Argentina’s seat of government, where Evita Peron used to deliver her speeches. Photo By MARS W. MOSQUEDA JR.

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – The powdery white sand beach of the world-famous Copacabana stretches to as far as the eyes can see. Here, millions of beach lovers from around the world make their pilgrimage every year even as the waters are not fit for swimming due to the freezing, huge waves. Just across the beach, hundreds of bars and establishments dot the avenue where thousands of party lovers spend the night in a festive mood.

This is Rio de Janeiro, the world’s carnival and party capital, the most fitting venue to relax and unwind after a two-week trade mission in South America that spanned three countries, nine airplane rides, two foreign languages,and millions of dollars worth of future business partnerships for Cebu and the Philippines in general.

A first in the history of any province in the Philippines, Cebu embarked on an ambitious, two-week business and trade mission to Brazil, Argentina-- and Chile – the major economies of South America – with the hope of establishing ties with businessmen of the said countries and further promoting Cebu as a perfect destination for business and leisure.

The 26-member Cebu delegation, headed by Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia and composed mostly of officers and members of the dynamic Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI), started its journey towards the other half of the globe through a nine-hour flight from Cebu to Doha, Qatar. A sleep-over in the Arabian country immediately recharged everyone’s energy in preparation for the 15-hour flight to the city of Sao Paulo in Brazil.

Sao Paulo, Brazil

Sao Paulo, the largest city in Brazil and the 10th richest city in the world, provided a perfect headstart for members of the Cebu delegation who were all eager to meet their business counterparts and talk about nothing less than business and investments.

It was all business for the Cebu delegation in the morning of the second day in Sao Paulo as Cebu businessmen met officials of the Federation of Industries of the State of Sao Paulo (FIESP) and the National Confederation of Industries (CNI). Governor Garcia also did the brief introduction of the trade mission as well as the presentation of the Province of Cebu that immediately stirred the interest of the Brazilian businessmen.

“We do hope that with our business matching and with our smiles and warmth and graciousness, we will be able to conquer your hearts and minds. We look forward to a mutually beneficial long-lasting relationship between businesses in Cebu and Sao Paulo,” Garcia told the Brazilian traders.

Thomaz Zanotto, director of FIESP, the largest professional body in Brazil comprising 132 business associations, said the trade mission was very timely considering that Brazil’s trade with developing countries is growing in big numbers.

The half-day business meeting was capped with a roundtable discussion where Cebu’s businessmen exchanged views and discussed partnership possibilities with their Brazilian counterparts. The other half of the day was spent in a city tour of the the wonderful city of Sao Paulo – where buildings compete with each other through elegant and unique architecture, where almost everyone is wearing a coat and tie while rushing towards their workplaces, where the atmosphere exudes nothing but business and commerce.

The following day, the entire delegation was brought to the world famous Iguazu Falls, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World and one of the top tourist attractions of South America. Iguazu Falls is a spectacular grouping of 275 magnificent and thundering waterfalls that provide an out-of-this-world feeling for the Cebu delegation, mostly first-timers in this wonderful work of nature. A long and winding ramp, which offers a panoramic view of the Iguazu, led us closer to one of the falls, so close that we had to wear raincoats to avoid getting wet.

Everyone wanted to stay a little longer and enjoy the majestic grandeur of the Iguazu but we had to prepare for our next destination – Buenos Aires, the capital and largest city of Argentina and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America. The delegation arrived in Argentina on a weekend, which means there was plenty of time to tour the city and recharge our spirits for the series of business meetings ahead.

Buneos Aires, Argentina

Buenos Aires is a neat, progressive and fast-paced city where historical landmarks blend with commercial establishments and where history is preserved through hundreds of monuments scattered all over this park-rich Argentinian capital. I believe it is only in Buenos Aires that a cemetery forms part of a city tour. But La Recoleta is not just an ordinary cemetery. Located right at the heart of the city, it is home to the graves of notable people, including the world-famous Evita Perón, and several presidents and wealthy people of Argentina.

Among the places that the Cebu delegation visited were the Casa Rosada which is Argentina’s government house and whose balcony was made famous by the speeches of Evita Peron during the presidency of her husband; the Plaza de Mayo, which has become a freedom park for the Argentinians; the Obelisk which has become a symbol of the city; and the various statues and parks that form part of this progressive metropolis.

A unique tourist drawer in Buenos Aires is the Tigre Delta Cruise that brings first-timers to a labyrinth of rivers and channels of the Tigre River, 30 kilometers away from the city. Here, hundreds of green islands dot the landscape that spans 220 square kilometers and which has become a favorite weekend getaway for the lovers of the river.

The Cebu delegation boarded a riverboat to explore the maze of channels and streams, islands, riverside villas, Victorian docks, English gardens and traditional rowing clubs. The boat ride also features magnificent view of weekend houses with their own mini docks. And because it was a weekend, Argentinian families and friends were seen enjoying the brownish-red colored water of the river and happily waving their hands to welcome the cruising tourists.

Dinner was served at the best tango venues of Buenos Aires, fittingly, because the city is famous for its tango, with origins dating back to the 1880s in the slums of the La Boca neighborhood. The tiring, albeit memorable, day tour was immediately washed away as the amazing tango dancers performed the traditional dance at its best.

The following two days in Argentina were spent mostly with business meetings and business matching sessions organized by the Argentine Chamber of Commerce for Southeast Asia, represented by its executive director Martin Lo Coco. After the business matching, Governor Garcia and the trade mission delegation called on Philippine Ambassador Rey Carandang.

Gov. Garcia, accompanied by Cebu Board Members Wilfredo Caminero and Peter John Calderon, also met with officials of Centro Metroplitano de Diseño (CMD), a state institution created to assist companies, designers and entrepreneurs in the city of Buenos Aires in order to improve their current competitiveness based on design and innovation. CMD Operations Director Gaston Marando has expressed interest in visiting Cebu next year to bring the designs of their country during the design summit that the province will be hosting.

And while everyone was starting to fall in love with Buenos Aires, we had to pack our bags for our next destination – Santiago City in Chile – but not without some quick shopping at the famous Florida Street in Buenos Aires.

Santiago, Chile

The last and, perhaps, the most important leg of the two-week trade mission was Santiago, Chile. Santiago is roughly two-hours away from Buenos Aires by plane. And while the plane ride was a perfect time to take a nap, I was wide awake in anticipation of finally seeing the mighty Andes mountain range from the plane. And I was not disappointed. After an hour of waiting, the snowcapped Andes mountains slowly emerged from my window seat, exposing their grandeur and might before my very eyes. Mixed emotions enveloped my entire senses as I came to realize that I was actually above the Andes, the world’s longest continental mountain range, for real and not just in my dreams. The Andes separates Argentina and Chile.

The delegation was met by Philippine Ambassador to Chile Ma. Consuelo Puyat-Reyes, who excitingly told us that the trade mission was a first for a Philippine province and second only to the trade mission launched by then President Joseph Estrada during his administration.

In response, Garcia said the trade mission was a clear embodiment of a working private and public partnership. “It had to take Cebu and it had to take the active and very dynamic cooperation and partnership between the business sector and the provincial government.”

The Chile part of the two-week trade mission was very important for the Province of Cebu because it was here that Cebu signed a sisterhood agreement with Chile’s Valparaiso region. Garcia and Intendant Raul Celis of the Valparaiso region sealed the sisterhood agreement that intends to foster an active partnership, a mechanism of concrete cooperation and exchange in trade and various areas that both Cebu and Valparaiso share in common.

“This is very important not only for Valparaiso but for Chile and the entire South America because Valparaiso region is a gate of entry and exit of South America,” said Intendant Celis, who heads the entire Valparaiso region that is composed of eight provinces.

Garcia, for her part, said the signing of the sisterhood agreement is ground breaking and very historic for the province of Cebu that has so much in common with Valparaiso in terms of tourism, geography and dynamic leaders.

A business matching session between the Cebu traders and members of the Federation of Chilean Industry (SOFOFA), Chile’s largest trade association, and the Camara Nacional de Comercio (CNC), Chile’s National Chamber of Commerce was held on our last day in Chile.

CNC Presidet Carlos Jorquiera vowed to assist businesses from the Philippines, especially from Cebu, in order to increase trade and business value between the two countries.

Rio De Janerio, Brazil

Before heading back home, the Cebu delegation dropped by Rio de Janeiro in Brazil for two nights of rest and recreation. A quick tour around Rio gave everyone a chance to try out bars, lounges and samba houses in the city. And when night took over, the entire Rio was transformed into a carnival city – lively, positively noisy and with plenty of fun and laughter.

And of course, a trip to Rio will not be complete without going to the famous Christ the Redeemer, the world-famous statue of Jesus Christ that is considered the largest Art Deco statue in the world and the fifth largest statue of Jesus in the entire planet. To get to the statue, we had to take a 25-minute train ride through the lush mountain greenery to the station on top of the mountain.

While the statue of Jesus Christ is the main attraction of the place, the breathtaking view of Rio de Janeiro from 710 meters above sea level is just as awesome as the Redeemer. Here, thousands of tourists, regardless of race and religion, climb their way to the top everyday to have their pictures taken with the Redeemer in the background.

Finally, it was time to fly back home – which meant nearly 24 hours of plane ride that crossed the continents of Africa, Middle East and Asia. But our mission was over and it ended with a resounding success.

“I think this has been a very fruitful and most successful trade mission because all of the programs scheduled by the Philippine embassies in Brazil, Argentina and Chile were all carried out,” said Garcia before boarding the plane to Doha. “We traveled halfway across the world just to promote Cebu and I do believe this will really have a positive impact.”

Mission accomplished.