THE Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. (Philexport) said the launch of the Philippine Export Development Plan (PEDP) for 2023-2028 has been delayed because it is still being reviewed by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
Philexport President Sergio R. Ortiz-Luis Jr. told reporters on the sidelines of the National Export Congress 2022 on Wednesday, “The process involving PEDP has not been finished, the DTI is still reviewing it. Well, because we have a new secretary, he hasn’t finished reviewing it yet. After DTI completes its review the Export Development Council will give its final approval.”
Meanwhile, Ortiz-Luis agreed with Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Foundation Inc. (SEIPI) President Danilo C. Lachica that hitting the $80-billion goal for electronics exports under the PEDP by 2027 is iffy, given the huge challenge posed by countries, especially Vietnam, that have been luring investors in the Philippines’s traditional top exports.
The Philexport chief cited the shortage of chips and supply chain disruption among the reasons behind the anxiety over hitting the said target: “May shortage kaya lahat ngayon pila pati ’yung mga kotse na hindi binibili nakapila, e, dahil meron, ’yung supply chain nagka-problema.”
In his speech during the NEC, Ortiz-Luis laid out some of the “critical accomplishments” of the country’s umbrella organization for exporters, including the passage of the Export Development Act (EDA), which he said led to the birth of the Export Development and the National Competitiveness Councils, “possibly the first two strong cases of public private partnership (PPP).”
“The EDA has set in motion the advocacy and programs that are to be the foundation and evolving spirit behind the consequent interventions such as the development and implementation of the Philippine Export Development Plan or PEDP, the Magna Carta for the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, implementation of Export Promotion and Support Funds, streamlining of export procedures and requirements, opening and expansion of market access, liberalization of key economic sectors such as banking, telecommunication, retail and franchising, and institutionalization of trade facilitation policies and laws,” Ortiz-Luis said.
Moving forward, the head of Philexport said it aims to foster private sector and government partnership.
In fact, he said, “this is embedded in Philexport’s DNA, the engagement with government and private sector partners for meaningful advocacies, programs and projects that will empower our exporters particularly the [micro,small, and medium enterprises] MSMEs to continue performing and providing value within the supply chain they are part of.”
According to the statement released by the DTI two weeks ago, the PEDP for 2023-2028 was supposed to be launched on Wednesday during the 2022 National Export Congress (NEC). Instead, Ortiz-Luis told reporters that it may not be approved until the early part of 2023.
Economist Cielito F. Habito, a former socioeconomic planning secretary, presented some of the salient features of the PEDP 2023-2028 such as overcoming scale and volume constraints.
Under this feature, the PEDP proposes to attract big-ticket global firms and ensure steady and reliable supply of raw materials for manufacturing.
Habito also cited the importance of fostering integration. Under this, the export development agenda aims to fill value chain gaps including through “catalytic investments.”