The 18 trustees on the Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc. (PHILEXPORT) board led by president Dr. Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr. have obtained a fresh mandate from members for another two-year term to set the policy and program direction for the country’s largest export trade group.
Reelected as PHILEXPORT Board of Trustees were Ortiz-Luis for resource-based sector; Bryan Ang, automotive parts and components; Apolinar Aure, housewares; George Barcelon, footwear, leather and travel goods; Oscar Barrera, chemicals sector; Bernardo Benedicto III, metals; Myrna Bituin, furniture; William Co and Enunina Mangio, associate; Ferdinand Ferrer, electronics; Mina Gabor, tourism; Mila Lacson, holiday decors, gifts and premiums; William Tiu Lim, food; Cecilia Ramos, fashion accessories and jewelry; Diana Santos, garments; Apolinar Suarez Jr., non-metals; Jon Mykel Teodoro, information technology, products and services; and Robert Young, textiles.
Ang replaced father Francis Chua.
New in the corporate officers list is vice chair Ferrer, replacing Co who is now the chair.
The list also included Aure, Corporate Secretary and Benedicto, treasurer.
The elections were conducted during the organization’s general membership meeting on Jan. 16.
Ortiz-Luis said that as they move forward from the election, PHILEXPORT reiterates and renews its commitment to be an advocate and facilitator of positive developments for the industry, the organization and the country.
He added the group estimates exports will still grow 5 percent this year, fuelled by services led by travel and information technology and business process management (ITBPM).
This, after exports sagged 13.7 percent to $6.13 billion in November 2023 from 4.1 percent contraction in October and 0.6 percent in September, government data showed.
Ortiz-Luis cited global headwinds that continued to affect demand from major trading partners, particularly the United States and China.
“Part of the needed reforms to help boost exports includes making the country an attractive investment destination, which as we are experiencing, is not only a matter of passing laws,” he added.
Ortiz-Luis said the country needs to address the volatile exchange rate which hurts exporters and overseas Filipino workers, as it steps up to save its export-oriented manufacturing sector.
Ortiz-Luis acknowledged that there are other critical factors, including labor productivity and electricity costs which currently comprise 20 percent to 60 percent of production cost, as well as urgently addressing the cost and ease of doing business issues.
