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Manila Bulletin devider Business devider Trade & Industry devider Philippine coconut exporters secure major breakthrough in Dubai

Philippine coconut exporters secure major breakthrough in Dubai

Published Jul 31, 2026 08:37 am
Trade Commissioner Vichael Angelo D. Roaring (seated right), head of the Philippine Trade and Investment Center in Dubai (PTIC-Dubai), signs agreement documents with Aurelio III Suzara German (seated left), managing director of The Hub Trading and Logistic Services LLC SP, during the launch of Project CocoBridge in Dubai, UAE. Financed through the ₱75 billion Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund, the initiative aims to bypass local listing fees and secure direct shelf placement for Philippine coconut products across Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) supermarkets.
Trade Commissioner Vichael Angelo D. Roaring (seated right), head of the Philippine Trade and Investment Center in Dubai (PTIC-Dubai), signs agreement documents with Aurelio III Suzara German (seated left), managing director of The Hub Trading and Logistic Services LLC SP, during the launch of Project CocoBridge in Dubai, UAE. Financed through the ₱75 billion Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund, the initiative aims to bypass local listing fees and secure direct shelf placement for Philippine coconut products across Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) supermarkets.
The Philippines is taking a direct swing at expanding its agricultural footprint in the Middle East, using a fresh trade deal to put domestic coconut products directly onto supermarket shelves across the Gulf Cooperation Council.
The Philippine Trade and Investment Center (PTIC) in Dubai launched Project CocoBridge, an initiative designed to scale up coconut exports across the GCC region.
PTIC said the program operates under the country's national Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan, led by the Philippine Coconut Authority and financed through the ₱75 billion Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund.
To handle full implementation, PTIC-Dubai awarded a contract to The Hub Trading and Logistic Services LLC SP following a competitive bidding process.
The Dubai-based trading and distribution firm is an affiliate of the Sharjah Cooperative Society, one of the United Arab Emirates’ major retail networks.
Trade Commissioner Vichael Angelo D. Roaring, head of PTIC-Dubai, signed the agreement alongside Aurelio III Suzara German, managing director of The Hub Trading.
The initiative targets exporters that already possess the production capacity to supply foreign markets but lack local retail access. Philippine coconut exports, while globally recognized for products ranging from coconut water to virgin coconut oil, have often faced hurdles with Middle Eastern distribution logistics and listing fees.
“What our exporters have needed is a clear path to the shelf,” Roaring said during the signing. “We will judge this program by the listings it secures and by the buyer relationships that continue after it ends.”
The Hub Trading will manage product positioning, regulatory compliance, and shelf placement across regional distribution channels.
German noted that the firm will work directly with selected Philippine producers to meet local commercial standards and secure long-term purchase agreements.
The effort is positioned as a direct boost to rural income in the Philippines, where millions of farmers depend on the coconut industry.
Enciso emphasized that sustained commercial placement abroad translates directly to domestic impact, creating predictable demand for coconut-producing provinces and supporting rural farming families.

Related Tags

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Philippine Trade and Investment Center (PTIC) Project CocoBridge Coconut exports
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