ARISE in the Philippines

More than 50 participants, representing at least 33 Filipino government agencies, bureaus, and private sector organizations, recently joined a series of virtual interactions to help support export competitiveness in the Philippines.

With COVID-19 travel restrictions in place, these meetings were part of the fully virtual inception phase of the newly launched ASEAN Regional Integration Support by the EU (ARISE) Plus Philippines project.

It is the 5th ARISE project entrusted to the International Trade Centre (ITC) in the ASEAN region funded by the European Union, following Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Malaysia

ITC experts presented, reviewed, and validated upcoming project activities with partners and agencies. The focus of these discussions, organized by the Philippines Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and ITC, was how to successfully implement the planned activities.

Effective and fruitful, the interactions were instrumental in highlighting ways to enable the private sector  to play its role in economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The lively discussions with public and private stakeholders throughout the meetings were pivotal in ensuring the interventions will be aligned with the needs of beneficiaries and will lead to tangible results.

Gender perspectives and flexibility to support the Philippines’ evolving economic and trade needs in the wake of Covid-19 will be key principles in driving the efforts.

Close partners of the Filipino government and private sector were also identified who will help with implementation and pave the way for inclusive impact.

The four-year project aims to foster inclusive economic growth in the Philippines through improved international trade performance and competitiveness as well as regional integration. It is implemented by the International Trade Centre (ITC) in close collaboration with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) of the Philippines.

The 9-month inception phase began on 1 March 2021.