By Justine Irish D. Tabile, A reporter
A 300-member business delegation from Canada is visiting the Philippines next month to explore cooperation in food security, clean technology, infrastructure, and information and communication technology (ICT), the Canadian ambassador said.
At Thursday’s briefing, Trade Commissioner Guy Boileau said this will be the largest Trade Mission Canada has ever sent, dwarfing the number sent elsewhere in Asia.
“This is the largest Team Canada Trade Mission we have ever done. It is bigger than the teams sent to Japan and Korea,” said Mr. Boileau told reporters.
“It speaks to Canada’s broader interest in engaging with the Philippines,” he added.
He said potential investors are interested in the Philippines’ economic growth, English-speaking population, young people, and important economic reforms.
“This is a large country that is increasingly seen as a hub for other countries in the region,” he said.
“This is also an English-speaking country, so it makes things easier. And you have a very young and tech-savvy population, and those are factors that resonate when we talk to our companies,” he added.
He said the most prominent changes are the amendments to the Public Service Law and the Public-Private Partnership Code, liberalization in important sectors such as renewable energy, and the passage of Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises to Increase Opportunities for Economic Revitalization (CREATE MORE).
“These are all good signs for international investors and exporters, including those in Canada, that at the end of the day they want a stable and predictable business environment,” he said.
“And what we have seen in the last few years is that the Philippines is really going in that direction. It is exciting and promising to collaborate and work together,” he added.
The trade fair, which will run from December 4 to 6, will also be attended by 20 industry associations, including the Business Council of Canada and the Canada-ASEAN Business Council.
“Furthermore, we have representatives from many of our provinces and regions. In fact, we have a minister of the province of Alberta who also joined the team,” he said.
“The team (is made up of) approximately 60% of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and 20% to 30% of large Canadian companies. So this is very important because we know the importance attached to the Philippines in supporting and growing SMEs,” he added.
The team will examine priority industries that align with the administration’s objectives, such as food security, clean technology, infrastructure, and ICT.
“We have companies from agro-industrial solutions and food and beverage systems. Within clean technology, (we have delegation members involved in) energy efficiency, water and wastewater management, carbon emissions, carbon capture, and more,” he said.
“The third priority sector is infrastructure. We know this is very important to President Marcos. So we have companies coming out of this sector especially in good planning, engineering and nuclear power,” he added.
ICT will be represented by financial technology solutions companies, satellite communications, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence industries.
“Those are the four most important areas of the Team Canada Trade Mission. We have other sectors also joining. We have defense, space and education companies,” he said.
The team will also include Canadian companies that are not yet heavily involved with the Philippines, he said.
Mr. Boileau said international trade plays a major role in Canada’s economy, pointing to the importance of diversified trade.
“When we talk about the growth of the Canadian economy, we cannot talk about that without talking about international trade, and that includes the importance of diversity in trade,” he said.
“We know that over-focusing may not always be a good thing, so we try to provide a platform and rules so that our companies can enter as many global markets as possible,” he added.
He said negotiations for the ASEAN-Canada free trade agreement are currently underway and will be completed next year.
“We had several discussions. Our leaders are committed to completing those negotiations by the end of 2025,” he said.
Meanwhile, Andrew Green, political and public affairs adviser at the Canadian Embassy, said the trade activity is part of Canada’s Indo-Pacific strategy announced two years ago.
“This trade activity is part of the Indo-Pacific strategy that was announced for 2022. So it is disconnected from what happened in the election campaign in the States and the next administration,” he said.
“I will not bring these two together. But certainly, Indo-Pacific-focused trade will help Canada balance out any disruptions in the international system,” he added.
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