THE Philippine Export Development Plan (PEDP) 2023-2028 will focus on four major industry clusters: industrial, machinery, and transportation (IMT); technology, media, and telecommunications (TMT); health and life sciences; and modern basic needs, resilient economy (MBNRE).
On Tuesday morning, September 24, during the PEDP 2023-2028 event in Davao City, Department of Trade and Industry - Davao Region (DTI-Davao) regional director Romeo Castanaga said focusing on these industry clusters will springboard the country’s export performance following its relatively slow export performance in the Asean region despite a stable increase of market trade earnings in the Philippines.
Castanaga also revealed in an ambush interview with SunStar Davao that their agency is making sure to adapt all of the strategic export actions while continuously collaborating with other concerned and relevant government agencies such as the Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Finance, among others.
Presently, DTI-Davao is maximizing the strength of agriculture, food production and other industries in the region to overcome shortages in manufacturing, build a robust and innovative export ecosystem, and increase the Davao region’s worldwide market share.
“We continue to support our strength in agriculture and other tropical fruits and other processed products. To diversify, we are also promoting new industries in the region like non-food and creative industries. These industries are also contributing a lot to the export output in the region,” he said.
Currently, the PEDP marks a shift in the government's approach to export development, with differential support levels for priority industries while giving critical help to other sectors. It focuses on realistic industry and firm-level initiatives to boost export competitiveness. In addition to prioritized industries, the strategy acknowledges the responsibilities of consolidators, MSMEs, intellectual property protection, and cross-border eCommerce in enhancing export competitiveness.
Specific export targets that are consistent with the plan's vision are generated using two scenarios: a benchmark expectation and aggressive PEDP targets. To guarantee successful execution, the plan places an emphasis on good governance, monitoring, and evaluation.
The PEDP 2023-2028 provides a clear direction and practical method to modernizing the country's export sector. By stimulating investments, enabling trade, and developing important sector clusters, the plan intends to achieve significant export growth and position the Philippines as a producer of high-value goods and services by 2028. DEF
