Build, build, build it and they will come
Now on its 29th year, the PhilConstruct Expo has expanded to two different venues, with exhibitors accommodating thousands of guests at the SMX Convention Center Manila and at the World Trade Center Metro Manila. Considered as the country’s biggest trade show and Southeast Asia’s longest-running construction expo, it is organized by the Philippine Constructors Association, Inc. (PCA) whose members are responsible for more than 80 percent of the country’s total annual construction projects.
PCA President Morris Agoncillo is excited about these very exciting times for the industry, not just because of the government’s aggressive pursuit of infrastructure development through the Build, Build, Build program but also due to the private sector’s drive to produce globally competitive projects. “There are plenty of opportunities for both local and international suppliers to grow their business here. Our goal in PCA is to provide a venue where they can easily explore these opportunities and for close to three decades now, PhilConstruct has been that platform.”
Aside from occupying the halls of the SMX Convention Center, the entire front parking lot of the World Trade Center was converted into an indoor exhibition hall, offering an addition of 3,000 square meters to house some of its newest international exhibitors.
PCA First Vice President Gerardo Pancho, who is also the overall chairman of this year’s PhilConstruct, says that the expansion was able to present an even wider showcase of building materials, construction equipment, fixtures and finishing solutions, as well as related services from 23 countries.
The aim is to offer a great venue for stakeholders from both the government and the private sector to see how these products and technologies from other countries can be used to further improve and strengthen the country’s various structures and infrastructures. “We expect this synergy between these stakeholders to help bring the practice of construction here in the Philippines to the next level,” Pancho adds.
At the Expo, it was also announced that PhilConstruct would be holding another event in the northern part of Luzon. Agoncillo explains, “the expo needs additional space for the exhibitors brought about by the boom in construction. The most logical solution is to have another event somewhere in the North.”
Agoncillo adds that there is a market for this type of exhibit in the North. “For about a decade now, the northern part of Luzon has been the focus of investors and developers. Bulacan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Bataan, Pangasinan, La Union, all the way to Ilocos have double digit growth rate. Infra and private investments gave the region a good purchasing power.”
He likewise says that, especially with a faster growth in infra, the Philippine industry needs to be abreast of the latest innovations overseas, and events like PhilConstruct can help with knowledge-sharing. “Technology is a big game-changer for the industry. It really has been evolving so fast. The key now is for local contractors to adapt and learn how to make the best of these developments. Modern heavy equipment, power tools, software, gadgets, etc. — a lot of solutions are now available that can help make construction more efficient, cost effective, and of consistent quality.”
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