Philippines Netherlands Business Council - PNBC

02/07/2026

According to the World Bank the Philippines has now reached upper-middle income status. It achieved its reclassification through broad-based expansion. GDP grew at an average of 5.8% per year over five years, reflecting gains across all major industries, not a single sector boom, but an economy-wide shift.

The World Bank upgrade marks a long-sought economic milestone for the Philippines, but high prices, underemployment, and income inequality continue to plague millions of Filipinos

25/06/2026

Congratulations to Eppo Horling, outgoing Honorary Consul General and active PNBC Advisory Council member. A job well done! Wishing Joost Horling the best of luck as his successor.

21/06/2026

Meet our newest member Chris Sta Brigida-Kopp, a British-Filipino entrepreneur and hospitality professional based in Amsterdam, with interests in property management and consultancy services.
Alongside his business activities, he is actively involved in community and civic initiatives that strengthen connections between the Philippines, the Netherlands, and the wider Filipino diaspora in Europe.
He is the founder and chair of both Filipino LGBT Europe and Ayuda sa Amsterdam; and the Deputy Area Commander of the Order of the Knights of Rizal in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Chris is a devoted husband to David and a proud father to Ziggy.
A very warm welcome to Chris SB Kopp
Pictured here with our chairperson Saskia de Lang

12/06/2026

Happy Kalayaan!
Happy Philippines Independence Day!

08/06/2026

Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of the terrible earthquake in Mindanao and their families 😢🇵🇭😢🇵🇭🛘🛘

02/06/2026

We are honoured and proud to welcome to Luuk Rietvelt as our newest PNBC member. Luuk is Area Sales Manager Asia & the Pacific at Colubris. From its headquarters in the Netherlands, Colubris delivers cost-efficient, compliant, and integrated wastewater treatment and reuse solutions for industrial and municipal clients. With over 40 years of experience and more than 3,000 projects delivered across 80+ countries, the company has built a strong global track record.
In the Philippines, Colubris already has operational references across Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao. Through Luuk’s involvement, Colubris aims to further support Philippine clients in meeting DENR effluent standards with reliable, efficient, and low-operational-cost treatment solutions.

Luuk lived in Manila for nearly 10 years before returning to the Netherlands in 2024. During his time there, he worked, among others, for the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, was one of the founding members of the Dutch Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines (DCCP) in 2016, and was actively involved in the Dutch and wider European business community.

20/05/2026

Very honoured and proud to be part of the reception to welcome Foreign Secretary Lazaro in The Hague on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the diplomatic ties between NL and PH.

08/05/2026

Information Technology and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) Chief Operating Officer Ms. Celeste Ilagan paid a courtesy visit last 06 May to H.E. Ambassador J. Eduardo Malaya Malaya III at the Philippine Embassy in The Hague. Members of the Philippine Netherlands Business Council (PNBC) Board were invited to join the meeting, including PNBC Chair Saskia de Lang de Lang and Secretary Florisa Almodiel Luteijn.

Ms. Ilagan shared the remarkable journey of the Philippine IT-BPM industry from its early beginnings after the Asian financial crisis to becoming one of the country’s strongest economic pillars, contributing 8.3% to national GDP and creating meaningful employment opportunities across the Philippines.

The discussion highlighted the growing role of global capability centers and business support operations in the Philippines, with international companies increasingly entrusting Filipino teams with higher-value functions across finance, HR, logistics, administration, marketing, and customer support.

For Philippine–Dutch business relations, Europe presents exciting opportunities for deeper engagement. The Philippines is already home to significant Dutch-linked operations, including ING Hubs Philippines, as well as customer and business support services connected to companies such as KLM.

The conversation also touched on AI, workforce upskilling, emerging hubs beyond Metro Manila, and the wider social impact of the sector, enabling more Filipinos to build global careers while remaining close to their families and communities.

PNBC looks forward to supporting continued dialogue and collaboration between Philippine and Dutch stakeholders in this dynamic and fast-growing sector.

27/04/2026

Sinigang: a culinary favorite from the Philippines on Dutch TV Max. Try it out!

In Kook mee met MAX nemen Sandra en Mounir de kijker aan de hand bij het maken van makkelijke en verrassende gerechten.

17/04/2026

We are very pleased to welcome our new member of the board of the PNBC: Jackie-Lynn Hechanova.

Jackie Lynn is a seasoned global finance executive and chartered accountant with over 19 years of progressive leadership experience across Global Business Services, Finance Operations, and large-scale Business Transformations. At Unilever, Jackie played a pivotal role in the successful separation of its Tea Business and she now serves as a key finance leader in The Magnum Ice Cream Company (TMICC), in its establishment as a standalone Ice Cream business. Her strategic mindset, operational excellence, and ability to lead cross-functional teams through complex transitions have made her a trusted partner in major transformation and finance initiatives. Prior to this, she led global and regional finance operations across Asia and Australia New Zealand (ANZ) clusters, and held leadership roles in transformation and process excellence on a global scale at various multinational companies including 3M, Maersk, and Henkel.