Philexport Cebu | export services, market reports, training for Philippine exporters

The Dutch Center of the Promotion of Imports from Developing Countries or CBI Netherlands deployed to Philexport Cebu three (3) sector consultants who are experts in the creatives market (furniture, fashion accessories, home décor and garments), the Health & Wellness market and the Seaweed market of the European Union in the 3^rd week of September 2009. These 3 sector experts will be joining the two (2) external experts of CBI who are helping Philexport Cebu with their organizational strengthening and capacity building program.

Philexport Cebu will be farming out these sector experts to the different sector associations under its wing to help these local sectors’ Technical Working Groups (TWGs) draft their respective Sector Export Marketing Plans (SEMPs). These associations are: the Cebu Furniture Industries Foundation (CFIF), Cebu Gifts, Toys & Housewares Foundation (GTH), Fashion Access Manufacturers and Exporters (FAME), Cebu Health & Wellness Council (CHWC) and the Seaweed Industry Association of the Philippines (SIAP).

Assigned to help the Creatives’ sector is Herr Reinhard Werner of Germany, a market and product specialist who has helped various companies in the Philippines as an export coach.  Mr. Theo Nagel, a tourism sector expert, will be helping the Health & Wellness sector and Mr.Siegfried Bank, a food ingredients expert, will extend his expert help to the Seaweed group.

The respective associations will be drafting their individual SEMPs with the help of the sector experts, the external experts, the local export experts and staff of Philexport Cebu in order to come up with new sectoral market entry strategies.  Also lending support to the SEMP projects are the DTI (Provincial and Regional Offices), BFAR (seaweed), DED and GTZ of Germany and the Philexport Cebu management and staff.

The SEMP will become a living document for the sector associations which they may update from time to time.  It will serve as the road map for the SME exporters who are members of both the sector associations as well as Philexport Cebu.  The project is estimated to cost around P20 million. The amount will be shouldered by the donor stakeholders specifically CBI, DED, GTZ, DTI and Philexport Cebu in the form of technical assistance and logistics support.