Israel firms to explore trade prospects in Phl

CEBU, Philippines - The Embassy of Israel announced that some Israeli agricultural companies are coming to the Philippines this November to explore investment opportunities here.

During his visit in Cebu Wednesday, Israel Head of Economic and Trade of Mission to the Philippines Doron Hemo said that Israeli water and agricultural firms are visiting to the country to introduce water technologies.

“We’re bringing these companies because one of the vivid sectors in Israel is the water technology — and also the agri technology,” the trade attaché said in an interview.

Hemo’s visit was aimed at boosting the bilateral relations between the two nations and engaging Israeli investors to set up businesses in the Philippines.

Hemo said businesses in Israel have been looking at investing in the dairy, irrigation, water management and other manufacturing industries here.

“Our main mission really is to bridge and enhance the trade and economic volume and relations between the Philippines and Israel,” he noted. “The Philippines has always treated Israel very kindly.”

Water technology

With the natural desert conditions in Israel, it had encountered obstacles and constraints in sourcing water for the past years.

However, the country has been able to develop its own water technology that has now become a model for most places in the United States and other nations. The said technology has been used to better cope up with drought.

Hemo noted Israel has eventually become a water self-reliant nation. He added that its expertise in dripping irrigation, waste water treatment and water management should be shared to the Philippines’ agricultural sector. The embassy official explained the drip irrigation system is better instead of the usual irrigation system for reducing waste and increasing yield of agricultural products.

Industry growth

Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Teresa Chan noted that while the Philippines has been the fastest growing economies in Asia, the growth is mostly driven by the consumer sector.

Chan expressed the need for the country to enhance and support the growth of the manufacturing and agriculture-based industries. “And this is where we can partner with Israel,” the official noted.

“We need good water technology for our industries to be efficient and this is what Israel can offer to us,” the president said in a press conference. “We really can do some partnership in the future because we need efficiency in agriculture and farming — in growing our cacao and other agri products.”

Although Israel has not been blessed with natural resources, it has found ways to increase the yield of its agricultural goods with the help of farming technologies.

The Philippines has a great potential in increasing further the growth of its agricultural sector, considering that it has been blessed with natural resources.

Business ties

Hemo said the partnership between the two nations would not only boost economic relations, but would also encourage Israeli tourists to come to the Philippines. 

Chan asked the trade attaché to encourage Israeli firms to import products from the Philippines — Visayas in particular. “One of the objectives of the chamber is to see to it that we can export more products,” she noted.

Israel’s exports to the Philippines currently remains to be higher compared to the latter’s exports to the former.

The foreign official also cited some industries the two countries can best collaborate in. These include the homeland security business, chemical industry, medical devices and pharmaceutical industry. The Department of National Defense said Israel has offered to give the Philippines defense and military equipment to help fight terrorism and for disaster risk management.

Hemo urged the players in the agriculture sector to join Israel’s agri tech 2016 exhibition where they would learn from Israeli companies about know-how in dairy farm, poultry, machinery, aqua culture and greenhouse initiatives.

“I truly believe that we should increase the collaboration of both countries for mutual benefits,” he noted. The full diplomatic relations between the two was realized in 1958 when the Treaty of Friendship was signed.  (FREEMAN)