Amid the country's dwindling exports performance, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the private sector agreed to look for more effective ways to successfully implement and sustain the country's export development plan as a way to counter the weak export performance of past years.
DTI-Export Marketing Bureau (DTI-EMB) said the DTI and exporters will meet on Dec. 7 to discuss how to position the Philippines as a leading exporter of high-value products and services in the next six years.
In line with the administration’s Philippine Export Development Plan (PEDP) for 2023 to 2028, this year’s National Export Congress (NEC) to be held at the Sheraton Manila Hotel in Pasay City will highlight the importance of developing agile exporters who are able to quickly respond and adapt to the fast-changing international trading environment.
“The National Export Congress (NEC) 2023 aims to put a spotlight on the collective vision of the both the public and private sector for the Philippines export industry, to establish the Philippines as a leading exporter of high-value products and services by 2028 while leveraging our superior knowledge and talent to cater to the diverse needs of global consumers and producers,” the DTI-EMB said.
Three weeks ago, DTI-EMB said that the PEDP target of $126.8 billion by the end of 2023 will probably not happen due to global headwinds such as slow down in the international market and China’s low recovery.
Translating to an average of 11 percent annual growth for the Philippine goods and services exports, the PEDP also targets $143.3 billion in 2024; $163.6 billion in 2025; $186.7 billion in 2026; $212.1 billion in 2027; and $240.5 billion in 2028.
DTI-EMB announced recently that merchandise exports only hit $47.8 billion from January to August this year, reflecting a 6.6 percent decrease compared to the same period last year.
Meanwhile, service exports, which was primarily driven by travel services, from January to June reached more than $4 billion, up by 22 percent from $800 million last year.
Given this, DTI-EMB confidently projected that at least five percent of last year’s $98 billion total exports of goods and services will be achieved by the end of this year.
At the upcoming event's opening session, DTI Secretary and Export Development Council (EDC) Chairman Alfredo E. Pascual, and Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. (PHILEXPORT) President Sergio Ortiz-Luis will deliver their keynote messages.
In addition, two-panel discussion sessions at the congress will tackle exporting in a VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity) world, and empowering Philippine exporters towards excellence.
The first session will feature presentations from experts and leaders from key export sectors who will share their knowledge, insights and experience in adapting to global disruptions.
The second session aims to present the key initiatives of export enablers that will allow exporters to better seize opportunities in the international market, and provide an enabling export environment for local businesses to thrive in a highly competitive global environment.
Another event highlight is the Exporters’ Night, wherein top performing exporters will be awarded and trade regulatory government agencies will be recognized for their contributions and innovations in the export industry.
NEC is the culminating activity of the National Exporters’ Week (NEW) happening from Dec. 4 to Dec. 7, with this year’s theme “Agile Philippines: Empowering Exporters Towards Global Excellence”.
The NEW is an annual celebration of the shared commitment of both the public and private sectors to continuously develop and promote the Philippines as a dynamic force in the global export market.
This theme, designed to shed light on the Philippine potential to become an agile export powerhouse, also underscores the importance of adaptability and resilience in the ever-changing global market.
Further, the NEW will feature a line-up of thematic sessions and forums on a wide variety of export-related topics, business-to-business matching activities and exhibitions featuring exporters, export enablers, e-commerce platforms, and service providers.