Record number of PHL reps to int'l fair sign of booming construction industry

The unprecedented number of construction stakeholders forming the country's delegation to the 30th International Trade Fair for Construction Machinery, Building Material Machines, Mining Machines, Construction Vehicles and Construction Equipment (Bauma) in Germany is a reflection of the country's booming construction industry, a chamber of commerce official said. European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) executive vice president Henry Schumacher said on Tuesday that the more than 200-strong delegation will be able to update their "processes, equipment and technology" at the fair. “Bauma is the place to see the latest technogies and equipment,” he said. The country's continued economic growth, plus the roll-out of the government's public-private partnership projects for public infrastructure development, have helped the local construction industry thrive in recent years. In 2010 the country, through the ECCP, sent only 20 firms to Bauma. Most of the delegates are members of the Philippine Construction Association, said Schumacher. “Most of those going are into construction of buildings and infrastructure as well as trading of metals and stones.” Spread out over 555,000 square meters, with 3,256 international companies participating and more than 500,000 visitors expected to attend, Bauma is the world's largest trade fair. It will include exhibits of construction vehicles and machines; equipment for the mining, extraction, and processing of minerals; and supplies such as transmission engineering, fluid technology, and power generation units. — BM, GMA News