PACC-DC

Filipina Women's Network to recognize 100 most influential Filipino women in the U.S

Mon, 25 Jun 2007 13:15:00 GMT

The Filipina Women's Network (FWN)’s search for the 100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the U.S. in now underway. FWN shall recognize these 100 Filipino women who have shifted the course of events in their own area of influence through ideas, activities, or interactions at a special awards event during the 5th Annual Filipina Summit to be held on October 25- 27, 2007 in Washington DC.

FWN’s nationwide search for 100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the U.S. is a groundbreaking endeavor to bring together Filipina women recognized for their influence in shaping the Filipino American community nationally, in their local communities, in their organizations and professional practices, and in public policy and industry. It is a part of FWN’s campaign to change public perceptions of Filipino women’s capabilities to lead, innovate and influence the society. Moreover, it is a celebration of 100 years of Filipino presence in America.

“Filipinas have been praised as the ‘silent but talented minority group’ and at the same time perceived as ‘submissive and exotic,’ overlooking their leadership and management skills. It is time that we actively promote Filipina women's capacities to lead, manage, and persuade,” said Ms. Marily Mondejar, President of the Filipina Women's Network (www.ffwn.org). “It is a shame that many Filipina women are not recognized in their positions of power and influence. We need to change that,” she added.

The search for 100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the U.S. is an initiative of Filipina Power 2012, a result of the Filipina Summit's Future Search last October, which was born with a powerful purpose to create strong leadership in the Filipino American community by 2012.

“We call on these women to collaborate resources towards continuing their work and seek their assistance in 'womantoring' the next generation of Filipina leaders. Their experiences need to be shared and we invite them to help in the succession planning of our community,” said Filipina Women's Network (www.ffwn.org) Board Chair, Tessie Zaragoza.

The Filipina Women's Network is a non-profit association for women of Philippine ancestry. FWN provides educational resources through publications, lectures, activities, and programs to further the professional and personal development of its members.

Nominations for FWN’s 100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the U.S. is extended until June 30, 2007. More details about the search are available at www.ffwn.org.

25-Jun-07 9:15 AM

“Memories of Philippine Kitchens” - Book Launch/Discussion

noemail@pacc-dc.org — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 14:24:43 GMT

Untitled Document

Thursday, June 14th from 6:30 to 8:30 pm

Embassy of the Philippines
Romulo Hall
1600 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC

Books will be available for signing at $28.00 per copy (cover price is $35.00/copy).

Sponsored by Cess Lauchengco of Fil’s@Home Int’l Realty : http://www.filamca-osw.org/gallery.html

Advanced reservations required as seating is limited and books are pre-ordered. RSVP by June 12th to Mitzi Pickard: mailto:mitzip888@yahoo.com/703.909.0791 or info@paccdc.org. There will be a guest list at the door.

The essence of Filipino food has always remained somewhat secluded in the family kitchens of Filipino homes, passed down through the generations, melding native traditions with those of Chinese, Spanish, and American cuisines. With "Memories of Philippine Kitchens" Amy Besa and Romy Dorotan, owners and chef at Soho's popular Cendrillon restaurant, present a fascinating look at Filipino cuisine and culture. They have spent years tracing the traditions of the food of the Philippines, and here they share the results of that research. “Memories of Philippine Kitchens” was recently awarded the prestigious International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) Jane Grigson Award for Distinguished Scholarship in the Quality of Research and Presentation for 2007. The book was featured in the New York Times Food Section of November 2006 and NPR’s “The Splendid Table” on May 26th.

12-Jun-07 10:24 AM

RP ranked 8th among countries with super-growth companies

Mon, 02 Apr 2007 14:00:00 GMT

A research conducted by accounting and consultancy firm Grant Thornton International shows Philippines is eight among the countries hosting companies with “super growth” status. Super growth companies are defined in the research as those firms that have grown “considerably more than the average measured against key indicators including turnover and employment.”

This year, US again tops the Super Growth Index with 44 percent of its companies reaching the super growth status. Armenia replaces India in the second rank while the latter dropped considerably to the 14th spot.

Philippines is considered as one of the “significant climbers” in the Super Growth Index moving from 23rd to the 8th rank. Other significant climbers are Russia, which moved from 29th to 18th rank; Argentina, which moved from 27th to 15th rank; and Italy, which moved from 30th to 21st rank.

It is “very interesting to see Russia and the Philippines jump from 29th to 18th and 23rd to 8th respectively,” said Alex MacBeath global leader of privately held business services for Grant Thornton International.

“Planning, productivity and good governance” explain the country’s good ranking in the Super Growth Index 2007, said President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in her keynote speech at the 26th Biennial Convention of the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Inc. (FFCCCII).

She also attributed the country’s high rankings to the continuous investments in the call center, business process outsourcing (BPO), and tourism industries.

Recently, Philippines has just been touted as the most favorable place for BPO, call center and IT-related investments in Asia. President Arroyo said Philippines has already found a niche in the world. “I have no doubt that the Filipino will prevail against all odds and against the politics of tearing down and destructionbuilding on the foundations of a new economy keyed to needs of the world and to the skills of our peopleas we shape a secure democratic future for peace, unity and security,” she added.

2-Apr-07 10:00 AM

Job Creation Continues – More Than 7.4 Million Jobs Created Since August 2003

Fri, 02 Feb 2007 15:00:00 GMT

Today, The Government Released New Jobs Figures – 111,000 Jobs Created In January.

Since August 2003, more than 7.4 million jobs have been created − more jobs than the European Union and Japan combined. Over half a million jobs (513,000) have been added in the past three months alone. Our economy has now added jobs for 41 straight months, and the unemployment rate remains low at 4.6 percent.

American Workers Are Finding Jobs And Taking Home More Pay

Real Wages Rose 1.7 Percent In The Past 12 Months. This means an extra $1,030 in the past 12 months for the typical family of four with two wage earners.

Real After-Tax Income Per Person Has Risen By 9.8 Percent – More Than $2,800 – Since The President Took Office.

The Economy Grew A Strong 3.5 Percent In The Fourth Quarter Of 2006. The economy grew 3.4 percent last year, up from 3.1 percent in 2005.

Since The First Quarter Of 2001, Productivity Had Strong Average Annual Growth Of 3.1 Percent. This is well ahead of the average productivity growth in the 1990s, 1980s, and 1970s.

The President's Agenda Will Help Keep Our Economy Flexible And Dynamic

America's Economic Leadership Depends On Sensible, Pro-Growth Tax Policies. To help bring our economy out of a recession and recover from September 11th, the Administration cut taxes on everyone who pays income taxes, doubled the child tax credit, reduced the marriage penalty, cut taxes on small businesses, and cut taxes on dividends and capital gains. The President asks Congress to help keep our economy growing by making his tax relief permanent.

We Must Spend Taxpayer Dollars Wisely To Keep The Economy Growing And Balance The Budget. On February 5, the President will submit a budget that will eliminate the deficit by 2012. To help set spending priorities, the President will work with Congress to cut the number and cost of all earmarks at least in half by the end of this session. He also believes Congress should enact a legislative line-item veto to help the legislative and executive branches work together to eliminate wasteful spending.

This Week, President Bush Delivered A Report On The State Of The U.S. Economy. America is the undisputed leader of today's global economy. The President discussed his agenda to keep our economy competitive and make it more flexible and dynamic by:

Removing Obstacles To Trade: The President has asked Congress to extend Trade Promotion Authority, which allows the Administration to negotiate trade deals, including the Doha Round. Breaking down barriers to trade and investment opens up new markets for American businesses, workers, and farmers, and results in lower prices, higher productivity, and better American jobs.

Reforming Our Health Care System: President Bush has proposed reforming the tax code with a standard deduction for health insurance to make private health insurance affordable for more Americans. He has also proposed Affordable Choices grants to give States the money and flexibility to ensure the poor and the hard-to-insure get the private health insurance they need.

Diversifying Our Energy Supply: The President has set the goal of reducing projected U.S. gasoline usage by 20 percent over the next 10 years to help diversify our energy supply and confront the challenge of climate change. To reach this goal, he has proposed setting a mandatory fuels standard to require 35 billion gallons of renewable and alternative fuels in 2017 and reforming and modernizing fuel standards for cars as we did with light trucks. The President has also proposed doubling the current capacity of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to 1.5 billion barrels by 2027.

Strengthening Public Education: The government has a responsibility to ensure our education system is preparing American workers to compete in an economy that increasingly rewards skills and education. The President asks Congress to reauthorize the No Child Left Behind Act that is getting results for our children and our economy. In addition, the President's American Competitiveness Initiative seeks to improve math and science education in middle and high schools.

2-Feb-07 10:00 AM

Sister city relationships between RP and US foster cooperation

Fri, 08 Dec 2006 20:00:00 GMT

By Artemio F. Cusi III

Success in community development has encouraged further promotion of the "sister city" partnerships between the Philippines and the United States.

Cooperation among urban communities of these two countries has spawned various forms of aid to the areas greatly in need of such help. The results of the partnerships are seen in the assistance poured by US donor cities into infrastructure, education, and health sectors, among others, in Philippine local government units.

The city of Vallejo in Northern California is one of US cities with sister-city relationship with Baguio. Members of the Vallejo Business Alliance Mission visited the Philippines from 22 to 29 October 2006 to explore business opportunities in the country as well as strengthen the ties of the Vallejo-Baguio City Sister City Relationship. Seen in the picture is Mayor Anthony Intintoli, Jr. of Vallejo (5th from left) handing a gift to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Honorable Jose de Venecia (4th from left).

Last July 2006, the World Bank Institute sponsored a seminar for the Sister Cities International 50th Anniversary Conference in Washington on how the collaborative efforts can extend support at the organizational level and identify the relevant development tools required to be effective.

Even much earlier, however, the support from the communities in the US to eradicate poverty and hunger at the city level in the Philippines has been growing.

A memorandum of agreement, for instance, had been signed by the cities of Davao and Tacoma in March 17, 2000 to stamp out the vitamin A and iron deficiencies, which are also referred to as "hidden hunger".

In addition to the long-term needs, sister cities have proven their crucial role during disaster relief operations, which require immediate response.

The cities of Makati and Los Angeles forged an agreement for an Emergency Preparedness Partnership.

In 1995, after the onslaught of Typhoon Angela, the Naga Relief Project was organized by sister city San Leandro. Medical equipment and cash donated by businesses and other groups were sent to Naga city.

In the succeeding periods, an ambulance was given by the American Medical Response of San Leandro. The Kindred Hospital and the Eden Medical Center also donated medical equipment and hospital supplies.

Although the cooperation between sister cities might provide the wrong impression that it is simply confined to that of a patron-beneficiary relationship, the advent of the information and communications technology (ICT) has further affirmed the reality of comparative advantages, and thus presented the benefits of outsourcing to both
cities involved.

While providing employment to the host area, the outsourcing firm would reduce its cost of operations because of the abundant cheap quality labor in the Philippines. Local government leaders of Bacolod city are keen in attracting business process outsourcing (BPO) and call centers investments from sister city Long Beach.

Aside from those already mentioned in this article, the following are the cities in the Philippines that have created sister city partnerships with their US counterparts:

1- Angeles City - Las Vegas, Nevada
2- Baguio City -Honolulu, Hawaii; Chicago, Illinois;     Vallejo, California
3- Cavite City - San Diego, California
4- Camiling - Juneau, Alaska
5- Cebu City - Seattle, Washington
6- Davao City - Tacoma, Washington
7- Iloilo City - Stockton, California
8- Lipa City - Fremont, California
9- Manila - San Francisco, California; Honolulu,     Hawaii; Sacramento, California
10- Makati City - Los Angeles, California
11- Palo - Palo Alto, California
12- Quezon City - Daly City, California; Salt Lake      City, Utah
13- Sariaya City - Santa Clarita, California
14- Zambales - Maui, Hawaii

8-Dec-06 3:00 PM

More Foreign Firms Calling Fairfax Home

Thu, 07 Dec 2006 20:00:00 GMT

John K. Yang fiddles with the blue, pen-shaped computer mouse he has spent three years peddling to local stores and national retail chains.

In Seoul, a team of two dozen businessmen and 150 manufacturers work to produce the ergonomic mouse, designed to reduce wrist strain, for customers in Europe and Asia. In marketing it in the United States, though, Yang is on his own.

He won't be much longer. His company, Waawoo Technology Inc., plans to move its headquarters from Seoul to Fairfax County as soon as it finds office space. Fairfax County's respected school system, diverse community and wide array of business opportunities make the area "a perfect fit" for the company, said Yang, immaculately dressed in a dark suit and bright green tie that matched the mouse packages that filled his Vienna office.

Waawoo Technology will join other foreign companies that are expanding their presence in the county, creating thousands of jobs and contributing millions of dollars to the tax base. In 1997, 17 foreign companies had Fairfax-based operations. Today, more than 350 companies from 30 countries employ about 20,000 people in the area.

The Fairfax County Economic Development Authority has aggressively recruited overseas companies to the area for more than a decade. It has opened satellite offices in key markets such as Tokyo, Tel Aviv and Frankfurt, Germany, and fostered business relationships with foreign delegations. Other local economic development agencies have also stepped in to tout the business communities of Northern Virginia, especially Fairfax County.

"We're constantly asked by embassies and trade groups to meet our member companies to try to partner up with them," said Randall Reade, chairman of the international committee of the Northern Virginia Technology Council, a consortium of 1,100 technology companies. "This is the largest concentration of tech firms outside of Silicon Valley, so it just makes sense to come here."

Nestled between Dulles International Airport and the federal government hub of Washington, Fairfax County has attracted a broad mix of nationalities, and many have set up shop in Reston, Herndon and Tysons Corner. Last month alone, 11 companies from Korea, 2 from Japan, 3 from Israel and 1 from the United Kingdom established or expanded offices in the county. Fairfax officials count about 50 Korean-owned companies, up from four in 2000. Four of the county's largest employers are headquartered outside the United States, including U.K.-based BAE Systems.

Gerald Gordon, president and chief executive of the county's Economic Development Authority, said many companies that establish a presence in the county "start with two to four people, get a contract, make a sale, and then they start growing dramatically."

Yang has found success in Fairfax, placing his product on the shelves of CompUSA and negotiating with Best Buy and RadioShack to do the same.

"This is a huge market, close to the federal government and lots of technology companies," he said. "If you want to be a global company, you have to be in the U.S., and we want to be in Fairfax."

Yang's office is housed in the Korean Business Development Center, a small-business incubator in Vienna, financed largely by the Korean government that helps Korean-based companies launch in the United States. Nine companies operate from the center, and the number of applicants has risen steadily in the four years since it opened.

Getting established, though, is not without difficulty. Obtaining work permits, visas and lines of credit is a long process for which many businesses, especially start-ups, are not prepared. Translating legal documents can also be a challenge, and the aggressive business culture of the United States sometimes catches companies off guard.

Madan Kondayyagari founded USM Business Systems Inc., a Chantilly IT consulting company, shortly after moving from India 10 years ago. It took nearly 18 months of working 17-hour days before he felt comfortable in the business community.

"We speak English, but this is still a foreign country," Kondayyagari said. "You have to accommodate another culture."

Other companies face hurdles even after establishing their U.S. presence. David Callahan, senior adviser of the Korea Business Development Center, said some companies have a hard time surviving outside the center's incubator program. Of the nine companies that have graduated from the program, one went out of business, another moved back overseas and four have stayed in the county.

"As with any small company, some will grow into the market and some won't," Callahan said, adding that some ventures don't get enough support from the parent companies back home.

The county's Economic Development Authority and the Northern Virginia Technology Council steer new companies to local real estate agents, lawyers and banks to help them get started. Individual countries have also set up offices in Fairfax to assist their companies relocating to the area. In Vienna, the Hungarian Technology Center opened three years ago to help companies expand in the United States. Also in Vienna, the Virginia Israel Advisory Board promotes the area to Israeli start-ups, and the South East England Development Agency plans to open an office next month.

Strategic Thought Inc., a British software company, benefited from the resources of its parent company 3,000 miles away. The company, which opened a U.S. office to be closer to federal customers and the local talent pool, has grown quickly since it opened a temporary, one-person office in Herndon two years ago. After landing contracts with NASA and Lockheed Martin, Strategic Thought moved in October to a new space in Herndon with enough room to accommodate 10 hires.

"Many [agencies] prefer to do business with a U.S. company," general manager Karl Pringle said. "If you're here in the market, you just hear things on the street you wouldn't hear otherwise."

Pringle said Strategic Thought chose Fairfax County because of its proximity to Dulles and relatively inexpensive office space.

"The time difference back to the parent company is less of an issue here, and you can get anywhere in the U.S. very easily because it's a travel hub," he said.

Fairfax has also attracted entrepreneurs. Seven years ago, Kiran Gullapalli followed friends and family to Fairfax from Hyderabad, India, and worked as an information technology consultant for several large companies. He then decided to start his own venture, Rapid Refill Ink, which refills and recycles printer ink cartridges. He opened his first store in Herndon in February and hopes to open two others in the area next year.

"This is an emerging high-tech region, so I've gotten a great response from small and large companies," Gullapalli said. "This area is very conducive to innovative businesses."

Yang has similar reasons and said the community, with its well-regarded schools and diverse neighborhoods, was a big selling point when the company chose to locate its U.S. operations in Fairfax.

Fairfax County's concentration of high-income consumers and technology-friendly markets is similar to Korea's business climate, so companies make an easy transition to the country, said Do Hyun Woo, the center's director.

The Economic Development Authority spends about $500,000, around 7 percent of its annual budget, to run offices in Seoul, Frankfurt, Bangalore, London and Tel Aviv. It plans to open a sixth office in a Latin American city.

Spending such resources on overseas offices has not always been popular. Five years ago, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors criticized the agency as spending money to benefit foreign businesses rather than revitalizing faded areas of the county. Some politicians urged the agency to form partnerships with other countries without spending so much money.

But Gordon said the agency is more concerned with investing in the county's tax base. "Trade is a wealth generator, but it doesn't fill office space and help pay for public schools," he said. "I think people acknowledge the return has been much greater than the investment."

The technology council's international committee, which is organizing a venture capital event for March, has hosted groups from Argentina, Belarus, Latvia, India and Egypt. This month, organizations from Ukraine, Japan and Russia will visit Fairfax.

"Theoretically you can start a business in the middle of North Dakota as a way to get into the U.S., but you really need to be in an area where there's a high concentration of similar businesses around you to learn the lingo, get the best advice and meet people face-to-face," said Reade, of the Northern Virginia Technology Council. "The caliber of people I meet on a weekly basis is just astounding."

7-Dec-06 3:00 PM

New Va. bank targets Asian customers

Fri, 25 Aug 2006 19:00:00 GMT

A Texas bank that caters to the Asian community will open a full-service branch Sept. 1 in Springfield, its first in the area.

Dallas-based United Central Bank, which opened loan processing centers in Alexandria and Richmond earlier this year, plans to take full advantage of what many people see as one of the hottest banking markets: Immigrants.

Going after the Asian market is not a new practice for financial service companies.

"If you are not marketing to Asians, you are already behind," says Saul Gitlin, executive vice president at Kang & Lee Advertising in New York.

There's plenty of immigrant business to go around in Greater Washington.

Nearly 20 percent of the region's population is foreign born, according the 2005 American Community Survey released by the Census Bureau, and 36.1 percent of the slightly more than 1 million foreign-born residents in the area came from Asian countries.

In addition, 24.1 percent of the region's population over the age of 5 speaks a foreign language as its primary language at home.

United Central's new branch will have 10 employees who speak seven languages including Korean, Mandarin Chinese, Hindi, Urdu and Vietnamese.

The bank has begun marketing itself to potential customers through ads in ethnic newspapers and on cable TV programs, says David Kim, vice president and business development officer.

United Central Bank will offer checking and savings products, as well as a variety of commercial and SBA loans.

The bank already is active in local SBA lending. It made four loans for a total of nearly $1 million between October 2005 and July 2006, according to the SBA.

That makes the bank the 30th most active lender in the Washington area for that period.

25-Aug-06 3:00 PM

Asian-Owned Firms Booming: Contracting and Outsourcing Help Fuel the Growth of a Regional Economic Force

Mon, 21 Aug 2006 16:00:00 GMT

The number of Asian-owned businesses surged in the Washington area from 1997 to 2002, as a diverse mix of entrepreneurs with broad global ties flocked to the region's technology and government contracting sectors in suburban commercial centers outside the District, according to a U.S. Census Bureau report released yesterday.

The number of firms owned by ethnic Asians locally rose 30 percent, to 40,152, during the five years studied, double the national rate of growth for all businesses and more than the 24 percent growth in Asian-owned firms nationwide.

Though the number of Asian-owned firms in the District fell slightly, growth in the outer suburbs was explosive, with the number of firms roughly tripling in Loudoun and Frederick counties and more than doubling in Prince William.

It was a trend driven by small-business aspirations, familial interests and larger global forces -- from the tech boom to the rise in government contracting and corporate outsourcing.

Indian-owned government contractor Zolon Tech Inc. began in Sterling and later opened an engineering development office in Hyderabad, India. Lani Abeya-Barnabas started home-health-care firm Encore NG Services Inc. in Rockville with the help of relatives here and in Manila. South Korean-owned New Star Realty has offices in Fairfax and Centreville and sends agents to market local properties in Seoul.

Maria Nguyen, 36, owner of Elegance Nails in Fairfax, used the salon as a steppingstone after emigrating from Vietnam. The business helped her support a family while attending computer science classes, but she now plans to sell it after being offered a job at the Defense Department.

"I'm going to sell my business through a Vietnamese broker who will find another family that is in the same position as ours was when we first started," Nguyen said.

"Asian businesses are different from other minorities in that they are using family connections and connections to their home countries to make these businesses work," said Ying Lowrey, a senior economist at the Small Business Administration. "That kind of capital mobility within a global arena is important and has a positive impact on our economy."

The number of local Asian-owned firms grew more slowly than did the number of Hispanic- and black-owned businesses, which increased 50 percent to 28,936, and 38 percent to 67,213, respectively, during the same period.

But the Asian-owned firms tended to bring in more revenue, as Indian and Korean entrepreneurs in particular, many concentrated in scientific and technical fields, benefited from a boom in technology and security spending. During the period included in the recent report, the revenue of Asian-owned firms increased 36 percent, to $10 billion.

Businesses created by all major Asian ethnic groups grew in the Washington area, but growth was most rapid among the Filipino and Japanese communities. The number of Filipino-owned firms more than doubled to 3,436, and the number of Japanese-owned firms grew 69 percent to 1,216.

However, the South Korean community had the largest number of businesses, with 9,406, while Indian-owned firms pulled in the most revenue. The number of Indian-owned companies grew 46 percent to 8,707, and they earned $3.8 billion.

Sudhakar Shenoy, president-elect of Indian entrepreneur association Tie-DC, said a number of Indian business owners have migrated to the Dulles corridor of Fairfax County because of the area's connection to the federal government.

Fairfax county had the largest number of Asian-owned businesses at 14,313, up 35 percent from 1997 to 2002. The number of Asian-owned firms in Montgomery County rose 17 percent to 10,819.

"So many Indian-owned high-tech companies have started getting 8(a) designations," Shenoy said, referring to the federal program that provides government contracts for minority-owned firms. "This has attracted highly educated and skilled Indian professionals, particularly in engineering."

Shenoy estimates that 80,000 people in the region are employed by Indian-owned firms. Tie-DC says it has 290 member companies that are Indian-owned.

The growth in Filipino and Japanese businesses points to an economic evolution in groups that historically have not been known for their entrepreneurialism in the United States.

Filipino Americans have for years had a foothold in professional services such as health care and teaching because of their English proficiency and the high education levels among immigrants. Lately, there has been a movement toward business ownership in related fields and retail firms that serve the region's growing Filipino population.

"This is the second and third generation that is really motivated," said Mitzi Pickard, head of the Philippines American Chamber of Commerce in the District. Businesses have stretched beyond the largest Filipino centers in Prince George's County and into suburban areas such as Fairfax, Prince William and Montgomery counties, she said.

Abeya-Barnabas, a second-generation Filipino American, took the combined experiences of a family of health-care professionals to form Encore. And initially, she tapped into the community's pool of nurses and caregivers for employees of her business, which offers home care for the elderly and disabled.

"We worked with the circles that we knew," Abeya-Barnbas said.

Japanese business organizations were surprised by the rapid growth in Japanese-owned firms. They said the growth has come in part from Japan-based biotechnology and high-tech companies opening local offices in Fairfax and Montgomery counties. With the recent recovery of Japan's economy, more investments have been made overseas, he said.

"Even though we have seen numbers increase in our membership, it is not even close to these numbers," said Takashi Misukami of the Japan Commerce Association of Washington.

The number of Vietnamese-owned firms rose 38 percent to 6,071, while the number of Chinese-owned firms increased 14 percent to 7,591.

21-Aug-06 12:00 PM

Filnet Featured in the Washington Business Journal

noemail@pacc-dc.org — Wed, 16 Aug 2006 16:00:00 GMT

CEO Talks to WBJ about Improvements That Make Office “More Conducive to Creativity”

Alexandria, VA, August 16, 2005-Filnet is featured in the “Sources Say” column of this week’s Washington Business Journal (WBJ). WBJ editors asked Filnet CEO/President Chris J. Baltazar and four Washington area executives about improvements they have instituted to make their workplaces “more conducive to creativity.”

According to Mr. Baltazar, “Since most of our employees are programmers or designers, creativity is essential. Naturally, we want to keep our team in an environment that is ergonomically sound and promotes ingenuity. In terms of interior design, our high-tech themed office has plenty of open space, large work areas and an abundance of natural lighting thanks to a promenade of windows next to work stations. Beyond the windows, our staff is treated to scenic vistas of lush woodlands in the summer and vibrant foliage during autumn.”

The complete news feature can be found on page 47 in the print version of the Journal (August 11-17, 2006). Filnet was also featured in “Sources Say” last fall (October 21-27, 2005 issue).

The Washington Business Journal (WBJ) is the most read business publication in the region. Over 105,000 government and private sector executives and their staff scan the pages of WBJ every week. WBJ is located on the web at http://washington.bizjournals.com/

Filnet is a certified SBA 8(a) business that provides data quality, web applications and web development services for government and commercial enterprises. Privately owned and operated, the firm also offers full-lifecycle development and support services, IT staff augmentation, web hosting and online training products. Filnet has ranked 14th in Deloitte’s Virginia Fast 50 and ranked nationally in the Fast 500. Filnet is on the web at www.filnetinc.com.

16-Aug-06 12:00 PM

On the Rise

Wed, 17 May 2006 17:00:00 GMT

There are more Korean firms in the Washington region, while Filipino-owned businesses increased the most from 1997 to 2002.

SOURCE: Census Bureau | GRAPHIC: The Washington Post - May 17, 2006

17-May-06 1:00 PM