Israel, PHL eye security, digitalization collab

THE government of Israel is looking into potential economic collaboration, particularly in the areas of security and digitalization, with the Philippines.

Finance Secretary Ralph G. Recto met with Israel Ambassador to Manila Ilan Fluss to discuss and identify trade and investment opportunities on May 10, 2024, the Department of Finance (DOF) said in a social media post on Monday.

The two countries committed to exploring a prospective collaboration in the aspect of defense and security, in line with the Senate Bill No. 2455 or “Self Reliant Defense Posture Revitalization Act,” which was approved on third and final reading in the Senate.

The SRDP was proposed to revitalize the defense industry, develop and strengthen allied industries, and address short, medium, and long-term needs for defense materiel.

Moreover, Fluss expressed interest in “building bridges of innovation and technology” between Israel and the Philippines, according to the DOF.

Recto, for his part, accepted the possible cooperation in digitalization, specifically in enhancing the areas of tax and customs administration to promote the ease of doing business.

Together with cutting red tape and corruption, these would all lead to an improvement in the overall

revenue collection of the government, the DOF said.

Israel and the Philippines are also looking into agricultural technology, flood control systems, healthcare, cybersecurity, and technologies for anti-smuggling for other potential areas for cooperation.

Furthermore, Fluss highlighted the trade cooperation of Israel and the Philippines with bilateral trade in goods between the two countries amounting to $532 million in 2023.

Fluss said trade between Israel and the Philippines would be driven by the electronics and business process outsourcing (BPO) industries this year as Israeli companies are moving into the Philippines.

In 2022, Israel ranked 34th out of 225 partners as the Philippines’s trading partner, 39th export market (out of 212 markets), and 31st import supplier (out of 205 suppliers), according to the Israel Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ICCP).

ere are currently 14 major bilateral agreements on various sectors between the two countries.

In 1947, the Philippines was the only Asian country that supported UN Resolution 181 on the partition of Palestine and the creation of the State of Israel.

The State of Israel and the Republic of the Philippines established full diplomatic relations with the signing of the Treaty of Friendship in 1958.