Philippine Food Exporters Return Onsite at IFEX Philippines 2022

A multi-sensory experience awaits guests and participants as IFEX Philippines 2022, the country’s much-anticipated food trade show opens its doors at the World Trade Center Metro Manila from September 22 to 24.

Returning onsite since the pandemic, IFEX Philippines aims to showcase the best food products by local producers and manufacturers in a three-day event that includes thematic settings of distinct and innovative food and ingredients, networking and business-to-business (B2B) activities, talks and seminars, cooking demos and product presentations, special events, and more.

Expected to grace the opening of the event, either in person or via recording, are top foreign and national government officials including Sen. Cynthia A. Villar, Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food; Sen. Imee Marcos, Vice-Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food; Undersecretary Ireneo V. Vizmonte, Officer-in-Charge (OIC), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI); and Assistant Secretary Glenn G. Peñaranda, OIC, Trade Promotions Group (TPG).

Organized by the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), IFEX Philippines is expected to attract around 3000 visitors and buyers, and feature thousands of top quality Filipino food products and ingredients from almost 400 exhibitors.

Spotlight on the crème de la crème

On its first day, IFEX Philippines will give recognition to new and innovative Filipino food products at Katha Awards for Food for 2022. Katha Awards aims to strengthen the reputation of the Philippines as a go-to destination for globally competitive food products. Katha recognizes exporters that explore new galleries of flavors, original brand ideas, unique food fusions, and creative packaging methods.

One winner from each product category will be selected for  Best  New  Product: Beverage; Fine Food and Specialties; Marine Products; Meat and Poultry Products; Snack Foods and Crisp Savoury Products; Baked Goods; Processed Fruits and Vegetables; and Natural, Healthy, and Organic Products. IFEX Philippines will also select one winner for the Best Booth Display.

New Flavors, New Features

During the three-day event, IFEX Philippines will feature a special section called Flavor Finds, a collection of new food discoveries and innovations in the Philippine food scene. Flavor Finds will showcase products from NXTFOOD PH, CITEM’s comprehensive product development and marketing program that aims to bring innovative Philippine food products to the global market. It will also showcase new products from select exhibitors and emerging Philippine food products and ingredients with tremendous export potential–ube, plant-based food, and Philippine craft beer.

Open House, another show feature, introduces the latest programs and activities within the food sector by showcasing products from IFEX Philippines partners. It will also highlight government efforts to champion Filipino food exporters, manufacturers, and MSMEs. Programs under Open House will include the following:

• COCONUTPHILIPPINES - A showcase of coconut products from food SME exporters under CoconutPhilippines, the country branding of the most versatile food produce of the Philippines. CoconutPhilippines is presented through the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan (CFIDP) of the Philippine Coconut Authority under the Department of Agriculture.

• TASK Program ​(Technology Advice and Solutions from Korea) - A joint program by the Department of Science and Technology and the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology that assists Philippine food companies in solving manufacturing issues such as product quality, production efficiency, and compliance with standards.​

• Philippine Craft Beer - Superior in quality and infused with distinct aromas and flavor profiles, the Philippine craft beer will be spotlighted in a unique booth setup with beer tasting activities. As one of the country's fast-rising industries, the craft beer industry aims to preserve the art of traditional brewery.

• RAPID Growth Program - The Rural Agro-enterprise Partnership for Inclusive Development and Growth (RAPID Growth) is a multibillion-peso value chain-based and market-driven business development initiative that aims to achieve inclusive and sustainable economic development for Philippine rural farming communities in the country.

• One Town, One Product (OTOP) Philippines - OTOP PHILIPPINES is a priority stimulus program for micro, small and medium-scale enterprises. The program enables localities and communities to develop and promote products or services that are rooted in their local culture, community resources, and competitive advantage.

• Processed Fruit and Nuts Pavilion - The Processed Fruits and Nuts (PFN) Pavilion features products from local enterprises under the Industry Cluster Enhancement Program of DTI. The cluster envisions the Philippines as a globally competitive supplier of quality processed fruits and nuts.

IFEX Philippines also has a dedicated space called the IFEX Kitchen for food-tasting activities, cooking demonstrations, and product presentations. Talks and seminars will cover topics such as sustainability in the food sector,  Kosher certification, intellectual property, FDA registration, and more.

IFEX Philippines 2022 will be held in partnership with DTI-Regional Operations Group and regional offices in Cagayan Valley, CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, Bicol Region, Western Visayas, CARAGA, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, and Davao Region. Other government partners include DTI - Export Marketing Bureau (EMB), DTI - Foreign Trade Service Corps (FTSC), DTI - Philippine Trade Training Center (PTTC), Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), Coconut Farmers & Industry Development Plan (CFIDP), RAPID Growth Project, One Town One Product (OTOP) Philippines, Department of Tourism - Tourism Promotions Board (DOT-TPB), Department of Science and Technology - Industrial Technology Development Institute (DOST-ITDI), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Secret Kitchens of Samar. 

Industry partners include Philippine Exporters Foundation Inc. (PHILEXPORT), Philippine Food Processors and Exporters Organization, Inc. (PHILFOODEX), Integrated Food Manufacturers’ Assn. of the Phils. for Productivity (INFOMAPP), Philippine Confectionery, Biscuit and Snack Association (PCBSA), Brandexports, Northridge, and Craft Beer Association of the Philippines (CBAP). IFEX Philippines has also partnered with the Technology Advice and Solutions from Korea (TASK) Program, Chapter Coffee, Philippine Wine Merchants, and Bleeding Heart Rum, as well as media organizations COOK Magazine, Business Mirror, Philippine Graphic, Pilipino Mirror, Manila Bulletin, Philippine Daily Inquirer, and Philippine Star.

To learn more about the event, visit IFEXConnect.com.

About CITEM

The Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) is the export promotions arm of the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

For nearly 40 years, CITEM has established the country’s image as a premier destination for quality export products and services. It continues to set the highest standards of creativity, excellence and innovation to achieve competitiveness in the home, fashion, lifestyle, food, creative, and sustainability sectors.

CITEM is committed to developing, nurturing, and promoting micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), brands, designers, and manufacturers by implementing an integrated approach to export marketing in partnership with other government and private entities.

About IFEX Philippines

IFEX Philippines (formerly International Food Exhibition) is CITEM's long-running trade event and sourcing program for Philippine and global food and ingredients.

Together with IFEXConnect.com, IFEX Philippines serves as a one-stop business-to-business (B2B) platform aiming to optimize their sourcing experience of buyers from anywhere in the world.

IFEX Philippines is organized by the Center for International Trade Expositions & Missions (CITEM).

PHILIPPINE PRESIDENT PITCHES TO CHINESE INVESTORS IN CAEXPO 2022

Nanning, CHINA – 16 September 2022 – Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. encouraged business people gathered in this southern China city to help the Philippines “leapfrog into new and emerging industries that will modernize our manufacturing base by pouring in resources and investments in industry clusters” during the opening ceremony of the 19th China ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO).

The Philippine President joined national leaders from ASEAN Members States, who addressed via video messages, and on-site attendees who gathered in the annual trade and investment event’s permanent host city of Nanning.

Highlighting the growth momentum being experienced in the Philippines with its strong 7.4% GDP performance in the second quarter of 2022, and the strong relations between both countries as China continues to be the Philippines’ largest total trading partner, President Marcos encouraged Chinese investors that now is the time to invest in the Philippines particularly in key industry clusters industrial, manufacturing and transport (IMT); technology, media and telecoms (TMT); and in health and life sciences.

In 2021, total trade between the Philippines and China totaled USD38 B, 25% higher than its 2020 level. It is also the top source of imports for the Philippines, and the 7th largest source of foreign direct investments in 2021.

The Philippines, through the assistance of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Philippine Trade and Investment Centers (PTIC) in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hong Kong; the Philippine Embassy in Beijing; the Philippine Consulate General’s Office in

Guangzhou; and the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), shall be featured in the Country Pavilion; the Commodity Pavilion; the RCEP Pavilion; and the investment-related events happening on September 16-19.

A total of 22 online and onsite Philippine food and non-food entities are participating in the exhibition with business meetings pre-arranged with the CAEXPO Secretariat.

The Board of Investments (BOI), together with investment promotion agencies such as Clark, Subic, the Based Conversion Development Authority (BCDA), Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA), and the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), are also leading the country’s investment fora participations at the CAEXPO, together with the PTICs in China, who partnered with China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), China’s Ministry of Agriculture, the Foreign Affairs Offices (FAO), National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), China International Contractors Association (CHINCA), China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC); and some of China’s top business groups from Henan, Guangxi, Chongqing, and companies like Douyin, one of the largest e-commerce platforms in China.

The 2022 CAEXPO is running this year on the theme “Sharing RCEP New Opportunities: Building a Version 3.0 China-ASEAN FTA," as parties expand their horizon to proactively include other bilateral FTA partners of the ASEAN Member-States, specifically those involved in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement which was collectively signed in November 2020 by fifteen countries from the Asia Pacific region.

The RCEP is considered to be the largest trading bloc in the world today being representative of about 1/3 of the total global population and GDP.

Food Export Show IFEX Philippines Returns on Site this September

IFEX Philippines, the country’s long-running and biggest export-oriented food show, is back on the trade show floor at the World Trade Center Metro Manila in Pasay City from September 22 to 24, 2022.

With the theme “Discover your love affair with Filipino Flavors,” the event is set to offer international food importers, buyers, and aficionados a multi-sensory food experience which has been missed by many at the height of the pandemic. IFEX Philippines is organized by the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), an attached agency of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). 

 

“This is the first time that IFEX Philippines is going to be back on site since the pandemic in 2020. We look forward to welcoming our participants, especially buyers and guests, and for them to see and taste first hand what the Philippines has to offer in terms of food exports,” said CITEM Deputy Executive Director Ma. Lourdes D. Mediran. 

 

It’s a Love Affair 

Built on the Filipino concept of a “love affair,” IFEX Philippines 2022 seeks to “pursue and enthrall” participants and guests by capitalizing on the practice of “panliligaw” or local courtship traditions. “Love affair is the heart of Filipino food. We’re tapping into local culture to evoke a sense of discovery and romance in creating a unique Filipino food experience. Through IFEX Philippines, we want to highlight the reasons why Filipino flavors stand out in the world and why the Philippines is a premier destination for food products and ingredients,” said Mediran. 

 

Expected to join the expo are more than 300 companies and enterprises all over the Philippines from the following sectors: beverages; fine food and specialties; fruits and vegetables; biscuits and confectioneries; snacks and crispy savory food products; meat and poultry; dairy products; cereals, grains, and starch; seafood and marine products; organic and natural; raw materials and food ingredients; and allied services. 

 

A Showcase of Familiar and New Flavors 

IFEX Philippines 2022 will have multiple trade components including exhibitions, business matching activities, seminars and talks, and special events. The event will also feature a thematic showcase of distinct Philippine food and ingredients, dynamic cooking demonstrations, and product presentations. These on-site activities will be complemented by digital components such as virtual business-to-business (B2B) meetings and online streaming for special events. 

 

This year’s trade show will also introduce a special section named Flavor Finds as its main highlight. It will feature new and innovative products from NXTFOOD PH, the banner for products developed under CITEM’s food innovation program, as well as currently in-demand local products like ube, plant-based food, and handcraft beer among others; and new products from select exhibitors. 

 

The event will also pilot Coconut Philippines, the country branding of the most versatile food produce of the Philippines, through a showcase of coconut products from food SME exporters. CoconutPhilippines is presented through the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan (CFIDP) of the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) under the Department of Agriculture (DA) which aims to increase the productivity of and modernize the country’s coconut industry. 

 

IFEX Philippines 2022 will be held in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Regional Offices in Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Bicol Region, CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Davao Region, and CARAGA, as well as the DTI-Export Marketing Bureau, DTI-Foreign Trade Services Corps, Philippine Exporters Foundation Inc. (PHILEXPORT), Philippine Food Processors and Exporters Organization, Inc. (PHILFOODEX), Integrated Food Manufacturers’ Assn. of the Phils. for Productivity (INFOMAPP), and Coconut Farmers & Industry Development Plan (CFIDP). 

 

To learn more about the event, visit IFEXConnect.com or email ifexphilippines@citem.com.ph. END 

About CITEM 

The Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) is the export promotions arm of the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). 

 

For nearly 40 years, CITEM has established the country’s image as a premier destination for quality export products and services. It continues to set the highest standards of creativity, excellence and innovation to achieve competitiveness in the home, fashion, lifestyle, food, creative, and sustainability sectors. 

 

CITEM is committed to developing, nurturing, and promoting micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), brands, designers, and manufacturers by implementing an integrated approach to export marketing in partnership with other government and private entities. 

 

About IFEX 

IFEX is the country's most comprehensive trade promotions program for the domestic food industry, helping Philippine and global exporters promote premium quality food and ingredients to the world through physical and/or digital trade shows and business-to-business platforms, digital marketing efforts, an online community, and a product innovation program. 

 

IFEX Philippines (formerly International Food Exhibition) is CITEM's long-running trade event and sourcing program for Philippine and global food and ingredients. 

 

Together with IFEXConnect.com, IFEX Philippines serves as a one-stop business-to-business (B2B) platform aiming to optimize their sourcing experience of buyers from anywhere in the world. 

 

IFEX Philippines is organized by the Center for International Trade Expositions & Missions (CITEM). 

DTI-CITEM's Creative Futures 2022 to Present what's next for the Philippine Creative Economy

CREATEPhilippines once again gathers local and international creatives to discuss the future of the Philippine creative economy via the digital conference Creative Futures 2022. On its second run, the conference, to be staged using digital platform Hopin from July 28 to 29, 2022, includes an expo, knowledge sharing sessions, and business development and networking opportunities among creative professionals, policymakers, business leaders, and potential clients.

CREATEPhilippines, run by DTI’s export promotions agency Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), is the country’s flagship trade promotions program that champions the Philippines' creative industries as a high-potential export sector and driver of economic growth. 

In 2021, the program first staged Creative Futures and launched CREATEPhilippines.com, the country’s first government-led digital content and community platform for Filipino creatives. The site features a directory where local talents can upload their portfolios for a global audience. 

This year, Creative Futures will highlight the immediate future of local creative industries. “Our lineup of speakers, resource persons, and partners will present what tomorrow could look like for the Filipino creative. The event is all about possibilities, not in the distant future, but now, like in the next 5 minutes,” said Erwin Romulo, CREATEPhilippines creative director, and Creative Futures Program Director. 

The theme of this year’s Creative Futures is “Tomorrow” and will include discussions on current developments and industry trends as well as projections for the creative sectors.

The two-day conference will include presentations on Creative Governance, Gastronomy, Advertising, Design, Film, Tourism, Dance, Game Development, Fashion, and Communication Design. 

"Creative Futures 2022 is particularly designed to take advantage of the latest opportunities brought about by recent developments in the local creative landscape, particularly the Congress approval of the consolidated version of Senate Bill 2455 and House Bill 10107, or the Creative Industries Development Act. To support the country’s thrust toward a robust creative economy, we're putting forward practices, strategies, and programs that creatives can immediately capitalize on and incorporate into their respective fields in order to become more globally competitive," said CITEM Executive Director Pauline Suaco-Juan.

Creative governance at the forefront 

Creative Futures puts the spotlight on creative governance after the pandemic hastened the need to institutionalize protection in the creative sectors. 

“CITEM consistently advocates for institutional support which we believe is crucial to the growth of our local talents and the creative economy at large. Through efforts like Creative Futures, under our signature program CREATEPhilippines, we aim to foster an environment where creatives can thrive, taking us closer to our vision of the Philippines as the leading creative hub in the ASEAN region," added Suaco-Juan.

Returning as a guest speaker is Hon. Christopher “Toff” De Venecia, principal author of the House version of the Creative Industries Act, who will discuss the immediate impact of the law in a presentation. 

Creative Industries Act proponents and policymakers are also expected to attend. DTI Secretary Alfredo Pascual and DTI-Trade Promotions Group Officer-in-Charge Glenn Peñaranda will discuss the role of the public sector in the advancement of the Philippine creative economy.

Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto and US-based design firm Alao Design will present a vision of how design can renew public spaces. Arch. Aya Maceda and designers Kristian Henson and Monica Ramos will discuss their design process, doing historical research, on-ground mapping, and immersion, and how they collaborated with the Pasig City LGU.

No creative left behind

A new documentary by Martika Ramirez Escobar will premiere at the event. A live Q & A with the director of Sundance-winning feature film Leonor Will Never Die will follow the screening. 

A new P-pop web series featuring Mon Abrea, Chairman and Chief Tax Advisor of Asian Consulting Group, is also set to premiere at Creative Futures 2022. Written and directed by Joel Ferrer, it stars Kat Galang and Jal Galang as local creatives dealing with life, love, and their taxes. In a related session, the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) will tackle copyright and other intellectual property rights-related issues in a presentation.

The conference also has on-demand sessions streamed throughout the two days, including the Department of Tourism’s ASMR series featuring spots from across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao and the 360-degree interactive video series Across the Archipelago along the Pan-Philippine Highway. There will also be replays of the different presentations and sessions following the event.

To learn more about Creative Future’s growing list of presentations, including advertising and communication design, visit our registration page.

Digital expo of Philippine creatives and FAME+ e-tailers

Another key event component is the expo, which will showcase creatives from the CREATEPhilippines directory. Participants can also discover and shop Filipino home, fashion, and lifestyle products by e-tailers from digital sourcing and storytelling platform FAME+.

Creative Futures 2022 is organized by DTI-CITEM in partnership with the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), an attached agency of the Department of Tourism. 

Register at: https://hopin.com/events/creative-futures-2022/registration and take part in shaping the Philippine creative economy. To learn more about CREATEPhilippines, visit https://createphilippines.com/. Follow us on our social media platforms to get updates on Creative Futures 2022 and know the latest trends and news about local creative sectors.

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About CITEM

The Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) is the Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI) export promotions arm committed to nurturing the global competitiveness of Philippine micro, small, and medium scale enterprises (MSMEs), exporters, designers, and manufacturers. The agency aspires toward the highest standards of creativity and innovation, spanning industries including home, fashion, lifestyle, food, and creative sectors.

About CREATE Philippines

CREATEPhilippines is the country’s flagship trade promotions program that showcases the Philippines' creative industries as a high-potential export sector and driver of economic growth.

It brings together the creative industries and champions local talent by organizing events that provide opportunities to learn, network, and seize opportunities in the Philippines and beyond.

As a content and community platform, it houses stories that promote Filipino creatives and offers a directory to help them expand their online presence and share their portfolio to a global audience.

CREATEPhilippines is led by the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM).

CITEM Kicks Off First Digital Food Expo

A year before the pandemic hit in 2019, the Philippine agri-food sector turned in a strong showing, accounting for an estimated P6.1T to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). The same year also saw the sector employ 42.7% of the national workforce. 

In the new normal that changed our lives and livelihoods forever, The Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM)  tries to recapture the same momentum for one of our country's most lucrative export sectors.

 

This is made possible through the first-ever digital iteration of its banner sourcing event for Philippine food, the IFEX Digital Expo 2021, from September 23-25.

“One of the many things that the pandemic brought forth is the need to connect—now more than ever. COVID changed the way we at CITEM worked, especially with heightened activity online. With borderless communication at our disposal, we present through this expo how we can conduct the business of food in the new normal,” CITEM Executive Director Pauline Suaco-Juan shares.

Leveraging its access to advanced digital tools, CITEM stages the IFEX Digital Expo 2021 to provide an avenue for Philippine food brands and businesses to showcase homegrown food products and ingredients to a wider audience.

Themed “Salu-salo,” IFEX Digital Expo brings together business owners, restaurateurs, hoteliers, farmers, food manufacturers and distributors, retailers, culinary professionals and foodies. The event serves as a medium for strengthening the food community through storytelling, knowledge sharing, and creating dialogue. This year’s show features over 200 exhibitors from all over the country. There are also invited industry experts from global organizations and local government agencies who will share their knowledge and insights on trends, opportunities, and techniques related to food. Networking and business-to-business matching sessions will also be part of the online event’s features.

A Three-Day Digital Celebration of Philippine Food

One of the highlights of the IFEX Digital Expo is the launch of two online platforms foodphilippines.com and www.ifexconnect.com, developed by CITEM. FOODPhilippines.com will be the website of the banner brand for all of CITEM’s events and initiatives for the Philippine food sector. Meanwhile, IFEXConnect.com will serve as the agency’s new promotion and lead generation platform for the country’s food export industry. 

 

Expo delegates can look forward to a wide array of Philippine food product categories, including fine food and specialties, biscuits and confectionery, organic and natural food items and ingredients, and snacks and crispy savory food products.

In addition to the informative discussions, the expo is set to excite the palate through happy hour sessions such as coffee brewing. Take in the rich aromas and flavors of Philippine coffee on Day 1. Savor mouthwatering dishes as Chef Angelo Guison explores the flavorful gifts of coconut, from tree to plate, in Coco Pop on Day 2. Distinguish craft from draft with the Craft Beer Association of the Philippines and Philippine craft kings beer connoisseur Jazel Paraiso, as you sample a beer set and learn about beer-food pairing on Day 3.

Source From a Wide Array of Products at the Expo Section

The IFEX Digital Expo 2021 brings you an all-new digital sourcing experience through its Expo section on Hopin. Browse through a catalog of flavors harnessed from the Philippines’ distinct terroir and by Philippine food companies from all over the archipelago. In the three-day expo, you can also initiate business with food brands, export enablers, and business support organizations.

To join IFEX Digital Expo, register for free at https://bit.ly/IFEXDigitalExpo.  

The rest of the three-day expo are as follows:

###

The IFEX Digital Expo 2021 is organized with the help of RAPID Growth, Department of Science and Technology (DOST), the Department of Trade and Industry’s Export Marketing Bureau ( DTI-EMB) and the Philippine Halal Export Development and Promotion Board, Philippine Coconut Authority, and DTI Regional Offices.

About CITEM

The Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) is the Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI) export promotions arm committed to nurturing the global competitiveness of Philippine micro, small, and medium scale enterprises (MSMEs), exporters, designers, and manufacturers. The agency aspires toward the highest standards of creativity and innovation, and spanning industries including home, fashion, lifestyle, and food sectors.

About FOODPhilippines.com

FOODPhilippines.com is an interactive community platform with stories celebrating and promoting Philippine food. The platform is replete with narratives on food heritage, culinary personalities, and well-loved recipes as well as innovative takes on Pinoy food. 

www.foodphilippines.com

About IFEXConnect.com

IFEXConnect.com is a promotions and lead generation platform with business functionalities catered toward the needs of food exhibitors and buyers alike.The business-intensive portal is envisioned to be a sourcing platform that features digital storefronts of Philippine food exporters. Ready to serve the global market, IFEXConnect also has a business-matching facility to ensure access to and discoverability of well-loved Pinoy food products. 

www.ifexconnect.com

About IFEX Digital Expo

CITEM organized the International Food Exhibition (IFEX) Philippines, a homegrown platform for the country’s food sector and the country’s biggest and most respected business-to-business (B2B) event for Asian food and ingredients. The export promotions agency is also in the thick of preparations for the digital iteration of IFEX Philippines, the IFEX Digital Expo. From expos, workshops, business-matching, and networking sessions, the IFEX Digital Expo will have food-intensive activities suited to the taste of anyone who's in the business and culture of food.

https://bit.ly/IFEXDigitalExpo 

Ref. Elmer Harold Grande

Email: ehgrande@citem.com.ph

Twitter: @CITEMPh

Facebook: @DTI.CITEM

DTI Supports Coastal Communities Through International Food Expo

THE Department of Trade and Industry through its Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) featured the ‘best of the seas’ as it welcomed buyers for the 12th International Food Exhibition Philippines (IFEX) 2018 on May 25 to May 27 2018 at the World Trade Center and Philippine Trade Training Center in Pasay City.

“Marking its return as an annual event, IFEX Philippines 2018 will highlight the country’s finest seafood to fulfill the growing global demand for marine product and coastal cuisines,” said DTI Trade and Investment Promotion Group Undersecretary and CITEM Officer-in-Charge Nora K. Terrado.

Participated in by over 450 Philippine micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) including those from coastal communities from Northern Luzon and Mindanao, the trade show is composed of four major exhibition halls: Food Philippines Hall, International Hall, Food Artisans Hall, and the Marketplace.

 “This is also our way of supporting the promotion of agribusiness sector in the country that provides employment opportunities especially in the regions,” added Terrado.

Among the municipalities joining the said trade show is the General Santos City, the Tuna Capital of the Philippines.  Local companies will showcase their world‐class tuna varieties, including skipjack, yellowfin, bluefin, and bigeye tuna, in different packaging options during the three-day show.

“General Santos City is home to one of the world’s best‐tasting tuna catches available to the international and local market and we wanted to highlight this as we position the Philippines as a go‐to sourcing destination for high‐quality tuna and tuna‐like species,” said Terrado.

As of 2016, the city’s tuna industry generates 65 percent of the country's over-all tuna catch and employs around 200,000 workers.

According to Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC), the Philippines is top three tuna producer in the world in terms of volume. Eighty (80) percent of Philippines seafood is exported to the United States and the European Union, with a value of approximately US $120 million export earnings per year.

“The Philippines is also currently ranked as the second largest manufacturer of canned and processed tuna in Asia, after Thailand, with a majority of this catch landed in the port of General Santos City,” said Terrado.

SEAFDEC data also showed that tuna is the Philippines’ top export fish commodity valued at PHP19.6 billion pesos in 2014, making up 35 percent of the country’s total fishery export.

IFEX Philippines 2018 is the country’s biggest international trade exhibition on the Philippines’ and Asia's ethnic and specialty food, tropical fruits, vegetables, seafood, beverages, bakery and confectionery products, meat and poultry, Halal-certified products, as well as natural, organic, and healthy food products.

To streamline export deals, DTI-CITEM opened its ‘IFEX Connect’ program, a customized platform for integrated business-to-business (B2B) matching services to help buyers identify and screen potential business partners among the exhibitors, in collaboration with DTI’s Export Marketing Bureau (EMB).

“We expect a more upbeat exchange of trade deals, sealing of partnerships and knowledge transfer through our B2B activities and learning seminars,” said Terrado.

In its previous four editions in 2011 to 2017, IFEX Philippines has already welcomed nearly 6,600 international and local buyers across the world: 1,270 in 2011, 1,259 in 2013, 1,976 in 2015 and 2,092 in 2017—increasing at an average of 14 percent over the past four editions.

From 2009 to 2017, the top 10 countries where these buyers came from are the United States, Japan, Singapore, China, United Arab Emirates, South Korea, Malaysia, Australia, Taiwan and Canada, respectively.

The 12th edition of IFEX is organized by the DTI-CITEM in close partnership with Department of Agriculture (DA), through the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and the Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service (AMAS).

*This is Press Release