After two years of Virtual Congress, the Department of Trade and Industry-Export Marketing Bureau (DTI-EMB), Export Development Council (EDC), and Philippine Exporters’ Confederation Inc. (PHILEXPORT) have partnered to organize once again the onsite National Export Congress 2022 (NEC) as the culminating event for this year’s celebration of the National Exporters’ Week. The NEC was held last 07 December 2022 at the Reception Hall, Philippine International Convention Center, Pasay City.

Assistant Director BIANCA PEARL R. SYKIMTE, DTI-EMB Officer-in-Charge and Acting EDC Executive Director, shared in her Opening Remarks a glimpse of the Congress’ discussions, centering on how we, as a country, can harness the exporters’ collective experiences, expertise, knowledge, and the entire exporting community for the Philippines to achieve its exporting breakthroughs.The program comprised two-panel discussions. SESSION 1: THE PHILIPPINES AND THE GLOBAL MARKET were moderated by Ms. Ma. Flordeliza C. Leong, PHILEXPORT Vice President for Advocacy, Communications, and Special Concerns. Together with her were panelists: USEC. CEFERINO “PERRY” S. RODOLFO, Undersecretary of the DTI-Industry Development and Trade Policy Group and Managing Head of the Board of Investments; MS. TISHA PIA E. DELA ROSA, Department of Agriculture Development Management Officer and Chief, Macro-Economic Policy Division; DR. CIELITO F. HABITO Chairman, Brain Trust Inc.; DR. ENRICO “HENRY” L. BASILIO, Chair of the Export Development Council Networking Committee on Transport and Logistics (EDC-NCTL), and ATTY. ANTHONY AMUNATEGUI ABAD, CEO of Trade Advisors.

During the middle part of the program, DTI Secretary ALFREDO E. PASCUAL reiterated the importance of Pursuing an Industry Development approach to Export development and the role of investments in this process.

For SESSION 2: INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT TOWARDS EXPORTING BREAKTHROUGHS: STRATEGIC IMPERATIVES moderated by Atty. Rami Amer Hourani, PHILEXPORT Cebu Chapter President and EDC Co-Chair for the Networking Committee on Legislative Advocacy and Monitoring (NC-LAM) with reactor panelists: MR. SERGIO R. ORTIZ-LUIS, JR., President and CEO of the Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc. (PHILEXPORT), Honorary Chairman and Treasurer of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce & Industry (PCCI), and Vice-Chairman of Export Development Council (EDC);  DR. SOULEYMANE COULIBALY, World Bank’s Lead Economist and Program Leader for Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, and Thailand, Equitable Growth, Finance and Institutions; and MRS. CLARITA REYES-LAPUS, President of Mama Sita Foundation.

Assistant Secretary GLENN G. PEÑARANDA of the Department of Trade and Industry -Trade Promotions Group (DTI-TPG) concluded the program: “While we continue to address and face the current challenges in the international trading environment, I hope that it will not prevent us from being visionaries and aspire for something bigger and bolder for the export sector. We look forward to the active involvement and commitment of both our public and private sector partners in finalizing and implementing the PEDP. Let us all work together to achieve our shared aspirations for the Philippines and for each exporter to attain their exporting breakthroughs.”

MR. SERGIO R. ORTIZ-LUIS, JR., PHILEXPORT President and CEO, and EDC Vice Chairman, underscores the importance of strong public-private partnership in developing a solid export ecosystem in the country. “We at PHILEXPORT have reasons to believe that the worst of the crisis is over, thanks to signs of economic recovery. Indeed, there are new and recurring challenges confronting us, including inflation that contributes to higher business costs. And these are valid reasons to join this week’s celebration, believing that we can be part of and still find solutions. We know and are witnesses to these positive, transformative, progressive changes of exports in many lives. This is more readily appreciated from the employment, livelihood, and economic ripples that our efforts bring. Let us not waver nor be discouraged. This is our future at stake.”
Further, Mr. Ortiz added that the Philippine Export Development Plan (PEDP) 2023-2028 is still under review by the DTI.

Over 700 delegates, including MSMEs, policymakers, export-support government agencies, Academe, and International Organizations, participated in the NEC 2022, which featured several discussions and activities that will pave the way towards “Exporting Breakthroughs.” AOB