Exporters see brighter days, eye $44 B target

CLARK FIELD, Pampanga — Despite political and economic woes confronting the country, the Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc. (Philexport) sees brighter prospects in the local export industry which it expects to hit its $44 billion target by the end of this year.

"We are not worried. Our July figures show that we are still on the track. We are not changing our target of 10 to 12 percent export growth this year," Philexport president Sergio Ortiz-Luis told The Star in an interview during the business consultations on trade negotiations forum held at the Fontana Resort here yesterday.

He said that exports are so optimistic that they expect to even be able to hit the $50 billion mark next year.

Ortiz-Luis, who acted as one of resource persons during the forum attended by various chambers of commerce and industry officials from all over Northern Luzon, noted that "among different sectors in the economy, exporters are the most inured to political problems because their (foreign) buyers don’t care what is the problem here for as long they are confident that exporters can deliver the right quality and quantity , and on time."