Philippine Consulate General, Macao SAR, Philippine Trade and Investment Centre Guangzhou and Bureau of Export Trade Promotion of Department of Trade and Industry of Philippine organised an official and business delegation of 19 to visit Macao. Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute and Philippine Consulate General, Macao SAR organised a seminar entitled “Business Opportunities for Philippine Food Products in Macao”, in the hope of introducing the Philippines’ latest business environment and processed food industries, as well as enhancing communication and business opportunities between the Philippines and Macao. This Seminar was held in the multi-function room of Macao Business Support Centre at 10am on 18 August. Representatives from the Philippines included the Hon. Renato L. Villapando, Consul General of Philippine Consulate General, Macao SAR, Mr. Raulh. Dado, Consul of Philippine Consulate General, Macao SAR, Mr. Emmanuel Ang, Commercial Attaché and Director of Philippine Trade and Investment Centre Guangzhou and Ms. Rose Marie G. Castillo, Division Chief of Food and Food preparation Division of Bureau of Export Trade Promotion (BETP) of Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Philippine and 11 processed food enterprises, including retailing/exporting processed fruits (juices, purees, dried fruit.), biscuits, confectionery and snacks, coffee, alcoholic beverages and ice cream. Mr. Jackson Chang, the President of IPIM gave a speech in the seminar, saying that Macao and the Philippines enjoy close economic ties, with the Philippines being the only ASEAN country to set up a Consulate here in the city while direct flights have also boosted co-operation in trade, tourism and other areas between the two. During the 14th Macao International Trade and Investment Fair, IPIM signed a MOU on trade fair co-operation with the Centre for International Trade Expositions and Missions, which is under the Department of Trade and Industry of the Philippines (DTI). Based on this MOU, IPIM has also collaborated with the DTI and the Philippine Consulate General in Macao in the organisation of several activities aimed at promoting closer co-operation and offering business opportunities for Macao and Philippine enterprises. In addition, Macao’s total imports from the Philippines rose by 21% from the previous year, of which food products accounted for the biggest share. The growing retail market in Macao provides abundant business and export opportunities for Philippine food products. There were business matching and Philippine processed food tasting sessions during the Seminar, allowing local enterprises to be more familiar with Philippine food products and explore potential business opportunities with their Philippine counterparts. In addition, IPIM also arranged a meeting with IACM for the Philippine delegation to understand the imported food quarantine procedures in Macao. Also, IPIM organised a site-inspection tour for local retailers and processed food factories for the Philippine delegation to allow them to learn more about the development of the processed food industry in Macao. According to the statistics, the volume of trade between the Philippines and Macao was MOP1.6 million in 2009, of which the total amount of imports from the Philippines was MOP69million rising 21% from the previous year. The main import products are agricultural products, fruit and other food products.
