PHILEXPORT in Action

PHILEXPORT Board gets 2-year term

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.

Business groups, ARTA sign MOA on ease of doing biz in PH

Memorandum of Agreement between the National Center for Mediation and PHILEXPORT

From left to right: Ms. Theresa Gigi Digal – Project Development & Management and Membership Manager, Mr. Apolinar Aure – PHILEXPORT Trustee and National Center for Mediation President, Dr. Sergio Ortiz-Luis, Jr. – PHILEXPORT President and CEO, Mr. Senen Perlada – PHILEXPORT Executive Vice President and COO.

PHILEXPORT, Taiwan’s trade group partnership to boost trade, investment

The umbrella organization of Philippine exporters has partnered with Taiwan’s largest and most influential trade group as they work to increase trade and investment opportunities between the two couThe Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. (PHILEXPORT) and Importers and Exporters Association of Taipei (IEAT) signed virtually Monday a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on mutual cooperation, banking on their complementary roles and services.

PHILEXPORT President Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr. said bilateral trade and investment relations of both the economies have been growing, even as the trade balance is heavily in favor of Taiwan.

“Within this context, the growth and objectives set forth in Taiwan’s New Southbound Policy of shared cooperation and collaboration with Asean member states, South Asia, Australia and New Zealand augurs well with the Philippine’s thrust to attract investments and expand trade, particularly exports,” he said.

Ortiz-Luis said the MOU mainly supports increased market access for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and the promotion of e-commerce, logistics services, and brand awareness.

“(These are the) strategies which PHILEXPORT and the Philippines have also been implementing under our development plans,” he added.

IEAT chairman Chiao-Chang Huang said the partnership will enhance bilateral business exchange and deepen collaborative relationships between Taiwan and the Philippines, and work more closely to develop “greater opportunities for businesses” in the two regions.

IEAT represents over 6,250 companies from all major cities across Taiwan, with nearly 60 percent engaged in importing. Its members account for 40 percent of Taiwan’s total trade and employ more than 600,000 people.

PHILEXPORT is IEAT’s first sister organization in the Philippines and its 155th sister organization in the world.

Under the MOU, the two trade organizations agreed to enhance liaison and cooperation between them in the areas of importing and exporting, investment, information sharing and other commercially-oriented activities to the benefit of their members and those they represent.

They agreed, among others, to facilitate the collaboration of SMEs in the two regions to access new markets; reinforce bilateral cooperation and further develop third-party markets; and exchange trade and market information of their respective goods and services according to law and to disseminate this information to their members whenever possible and feasible.