Emil Banno, the founder and CEO of JCash, an investment technology advisory, believes that the Philippines can see a further influx of Japanese investments during the term of the current administration.
JCash is a partner to global banking institutions that gives their clientele the flexibility in seeking optimum rates and getting the best transaction execution possible. They have offices in Tokyo and Manila.
“As demonstrated by the subway partnership, Japan not only has the financial capability, but the technological expertise to assist the Philippines in many areas. Developing this relationship further will thus bring a two-fold benefit to the nation: We’ll have both the know-how and the funding necessary to accelerate our innovation,” said Banno.
Fluent in Nihongo and Filipino, Banno is an expert on Japanese-Filipino relations. He and his company has served as a delegate on previous investment roadshows to Japan, as in the case of the Japan Cryptocurrency Forum in 2018.
In his capacity as principal at JCash, Banno has himself attracted over US$100M in Japanese investments to the Philippines, mostly in the form of institutional investors looking to diversify into different Filipino industries, including everything from retail, fintech, real estate, and agriculture to business process outsourcing.
While these figures may be impressive for a single principal, Banno himself believes that the best is yet to come. As a consultant privy to market sentiments of Japanese business leaders, he shares that both individuals and institutions are bullish more than ever in the Philippines.
Banno cited several common reasons for this investor confidence, including the nation’s reopening from the government-mandated lockdowns, the increasing digitalization of the workforce, and the evolution of new work configurations, such as hybrid work.
Perhaps most surprisingly — for a country not necessarily known for Web3 technologies — Banno also pointed to the emergence of blockchain as a foundational technology of many of the nation’s systems as a reason for Japanese optimism.
For example, the blockchain BLX was recently selected by BSP-regulated Frenetic to serve as the backbone of its upcoming fintech marketplace, and it is also set for other major deployments in the country. BLX is a US-registered decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) and recently raised US$12.5M in seed funding.
“The Japanese investors I’ve spoken to, especially those with background in financial services or fin-tech, believe that blockchain is how the Philippines can make dramatic leaps like Indonesia or Vietnam. Turning to a global blockchain like BLX is a smart choice because the businesses that build atop of it can exponentially increase their efficiency, transparency, and affordability – all great signals for any investor,” according to Banno explaining the connection between the Philippine blockchain and Japanese investors.
Banno is himself so bullish on blockchain that he will be using BLX for any ventures with Japanese investors, so any business becomes instantly ready for Web3, no matter the industry. He concluded by encouraging forward-thinking Filipino businesses and entrepreneurs to seek out Japanese investors for partnership.