LUCENA CITY, Quezon – For the first time in the region, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in the Calabarzon region organized on Saturday the first meeting and investment forum between micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon with the visiting Canadian inbound mission delegates at the Queen Margarette Hotel here.
Filipino-Canadian Steve Pagao, president of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce-Toronto (PCCT) led the 10 Canadian delegation for the pre-matched arrangement of the B2B meeting with entrepreneurs of MSMEs in the region.
Marilou Q. Toledo, regional director, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Calabarzon, said the Canadian inbound mission delegation was an immediate response of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce-Toronto (PCCT) to the DTI-led outbound trade and business mission last Nov. 12-22, 2017 that promoted Calabarzon products in Canada specifically in Toronto and Ottawa.
“Everything went so fast. I don’t expect that in a matter of three months there is already an incoming mission to concretized and to look at the area (Alabat town) as an area for investment and an area to collaborate and make our products acceptable in the Canadian market,” Toledo said.
“We want to let our delegates from Canada (know) what Calabarzon can offer,” she added.
Toledo informed that Regional Director Alexander R. Madrigal of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Calabarzon joined that mission as in-charge of research and development that will make the region’s products more innovative and more competitive.
She said Mayor Fernando Mesa of Alabat town in Quezon also joined the mission since the development of an island economy has been earmarked in island towns of Alabat, Perez and Quezon considered as geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs) in the country.
Meanwhile, Assistant Secretary Maria Roseni M. Alvero, senior trade commissioner, Philippine Consulate General, DTI Foreign Trade Service Corps in Toronto, Canada, explained the strategic importance of Canada having a bigger market, larger population of Filipino migrants, and increased infrastructures.
She said DTI has to make up for lost opportunities for 16 years, after the closure of its office in Toronto in 2001 and was revived only in December 2017.
Alvero pointed out that Canada is the 11th leading exporter and 10th leading importer in the world but most of the trade happened in North America through the United States that even Filipino products are imported through the US.
“Philippine-Canada trade is not in the top 20 but we are ahead with United Kingdom and Switzerland. Our export to Canada is greater than our import,” Alvero said. “We are performing very well. Positive trade balance.”
Alvero said further that among the Asian countries, the Philippines is the fifth major supplier of merchandise imports, which are much desired since the country has a bigger market and very competitive but lacking promotions.
She discussed the strategic initiatives on turning Overseas Filipinos (OFs) to Overseas Filipino Investors (OFIs) and the Philippine Makapuno Industry and agribusiness investment program in Alabat Island.
Alvero said the project, funded by collaborating government agencies in the Calabarzon region such as the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Agriculture (DA), Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Land Bank of Philippines (LBP) including DTI and local government units, will benefit the farmers in Alabat Island and the overseas workers as investors.
“This is a program that will improve the economic conditions at the grassroot level targeting farmers, small and medium entrepreneurs. It is a model for diaspora investing,”Alvero explained adding that overseas workers can invest in a project where trust and accountability of management are well defined instead of sending money back home with no viable returns expected.
Likewise, Dr. Alexander Madrigal expounded the program to put the Philippine Makapuno as a brand both locally and globally as the region provides 97 percent of Makapuno supply currently in the country.
For a long time, he said, the Makapuno technology of turning an embryo to a tree was not worked out for commercialization until DOST took over in 2011 and established a road map for production of Makapuno to meet the growing demands.
And with the collaboration of other agencies like PCA and DA, products out of Makapuno has been developed aside from the usual ‘sweets’ items. Makapuno powder and flakes has been developed for food product category and the Makgum as non-food product out of the liquid part of the nut which can be used in the beauty industry, Madrigal cited.
Madrigal narrated that Thailand sometime in 1979 was able to obtain some Kabuwig nuts and established a Makapuno Island but the result was not remarkable while Vietnam and China are also getting interested in Makapuno production tapping Filipino scientists.
He went on saying that in collaboration with other agencies, they are developing a value chain approach to an island economy and found Alabat island fit for the investments since possible attack of ‘cocolisap’can be contained easily and ensure continuous supply.
Madrigal posed a challenge to the MSMEs to support and invest in the Makapuno program having learned the lesson of Ilang-ilang , a native plant in our country, now developed by France for their perfume industry.
“Calabarzon should embrace our goldmine (Makapuno). It is our commodity. No one can take it from us, “he said pointing to the threats from other countries interested in developing Makapuno in their lands. (PNA)
