[In photo: (front row, L-R) SEIPI President Dr. Dan Lachica, DTI Secretary Alfredo Pascual, and DTI Undersecretary Ceferino Rodolfo; (back row, L-R) PHILEXPORT Assistant Vice President Ma. Flordeliza Leong, CPMP Executive Director Rosette Carillo, ECCP President Paulo Duarte, GPCCI Senior Vice President Marie Antoniette Mariano, CONWEP Executive Director Maritess Jocson-Agoncillo, CCAP Managing Director Rosario Cajucom-Bradbury, CCI France Managing Director Kevin Charuel, and GPCCI President Stefan Schmitz]
In a collective effort to strengthen the Philippines-European Union (EU) economic and trade relations, various European business chambers and business groups expressed strong support for the resumption of the PH-EU Free Trade Agreement (PH-EU FTA) negotiations in a meeting on August 1, 2023 in Makati City.
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Alfredo Pascual stressed, “The PH-EU FTA serves as a platform for the EU’s economic engagement with the Indo-Pacific region, where the Philippines can play a vital role as its strategic trade partner. We recognize the significance of this opportunity and are committed to realizing its full potential.”
Secretary Pascual likewise commended the ongoing efforts of both the public and private sectors in pushing for the resumption of the FTA negotiation. He also emphasized the FTA will generate millions of jobs for the Filipino people.
Meanwhile, European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) President Paulo Duarte announced the creation of a committee that will oversee the FTA negotiations and will ensure strong collaborative efforts between the public and private sectors.
IT Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) President Jack Madrid also cited, “During the (Europe Investment) Roadshow, we really opened the eyes of the investors as we discussed the Filipino workforce that has been proven agile and resilient throughout the past decades, growing where we are today at 1.6 million employees.”
For Confederation of Wearables Exporters of the Philippines (CONWEP) Executive Director Maritess Jocson-Agoncillo, the FTA is set to have a huge impact in strengthening and reducing the tariff of garments and wearables that will eventually contribute to the growth of the sector.
Additionally, DTI Undersecretary Ceferino Rodolfo explained the FTA will also provide a surge for other sectors such as the agriculture, which he described as usually highly protected when looking at the tariff profile of most advanced economies.
From the point of view of the semiconductor and electronics sector, Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines (SEIPI) President Dan Lachica stressed the FTA is more than the tariff and non-tariff barriers; the bigger benefits lie in its potential to develop and grow the electronics industry.
Further, German-Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. (GPCCI) Senior Vice President Marie Antoniette Mariano reported German businesses are very supportive of the FTA alongside the GPCCI. She looks forward to working with the Philippine government in realizing the goals of the FTA.
Highlighting the benefits of the FTA, Contact Center Association of the Philippines (CCAP) Managing Director Rosario Cajucom-Bradbury, who also serves as the Corporate Secretary at the Swiss Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, committed to doing the business organization’s part in raising an additional 1.1 million jobs. These jobs are expected to contribute greatly to the government’s efforts to revitalize the economy, as well as initiatives aimed at making the Philippines an export powerhouse.
Lastly, French Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI France) Managing Director Kevin Charuel expressed his full support for the negotiations since this will also help French businesses grow. He looks forward to the conclusion of the negotiations and is committed to assisting the Philippines towards it.
