THE recent outbreak of 2019 novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in some parts of Europe has cancelled a supposed trade mission of businessmen from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Barmm), a business leader said.
European Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines-Southern Mindanao Business Council (ECCP-SMBC) chair Antonio Peralta said three business entities are scheduled to conduct a trade mission in Austria on March 22 to 27.
Peralta said about 11 businessmen from Moro Oil, Bangsamoro International Trading Corporation, Bangsamoro Development Agency, and another five representatives from the local government unit (LGU).
He said the trade mission hopes to invite more investors from Europe to invest in the region, especially in the Barmm area.
“This would help investment areas in Barmm. We would like to share inclusive growth in areas like Cotabato City, and Marawi,” he said.
He said their goal is for the European investors to expand in the country as well as bring their technologies here.
This, he said, would help open up opportunities for the producers in the country to consider exporting to Austria.
However, with the current health crisis in Europe, he said there is no schedule yet when the trade mission to push through.
“That depends on the condition in Europe. Right now, there is a spike in the cases of Covid-19 so it is very hard for us to say. It is very prudent at this time to really wait until this whole thing passes by,” Peralta said.
But he said he is hopeful that it will subside soon.
“We look at this as a temporary setback. We don’t see it as long-term. Ang trade mission tuloy pa rin pero we are still waiting. Most likely, keeping my fingers crossed, third quarter this year,” he said.
He is also certain that the current situation will not affect the trade relations between the Philippines and Europe.
“We are looking at other countries like France and also possibly Spain but given the rise of Covid-19, everything is on hold,” he said.
As of Wednesday, February 26, Austria reported two confirmed cases of Covid-19 and were isolated at an Innsbruck hospital. The Austrian authorities have also quarantined the hotel near the city.
On the same day, Italy recorded a spike in Covid-19 cases to 374 infected persons from 322 persons.
The country’s death toll caused by the virus increased to 12 from 10.