The recent issuance of tariff exemptions for a good number of specific exports can give a reprieve from additional export costs for a variety of important commodities, including our coconut products. This surgical approach in managing tariffs offers a way forward, but it needs to be evaluated in terms of a larger strategy for expanding exports.

The Nov. 21, 2025 MB editorial puts it very strongly:

“For the government, the exemption must be treated not as a windfall but as a mandate. Reduced barriers mean little if the Philippines continues to lag behind regional competitors in productivity, logistics, and regulatory predictability. What the government must do first is clear: stabilize the policy environment. Exporters and investors need certainty—long-term export development plans, streamlined permits, transparent standards, and faster port operations. The Department of Agriculture, Department of Trade and Industry, and the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development must jointly craft a coherent export competitiveness blueprint that prioritizes high-value crops covered by the tariff exemption, modernizes cold-chain networks, and supports digitalization in supply chains.”

First off, I agree with the editorial. Furthermore, let me say that certainties indeed must be increased. Disruptions and roadblocks that restrict exports must be examined. This gives confidence for exporters to expand. Such exporters of goods and services are going to be important actors in our economic growth story, since they gain income for the country’s economy from buyers outside the country, injecting precious foreign exchange. Their continuous growth is especially vital if we are to sustain any entry into middle-income status and achieve Ambisyon Natin 2040. Their ability keeps us growing.

Apart from the editorial's recommendation, I believe that all regions of the country need to take stock and expand their export competitiveness. All regions have regional offices of the Department of Agriculture, Department of Trade and Industry, and the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development can work together with the Philippine Statistics Authority and the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) to develop or refine the regional export strategy and roadmap. This will help harness products, export winners, and develop new markets for said products and services. As I often write, the role of the Regional Development Councils will be paramount in harnessing this effort and placing it among growth targets in successive strategic development plans.

The good news is that export potentials are not confined to traditional agricultural products. New export winners include such products or services from the creative industries. Laws like the Philippine Creative Industries Development Act have been passed to develop these elements of our regional economies. The Innovation Act of 2018 also promises programs to innovate on local materials and products. Harnessing the programs these laws provide will help the local economy achieve new products and services to export. The future means having more programs and developing more businesses that are capable of exporting.

Likewise, new markets for many products from the regions can be gained in Europe through the European Union's GSP++ Preferences that lower tariffs for many Filipino products. New ways of exporting to nearby East Asian markets can include small box orders of Filipino delicacies done direct to customers through online selling platforms. I am sure many East Asian tourists who have visited the Philippines were delighted by local products and would love to share them with others in their countries.

New possibilities for export growth will need to be explored to create new opportunities for local economies.