German national Dietmar Dan Braun was still a manager at the E-learning Division of the World Bank, he traveled for the first time to Manila and found here a place where he could see himself retiring.

He was attending an annual forum at the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and admits to having been charmed by the warmth of people and the weather.

“I love it here. It’s a cliché, but I have to admit, it’s warm. Where I was born and raised, it is cold. I could never stand it. The climate, the environment, and the people, they are so friendly and open,” Braun says. “I asked myself, ‘Who can resist the Philippines?’”

As soon as he returned to Washington, D.C., when the opportunity for early retirement came, he packed his suitcase and availed of it. He then came to the Philippines, bought a house and settled in a posh subdivision in suburban Alabang in Muntinlupa City.

Apart from his post at the World Bank, he also served for 12 years at the European Commission as head of its publishing section.

Even as he is enjoying a semi-retired life here, Braun often attends events organized within the local European community.

“Last February, I made a fatal mistake of attending this event and meeting the guys here,” Braun says. He said he was invited to head the EU-Philippines Business Network (EPBN) to advance business tie-ups of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) from both EU member-states and the Philippines.

The offer was timely as he sees a lot of potential for growth for Filipino SMEs in time for the economic integration of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) in 2015.

He says the EPBN serves as a platform for engagement of the SMEs in both the Philippines and the EU member-states.

The group is led by the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) to provide integrated business support for European businesses in the Philippines.

Braun says the group offers huge potential for SMEs from EU member-states to explore the markets in the Philippines and other Asean countries.

He found the new job a lot challenging compared to his posts in Brussels and Washington, D.C. as it requires effort to engage SMEs in two of the world’s largest regional blocs, the EU and the Asean.

“But, it’s giving back by helping the SMEs to grow and in return help the people in poverty to escape that if possible,” he explains.

He says the EPBN aims to help European enterprises and SMEs to access high potential business opportunities in the Philippines.

In the last 30 years, the EU is the country’s biggest investment partner and accounts 30 percent total foreign direct investment in 2012, or €7.6 billion.

At the same time, the EU is the fourth-largest trading partner of the Philippines that accounts for 11 percent of the country’s total trade in goods in 2012, or €10.8 billion in 2013.

The EU sees the Philippines as an emerging dynamic market in the global economy, Braun says.

He says the Philippines is, likewise, a suitable growth market for European businesses and SMEs, particularly in the areas of automotive, consumer and retail goods, food and agriculture, as well as pharmaceutical products.

Also, EU companies engaged in renewable energy, infrastructure and transport, mining and maritime sectors have promising business potential in the Philippines.

Braun says growth areas in the Philippines also include health care and medical, information technology and communications, financial services as well as business-process outsourcing.

The German national says the Philippines’s competitive edge is its highly educated work force who speaks fluent English and has the ability to learn skills fast.

“Agriculture is the area where most European chambers think a lot could be done. There’s a huge potential for collaboration between European actor in optimizing agricultural production and the actual producers here in the Philippines. Notwithstanding the fact that foreigners can’t own land here, there are certainly possibilities for collaborate to improve the agricultural field both the country as such to make it more resilient and independent from external imports, while at the same time, expand its export base both for the region and Europe,” he explains.

The EPBN holds regular business dialogue for European companies in the country to learn on the country’s tax laws and domestic barriers.

Member-organizations of the EPBN include Belgian Filipino Business Club, British Chamber of Commerce, French Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, German-Philippines Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Italian Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines, Nordic Business Council of the Philippines and Spanish Chamber of Commerce.

He says the EPBN is currently exploring potential EU investments in the Philippine Export Processing Zones in the areas of agriculture and health care.

Braun says the Philippines’s warm weather and the positive outlook and hospitality of Filipinos are the biggest asset of the country in attracting retirees from Europe and America.

As he faces tough yet rewarding tasks in EPBN, he finds time to travel around the country’s island destinations, such as Puerto Princesa in Palawan, Bohol, Boracay, Puerto Galera, as well as Subic and Pampanga.

“There is a huge potential for assisted living [retirement] in the Philippines because of its very charming towns and warmhearted people,” Braun says.

He admires the environmental program of former Puerto Princesa Mayor Edward Hagedorn who has retained a large part of the province’s greenery and promoted the protection of the rich natural resources.

Bohol also offers huge potential for tourism and retirement because of its well-preserved natural resources, including pristine white beaches and rich cultural and historical heritage.

Braun says with the recent signing of the peace agreement between the government and Islamic separatists, Mindanao offers huge investment potential for European companies.

He sees the Philippines’s emerging middle class is expected to grow in the next few years due to the robust economic growth.

While some expats often return to their hometowns in Europe and America to enjoy the comforts of first-world life, Braun does not see himself leaving the Philippines anytime soon or in the future.

He admits staying at home on weekends feasting on simple Filipino dishes being prepared by his Filipina cook. Among his favorites are sinigang na tuna, tofu adobo, sizzling tuna and vegetable dishes like laing.

“I’m fascinated by the warm-heartedness of Filipinos,” Braun says. “I want to live in this country.”

Business Mirror, 07 September 2014