CAIRO—Ambassador Sulpicio M. Confiado recently visited the Egyptian governorates of Damietta and Ismailia to establish the Philippines’s footprint in the said territories and identify areas for collaboration with their officials and private-sector representatives.
The visit to Damietta concluded with a tour of its Furniture City as arranged by the office of its governor Dr. Manal Awad, as the latter conveyed interest in possible collaborations with the Philippines and the governorate in two areas: fish processing such as drying, smoking and salting, as well as canning and freezing; plus the use of bamboo and rattan in furniture design and production.
The Damietta Chamber of Commerce and Damietta Port Authority also expressed interest in cooperative programs to help upgrade the governorate’s fishing and furniture sectors through exchange of technology, expertise and best practices, as well as cooperation in ports/logistics development and management with its Philippine counterparts from both public and private sectors.
Confiado’s visit in Ismailia included a call on Major General Sherif Fahmy Saad Beshara, who is the governor of Ismailia, a visit to a mango farm, Atos Generators, and 2M Electric Group—two energy-related companies in the latter governorate’s industrial zone.
A key area discussed during the visits is the increase in trade export of Philippine mangoes to Egypt during the winter season—especially between December and March, as well as the importation of oranges to the Philippines. Farm owners expressed interest in establishing links with mango-producing areas in the Philippines, as well as with the National Mango Research and Development Center.
Likewise, Atos and 2M—manufacturers of environment-friendly generators and producers of electrical supplies, low voltage panels and fuses, respectively—expressed interest in attracting investments and joint-venture projects with prospective Philippine companies. DFA
Image credits: Cairo PE