Filipino businessmen set trade mission to Malaysia

FILIPINO businessmen will visit Malaysia next month to explore agricultural trade possibilities with their Malaysian counterparts.

To be led by Asean Business Advisory Council (BAC) Philippines Chairman and Go Negosyo founder Jose Ma. “Joey” Concepcion 3rd, the private sector-led trade mission on April 23 and 24 seeks to collaborate with Malaysian agriculture companies for commodities such as palm oil, rubber, rice, dairy, poultry, pineapple, durian, banana, coconut and corn.

The details of the visit were discussed in a meeting organized by proponents of the Kapatid Angat Lahat sa Agri Program (Kalap) with Concepcion at the helm.

The meeting was attended by some of the Philippines’ largest agriculture companies, including Universal Leaf Philippines, Yovel East Agriventures, Lionheart Farms, and Iba Botanicals, as well as commodity players represented by Philippine Rice Industry Stakeholders Movement, the Philippine Rubber Industry Council, and the Unahco-Philippine Association of Feed Millers.

The discussions were led by Go Negosyo senior advisers which include former Agriculture secretary William Dar and Josephine Romero. Representing the AseanBAC is its Executive Director Gil Gonzales.

The trade mission follows the signing last year of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) initiated by the two countries’ Asean-BACs.

The meetings will be conducted through the ABAC Malaysia B2B Connect Initiative (BCI) led by Malaysia’s former trade minister Dato’ Sri Mustapa Mohamed.

Other possible areas to be explored during the visit are agarwood inoculation technologies and the possibility of streamlining international and domestic testing compliances.

The meeting with the Malaysia private sector is expected to kick off similar cooperation activities between ABAC Philippines and all the other signatories of the MoU —Indonesia, Singapore, Cambodia, Myanmar, Brunei, Laos and Thailand.