Panayam kay DTI Asec. Glenn Peñaranda
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00:00 Investments and job opportunities.
00:04 The last state visit of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to Malaysia.
00:09 That's what we will talk about with ASEC Assistant Secretary Glenn Penaranda,
00:15 Trade Promotions Group of the Department of Trade and Industry, ASEC. Good afternoon.
00:20 Good afternoon, Archie. Thank you for the opportunity to be part of your program.
00:27 From the $285 investment that President Marcos Jr. received in his last state visit to Malaysia,
00:38 were there identified thousands of jobs that could be given to our countrymen in the Philippines?
00:47 Yes, Aljon. Based on the investors who gave their letters of intent,
00:56 or the agreements with their Philippine partners,
01:01 our initial count will be around 10,000 jobs.
01:09 The President also mentioned that if these projects continue,
01:13 there will be indirect job implications that will reach more than 100,000.
01:22 You know, the President's program when he visits other countries,
01:29 he really makes time to meet with the business community
01:34 to share the opportunities in our country.
01:39 And also to ask them if we are interested to partner with them
01:45 for both the requirements of our industry here
01:50 and to pursue the opportunities that were opened like the RCEP that we are already part of.
01:59 From which sector or industry will be the first in the Philippines and when is it expected to start?
02:10 Aljon, the variety of sectors and all of these are aligned with our priorities.
02:20 For example, there is an interest in construction and infrastructure,
02:26 there is an interest in aviation and aviation services,
02:30 and related logistics.
02:32 There is also an interest in digital services.
02:35 And it is important in agriculture, which is really being given attention.
02:43 And in Malaysia, because their agriculture is developing,
02:48 especially in plantations and even for dairy farming.
02:53 So these are the sectors that have LOIs now.
02:58 But in my opinion, because the acceptance of the business community is really positive,
03:07 they say that the opportunity of our growing economy and a big market is increasing.
03:14 They find our administration to be very receptive, open, and transparent.
03:20 I mentioned before that every time the President talks to the negotiators,
03:25 he says that we are here because you are being given opportunities in the Philippines.
03:31 But we also want to listen to you so we know what else we need to do
03:37 so that the negotiators in the Philippines can grow their business
03:43 and others can be encouraged to do business in the Philippines.
03:47 Most of them are happening, some of them are going to start this year.
03:55 Most of them, within the next two years, will be doing dairy farming,
04:00 which the President mentioned, because it will take time to develop the farms.
04:06 But this project, actually, they already have an ongoing dairy processing project in Pampanga.
04:13 But they want to expand to dairy farming and it will take some time.
04:19 So until 2028, it will be dairy farming.
04:23 But most of them will be happening within the next two years.
04:27 One of the priorities of President Marcos Jr. is the agriculture sector.
04:35 Can you give us an idea of what the MOU, Memorandum of Understanding Asset,
04:45 is talking about between the Philippines and Malaysia,
04:48 where the investment and trade opportunities in the agriculture sector are discussed?
04:55 Actually, there are two aspects to this.
04:59 On government-to-government, we are discussing how we can cooperate in agriculture.
05:07 The two sectors we are looking at are rubber, we have rubber in Mindanao,
05:14 and palm oil, which Malaysia is successful in.
05:18 And then we have an opportunity to develop it also in Mindanao.
05:24 The Prime Minister and Prime Minister Anwar said that they will convene a joint commission
05:33 of meeting between our two countries to discuss the details of this.
05:40 As we produce food, it is included in the halal, which is a big opportunity
05:49 not only for our Muslim brothers but also for the world market.
05:55 On the private sector, it is important to align with what the President said,
06:01 beyond what the government does, it is important that our businessmen,
06:07 especially the big businessmen, will also help.
06:12 So there is a memorandum of understanding between the ASEAN Business Advisory Council of Malaysia
06:23 and the Philippines led by Joey Concepcion,
06:27 for their project of collaboration, the "Kapatid Angat Lahat" for the Agri Programme,
06:36 where the big companies will help the small farmers to integrate in their value chain.
06:45 Because it is important, and the President said that for our agricultural sector to expand and to grow,
06:54 they have to have technology, they have to be linked to the global value chain,
06:59 and they have to have some scale.
07:02 So because of this discussion between our private sector,
07:07 they will help, especially our small farmers, to be linked to the value chain,
07:15 either as a supplier or they will help with technology.
07:30 Because it is a new industry in our agriculture,
07:37 our livestock is basically poultry and pigs.
07:43 But for milk,
07:54 they have developed and also in partnership with the government.
08:16 So they have a partnership with the government and we hope we can develop this industry.
08:21 If this investment plan of the Malaysian Dairy Company, Farm Fresh Berhad, continues,
08:31 how many jobs can this give to our countrymen?
08:35 Actually, there are two components of this project.
08:43 The first is ongoing in Pampanga and they are employing about 50 people already.
08:50 But for now, they are just processing milk.
08:54 But what Farm Fresh wants to do is that over the next few years,
09:01 they will develop a dairy farm.
09:04 They will bring the cows that are suitable for our climate.
09:10 Because other cows are sensitive to heat,
09:14 so if it gets hot, and the milk's productivity is not suitable for our climate, it will be very small.
09:22 But they have now the breed that is appropriate for our climate,
09:27 that they have already tried in Malaysia, that is what they will bring here.
09:32 In the second part, the dairy farming,
09:37 they need to develop from 200 to 400 hectares and 2000 milking cows.
09:46 So this will give jobs to our many countrymen.
09:53 I also saw when this business was discussed,
09:56 that one of their system is to give our farmers a chance to have a good income
10:06 because they will offer a fair pricing to the milk and the cows.
10:12 And they also have a system where the farmers and also maybe the distributors of these milk products
10:23 in various dairy farms.
10:25 The President said that it would be good if this started near Los Baños, in Lebuna,
10:32 so that the technology transfer and UPFB can help them to start this dairy farm.
10:42 Aside from Farm Fresh, Berhad, how many other companies showed interest to move to the Philippines?
10:53 I already mentioned that the ones who gave the letters of intent or the agreement are 9 companies.
11:02 But the one with the President is the business delegation.
11:07 And we had about 25 businessmen, not only our big companies here in Manila,
11:15 but also we have a group from Indanao.
11:18 They had a networking session with the Malaysia International Chamber of Commerce
11:24 and the Mid-Tier Association of Companies in Malaysia.
11:29 These are the companies that are already looking for opportunities.
11:34 So I think the discussion there is good.
11:39 I already mentioned that many of them are looking at the Philippines as a market.
11:45 But at the same time, pag maganda na yung performance ng products nila dito sa atin,
11:52 several of them are also thinking of how they can produce things dito sa Pilipinas
11:58 para may export din sa ibang bansa.
12:01 Ang Malaysia kasi, and this is where we can really compliment them, ang population nila is only 30 million.
12:10 So for their industries to continue to grow, they will need of course a market.
12:16 Tayo 150 million sinasabi natin.
12:19 And more importantly, we have the labor force that they can tap.
12:24 So that together, we are encouraging them na dito din sila magproduce ng ibang mga produkto.
12:30 Kasabay na dyan yung strategic location natin in Asia and then yung ating mga preferences sa markets.
12:37 So we can export the products also from the Philippines.
12:41 All right. Maraming salamat Asek Glenn.