Programa Uitzending Managers (PUM) or what has been known as The Netherlands Management Cooperation Program has renewed its ties with the Bulacan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, one of its local representatives in the Philippines.

The PUM is an on-going cooperation program being implemented by the Dutch government. It is an organization of retired Dutch business managers who have earned their own spurs in their respective areas of business. BCCI is its representative in the Central Luzon Area.

Six (6) projects were implemented last year with the following companies as beneficiaries: Guiguinto Printing Press, ProEst Phils., Inc., Sunglobe Enterprises, PhilExport Pampanga, Hiyas Water Resources, and the Bulacan Tourism Council. The experts provided technical expertise to provide solutions to specifically identified problems being experienced by each company.

The round-trip air fare of the experts are shouldered by the Dutch organization. The beneficiary shoulders the expenses for board and lodging while the experts are in the country.

Guiguinto Printing Press has been beleaguered by the lack of capital for acquisition of new machinery. Mr. Jack Bruin provided suggestions on how they could improve efficiency of raw materials consumption.

ProEst Phils. was advised by Mr. Piet Kanters, shoe expert from Bata. Aside from providing inputs on European standards on safety shoes, he was able to bring a long moth-balled manufacturing equipment into operational status.

Henk Volkers went around Bulacan to be able to develop a personal insight on the province's tourism potential. Ms. Rosette Reyes of the Provincial Tourism Office is set to undergo a tourism management training course in Amsterdam sometime in October, 2005, as an output of this consultancy project.

There is an unending list of the industries qualified under the PUM Project. Aside from addressing technical problems, this consultancy project also opens a big opportunity to expose our local products to the European market.

Interested parties may get in touch with the BCCI Secretariat at Tel. Nos. (044)791-2574 for further information regarding the program.