An informal survey of poultry prices around Metro Manila markets on Friday revealed that prices actually moderated from three months earlier, for example. AL Padilla

Exporters are encouraged to make their offerings stand out in the overseas markets, as the government continues to focus on enhancing its initiatives to make exports a main industry that could drive Philippine economic growth and development.

Nora Terrado, Undersecretary for Trade and Investments Promotion Group (TIPG) at the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), said exporters need to prepare the “right ingredients and add distinctive spices” to make their offerings emerge in the world.

“You know, there are a lot of things that are changing in the export world. We are so used to looking at the merchandise exports. The other category is about services but one of the emerging components in export is now content. It is the glue that binds together where products are being servicified and services are being produced,” she said.

To develop both products and services and exporters themselves, Terrado said the government has been implementing the Regional Interactive Platform for Philippine Exporters (RIPPLES) Plus program.

“RIPPLES, in short, provides practical assistance geared towards the internationalization of the MSME (micro, small and medium enterprises) and the expansion of opportunities also for large enterprises and the scaling up of the MSME so that we can enrich the missing middle or the medium enterprises,” she said.

Terrado further said it also conducts events and outbound trade missions to major overseas markets.

“I must say that both outbound and inbound missions have been focused, made more relevant and in fact specialized in order for us to capture opportunities in the world. For example, things such as halal, the organic sector and many more are opportunities that are in front of us to tap,” she added.