On top of the devastating personal and financial toll that it took on countless Philippine families, the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic also meant trouble for businesses large and small.

The long lockdowns in the country meant many businesses were shut down — for months if you were lucky, and permanently if less so. The ones who were still around when the quarantine restrictions started easing up were left scrambling to learn how to operate in this “New Normal,” in which people were still barely going out, and logistics were complicated and difficult.

These challenges were the focus of JCI Senate Manila’s Online Learning Series 2020. These online talks, which aired in July, were created to provide key insider knowledge to help entrepreneurs navigate the maze of doing business post-pandemic. 

The first guest speaker was real estate expert Justin dela Cruz, who shared his insights on property market behavior in the past year. He pointed out that in spite of the pandemic, there are fundamentals that the Philippine real estate scene can factor in: the country’s low foreign debt, an investment grade credit rating, and a young growing population. He also pointed out that, in fact, the Philippines is in a period called the “demographic sweet spot” in which the median age is 24-30.

The expert invited to the talk was Atty. Joseph Samuel L. Zapata, legal service for the Bureau of Customs, as well as professor at the Lyceum of the Philippines and Licensed Customs Broker. Atty. Zapata went into detail about importation protocols and customs duties. He discussed the different methods of importation, and the corresponding levels of responsibility for sellers and buyers. He also demonstrated how to use the Bureau of Customs website for filing customs goods declarations during the pandemic. 

To watch the Online Learning Series videos, and be updated on JCI Senate Manila’s future webcasts, follow our Facebook page: facebook.com/JCISenateManila/