The Delegation of the European Union (EU) to the Philippines and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), in cooperation with the International Trade Center, recently celebrated the achievements of the ASEAN Regional Integration Support (ARISE Plus) Philippines’ Trade-Related Technical Assistance project, in a closing event held in Manila.
The event brought together close to a hundred participants from government, private sector, EU Member States and trade support institutions.
“ARISE Plus Philippines is part of our efforts to foster an increasingly favorable environment for export-oriented Filipino businesses and for more partnerships between enterprises and investors of the EU and the Philippines,” EU Ambassador to the Philippines Massimo Santoro said.
Since 2021, ARISE Plus Philippines delivered significant results for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), generating over EUR171 million (PHP11.64 billion) in business and investment deals across key export sectors.
The EU invested EUR6.1 million (PHP41.52 million) into ARISE Plus Philippines and delivered enhanced trade facilitation, modernized customs processes, and an improved national quality infrastructure that strengthened the capacity of Filipino exporters to access EU and ASEAN markets.
The project reached 11,000 entrepreneurs and MSMEs, enabling them to better meet international standards and compete globally.Â
The EU is the Philippines’ fourth-largest trading partner, with bilateral trade reaching EUR16.8 billion (PHP1.1 trillion) in 2024.
“ARISE Plus Philippines is a five-year journey built on hard work, collaboration, shared purpose, and a single powerful vision to unlock the global competitiveness of Filipino enterprises. This partnership with the European Union is a powerful statement of what we can achieve when united by shared priorities and the commitment to inclusive growth,” DTI Chief of Staff Lilian Salonga said.
The closing event showcased success stories from beneficiaries who shared their export journeys and growth and explored sustaining momentum in support to MSMEs, policy reform, and trade facilitation beyond the project.
“This initiative brought comprehensive support at macro, meso and micro levels to Philippine enterprises to be more competitive in international markets. International Trade Center was privileged to have the support of the DTI, the European Union and the private sector in implementing this project,” ITC Director of Country Programs Escipion Oliveira Gomez concluded.
