21 February 2018
Published also in Business Mirror
THE Department of Trade and Industry in Region 4A (DTI 4A) hosted on February 17 the Calabarzon Investment Forum and B2B Meetings with the Canada Inbound Mission delegates in Lucena City, Quezon, to promote investments and exports in the region.
The forum was part of the program of activities of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce-Toronto (PCCT) Inbound Trade and Investment Mission to the Philippines, an offshoot of the Outbound Trade and Business Mission in Canada organized by the DTI 4A, in cooperation with the Department of Science and Technology Calabarzon, Philippine Coconut Research and Development Foundation Inc., and the local government of Alabat through the support of the DTI-Foreign Trade Services Corps Toronto in November 2017.
“We in DTI want to improve the economic conditions at the grassroots level, targeting farmers and micro, small and medium enterprises, increase export of coconut products like makapuno not only to Canada but also to other parts of the world, promote organic production of an indigenous food product and develop as part of a bigger industry development program,” DTI Calabarzon Director Marilou Toledo said.
Toledo said the agency is promoting Philippine brands in consonance with the 7Ms strategy—mind-set change, mastery, mentoring, money, machine, market access and models of business—of entrepreneurship.
Among the investment opportunities that will be tackled is the Philippine makapuno industry and agribusiness investment promotion in Alabat Island. PCCT has expressed serious interest in the program. Thus, the Canada delegates visiting the Philippines, together with other Canadian-based companies, such as iAdverTUBE, Canada Business Connections, Blueprint Canada, Accubooks, Montephil Inc., Boulevard, G&C Logistics and the Federation of Filipino Canadian Associations of Quebec, pursue and finalize talks about the joint-venture project and explore other business and investment opportunities.
The forum sought to encourage investments and exports in Calabarzon and promote local products and services to the North American market, especially in the food and nonfood sector, business-process outsourcing, custom brokerage, education, construction and real-estate business.
The program included discussions on turning overseas Filipinos to overseas Filipino investors, technologies on makapuno processing, support program for the Alabat Island Economy and a signing of a memorandum of agreement.