An official of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry-Mindanao (PCCI-Mindanao) disclosed that Singapore is now looking at Mindanao as their potential area to source their food supplies.
This opportunity for Mindanaon products was among the positive outputs during the business mission to Singapore spearheaded by the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) and PCCI-Mindanao from August 8 to 11, 2022.
The Mindanao-wide delegation was composed of 18 companies, 25-men private delegations, six NGAs, and one LGU that went to Singapore intending to try to show the investment potential of Mindanao and also to introduce Mindanaoan products to gain access to the Singapore market.
Arturo Milan, area vice president for Mindanao of PCCI, said the delegation was able to sell one 40-footer container of pineapple and one 40-footer container of papaya to Singapore.
“There was a lot of interest generated because for the first time we brought in samples. You know Singapore is very strict on bringing samples what we did was we coursed it through the Philippine embassy to Singapore and they were the ones who brought the samples to the venue,” Milan said during Wednesdays Habi at Kape media forum.
Milan said the Singaporeans have seen the products from Mindanao that come from the micro and small entrepreneurs.
Milan said Singaporeans expressed interest in coffee one Singaporean already invested in a coffee plantation in Bukidnon. He also said they are also interested in cacao and other fruits from Mindanao.
“Singapore buys 96 percent of their food requirement through imports. Karon there is a shortage of chicken worldwide because of bird flu scare so dako ug demand ang Singaporean market for food. That is an opening (opportunity) for us and then they are seriously looking now at Mindanao. When we talk of the Philippines, Mindanao ang ilang ginatan-aw as their potential area to source their food supplies,” he added.
Milan is hoping that as Mindanao entrepreneurs can start exporting pineapples and papaya to Singapore, crops, mango, Cavendish banana, coffee, and cacao will follow.
The mission was also represented by delegations from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) who were also able to contact Halal product suppliers in Singapore.
“Kay mao na ang isyu sa atoang mga turista na Muslims, dili muanhi sa Mindanao kay nagka problema sila ug asa mukaon nga Halal registered na restaurants.There was a lot of discussions about sa mga Halal products na ma-source sa Singapore. Happy ang atoang mga representatives coming from the BARMM areas na they can look at now sourcing Halal products from Singapore,” Milan said.
Milan said the delegations from Mindanao were in Singapore in 2019 but they were not able to follow through because of the pandemic.
He is also hoping this will become sustainable exporting products from Mindanao to Singapore and other crops as well may follow.
“So ang katong amoang gipang bisitahan last 2019, hopefully, ma revive namo ang mga discussions we have with South Korea, China, and Japan,” he said.
