Exporters urged to enlist in RIPPLES program

CEBU, Philippines - Exporters are called to enlist in the Regional Interactive Platform for Philippine Exporters (RIPPLES) program of the government to grab market opportunities in the next five years.

RIPPLES aims to develop 1,000 tech-enabled companies in five years starting this year until 2022, announced the Export Marketing Bureau of the Department of Trade and Industry.

The program identifies and develops new and existing exporters aligned with the Philippine Export Development Plan’s (PEDP) key and emerging sectors.

This particular initiative is believed to yield $1 billion incremental export sales by 2022.

There are 12 priority sectors identified and these are electronic manufacturing services and semiconductor manufacturing service; automotive and auto parts; aerospace parts; chemicals; shipbuilding, Roll-on Roll off (Ro-Ro) as well as small and medium-sized vessels; furniture, wearables and gifts, decors and housewares (GDH); tool and die; agri-business; information technology-business process management; transport and logistics; tourism; and construction.

She said the program provides interventions for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and large firms through training and capacity building; investment, marketing and promotion; support for innovation, product development and design; and market access facilitation through mutual recognition agreements (MRAs) and certification.

These strategic company-level interventions are aimed to prepare these companies to compete in terms of volume, quality, price, packaging, compliance with market-entry requirements, rules and regulations, design leadership or alignment with current design trends.

When export-ready, these companies are matched with prospective foreign buyers and promoted overseas.

RIPPLES is a joint program of the EMB, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)- Regional Operations Group, Philippine Trade Training Center, Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), Design Center of the Philippines, DTI’s Bureau of Domestic Trade Promotion and Philippine International Trading Corp. (FREEMAN)