RP, Australia ministerial meet held in Manila | January 15, 2009

Members of the Australia-New Zealand Chamber of Commerce and Philippines-Australia Business Council (PABC) met in Manila recently to discuss projects and programs to address issues of urban poverty; food, clothing and education for street children; building entrepreneurial capacity for people with general disabilities; non-government  organization corporate social responsibility for the hearing impaired; and other aid-related activities.

The delegates also visited the, mining, petroleum dam and hydro projects.
Other activities during the meet included an Australian Film Festival and call on President Arroyo. Philippine Ambassador for International Trade and Investment Atty. Romela Bengzon (third from left) is shown in the photo. With (front, from left) Colin Jenner, New Zealand Ambassador Andrew Matheson, Richard Barclay, Australian minister Simon Crean MP, Albert Garcia, Millie Telan and Ross Bray.

Australia, NZ chambers meet

Members of the Australia-New Zealand Chamber of Commerce and Philippines-Australia Business Council met in Manila to discuss projects and programs to address issues of urban poverty; food, clothing and education for street children; building entrepreneurial capacity for people with general disabilities; non-government organizations-corporate social responsibility for the hearing impaired and other aid-related activities.

The delegates also visited mining, petroleum, dam, and hydro projects. Other activities during the meet included an Australian Film Festival and a call on President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Posing are Philippine Ambassador for International Trade and Investment Romela Bengzon (third from left), Colin Jenner, New Zealand Ambassador Andrew Matheson, Richard Barclay, Australian Minister Simon Crean MP, Albert Garcia, Millie Telan and Ross Bray.

Free Trade. The government of Australia and New Zealand recently invited Philippine Trade Ambassador Mela Bengzon to help evaluate the proposed Free Trade Agreement with ASEAN, Bengzon, left, with New Zealand minister of Trade Phil Goff was accompanied by Alberto Lim of the Makati Business Club.

As part of Australia and New Zealand’s efforts to bolster the proposed Free Trade Agreement with the ASEAN, the two nations invited Philippine Trade Ambassador Mela Bengzon to provide her evaluation of the planned alliance. Accompanied by Alberto Lim of the Makati Business Club, Bengzon flew to the Australian capital of Canberra, where Hon. David Spencer, deputy secretary of Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Australia warmly received her.

Assumtionistas helped a thousand families
In line with its charitable advocacy, Assumption-Iloilo’s high school class of 1976 (Class ‘76) is currently organizing a foundation to provide continuous support to the victims of several typhoons that have wreaked havoc in the Western Visayas this year.

Batch ’76 has distributed relief goods to over a thousand families in Iloilo City. Donations solicited by class members from various companies and groups were coursed through The Bengzon Law Firm primarily through the efforts of DTI Trade Ambassador Atty. Mela Mosqueda Bengzon, herself a member of AC Class of ’76.

Relief goods which include blankets, plates, foodstuffs and water in containers were given to the families hit hardest by the floodwaters. Recipients of the good are residents of Brgy. Taft North and Sta. Rosa in Mandurriao district and Dungon B, and Calubihan in the Jaro district. A separate batch of supplies was distributed to families in Brgy. Buntatala.

Among the members of Class ‘76who helped in the relief operations were Iloilo City First Lady Rosalie Trenas, Lilibeth Balagtas, Rose Arenas, Rima Datuin, Hannah Arcenas, Cristina Ng, Jane Jarantilla, Liza Thompson and Atty. Bengzon. St. Clare Salvani, r.a., Superior of assumption-Iloilo also assisted in the Operations.

Assumtionistas helped a thousand families
In line with its charitable advocacy, Assumption-Iloilo’s high school class of 1976 (Class ‘76) is currently organizing a foundation to provide continuous support to the victims of several typhoons that have wreaked havoc in the Western Visayas this year.

Batch ’76 has distributed relief goods to over a thousand families in Iloilo City. Donations solicited by class members from various companies and groups were coursed through The Bengzon Law Firm primarily through the efforts of DTI Trade Ambassador Atty. Mela Mosqueda Bengzon, herself a member of AC Class of ’76.

Among the members of Class ‘76who helped in the relief operations were Iloilo City First Lady Rosalie Trenas, Lilibeth Balagtas, Rose Arenas, Rima Datuin, Hannah Arcenas, Cristina Ng, Jane Jarantilla, Liza Thompson and Atty. Bengzon. St. Clare Salvani, r.a., Superior of assumption-Iloilo also assisted in the Operations.

Photos shows President Arroyo, who is herself a member of Assumption batch 1976, with the foundation members Bengzon and Dr. Tina Magalona-Ng.

From The Strands | Philippine Star

I’m sure most of us Filipinos are familiar with Manila hemp or abaca, the small, inedible plant that’s a semi wild variety of the banana tree. While abaca has been used primarily to make rope it also used as fabric material that is durable, and when dyed, lends it self to extremely colorful designs and patterns.

Abaca as fabric material came to my mind when I recently saw a foreign woman at a hotel in Makati whose dress simply fascinated me. As she was about to leave, I approached and complimented her on her outfit. The lady whom I found out is a British national, flashed a warm smile, thanked me and said she had it made in Manila, and the material used was … you guessed it, abaca.

I then remembered that shortly after President Arroyo’s State of the Nation after address, I came across a photo of lawyer Romela Bengzon who had attended the event, in an elegant off-shoulder multi-layered outfit by Patrice Ramos Diaz, and the fabric used was abaca.

I learned recently that Attorney Bengzon who is also our Trade Ambassador to the European Union, has been busy promoting Manila hemp, in its various applications, in the countries she deals with. Bravo to her for this endeavor. Hump-hemp, hooray!

To The Point | Manila Standard Today Tuesday, November 18, 2008

It seems that philanthropy has become an abuse and concept instead of seeing it as charitable giving. In fact, some people now regard it as an excuse to create tax shelters, with no real humanitarian goal in mind. Others use it as a means to outdone another, where charity work is turned into a status symbol.

The reality of the situation is, you look out the window and see more people deserving of charity than those who are able to give it. Philanthropy and altruism in truest form should be embraced by a country such as ours.

One person who’s been doing this with hardly any fanfare is lawyer Romela Bengzon. At first glance, she doesn’t fit the typical profile for, among others, an advocate of the local textile industry, or an institution devoted to helping abandoned and mentally handicapped children.

Bengzon is the managing partner of her own firm, a member of the New York Bar, practices corporate law, teaches graduate level classes in three universities and our trade ambassador to the European Union. It’s a lot to handle for anybody, but so far, she manages to pull it off. Bravo! We ought to have more like her.

Pafi Supports Virlane Foundation

Trade Ambassador to the European Union Mela M. Bengzon trustee of Project Artists Foundation Inc. (PAFI), and Dominique Lemay, president of Virlanie Foundation Inc. has signed an agreement that allows Virlanie’s care and protection. Virlanie is a nongovernmental organization and a member of the Special National Committee Against Child Prostitution and the Technical Working Group of the Department of Justice. The foundation runs 12 homes, caring for 300 children. It employs 75 Filipino Social Workers, street educators, house parents and civic-minded volunteers.

Business from Australia, New Zealand Visit R.P.

Members of the Australia New Zealand Chamber of Commerce (ANCHAM) and Philippines-Australia Business Council (PABC) met in Manila recently to discuss projects and programs to address issues of urban poverty; food , clothing and education for street children; building entrepreneurial capacity for people with general disabilities; NGO-corporate social responsibility for the hearing impaired and other aid-related  activities. The delegates also visited mining, petroleum, dam and hydro projects. Other activities during the meet included an Australian Film Festival and call on President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Philippine Ambassador for International Trade and Investment Atty. Romela Bengzon.