.
“Hopefully we would be able to deliver better services and make us the real estate agents of choice in Qatar and share the vision of the Philippine Embassy in promoting our country as an ideal economic, investment, tourism and retirement destination,” added Rivera.
Yesterday’s event also featured lectures by Atty Joanna Maries Narvaez from the Philippine Senate Committee on Economic Affairs; Atty Jaye Rondal of the Philippine Senate Committee on Urban Planning, Housing and Resettlement and renowned finance and property Guru Manuel Alleje.
The Peninsula
