With the Philippines shipping $63.9B worth of goods around the globe, according to worldstopexports.com, the products are heavily electronics from circuits to computers and their parts/accessories, insulated wire or cable and printing machinery.

According to the Philippine Daily Inquirer’s report on ING PH Senior economist Nicholas Mapa’s assessment, the exports gain was mainly driven by the 5.6% rise in electronic exports - the Philippines’ biggest export commodity registering $31.7B in value and accounting for over half of the total export trade.

While fruits and nuts were the third top Philippine exports at $2.3B (3.6% of total exports and $5.37B in Q2 of 2021), the gifts, decor, and houseware (GDH) sector needs a boost to be more competitive in the global market for the sake of about 690,000 to 1,000,000 employed by these industries, according to Trade Assistant Secretary for Industry Development Rafaelita Aldaba. The GDH roadmap arrived at by the Philippine Board of Investments indicated that "there are around 2,412 handicraft enterprises in the country with most which are Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs)”.

The Philippines, according to Daniel Workman of worldstopexports.com, “ranks among world-leading nations for exporting bananas and pineapple, etc.” Some of the largest growers of international export-grade bananas are from Davao of the southern region, Mindanao. Value of exports of bananas and plantains amounted to $1.62B in 2020.

For handicrafts, notable exports are made of wood. They reflect competitive design, craftsmanship, and users' sustainability.

‘Marsse Tropical Timber Plantations’ uses wood from its plantation in Pangasinan, north of Manila. Mara Sebastian, the firm’s marketing manager, explained that they started planting as early as 30 years ago - mainly Honduran mahogany, Indonesian teak and a sprinkling of local trees.

Wood also gives good opportunities to create handmade three-dimensional products. The late Architect ’Toti’ Villalon designed a line of unique wooden bowls and candlestick holders. As one of those in the original group of industrial designers from the Design Center Philippines, he knew his craft well - from conceptualizing to execution.

Nature's bounty also transforms to other manufactured food products - like coconuts to virgin coconut oil to brown sugar. CocoOrganix, one of the most promising, fully-equipped and better-staffed domestic enterprises, produced a not-too-common coconut product: cocosap syrup for pancakes.

In line with their practice of corporate social responsibility, Aseniero International Trading of the CocoOrganix products, states their policy in their product labels: “Coconut Syrup is made only from the sap of coconut trees grown in mineral-rich volcanic soil. All of our products contribute to the livelihood and education of local farmers and rural communities in the Philippines.”

RCEP, through ASEAN stakeholders, will “open new economic opportunities and will also benefit the impoverished…..by granting MSMEs access to markets….. thus creating more job opportunities and inclusive growth”.

EXPORTING AGRI-PRODUCTS AND HANDICRAFTS FOR INCLUSION