Philippine food exporters should explore and take advantage of huge market opportunities in South Korea.

Trade and Industry Secretary Manuel Roxas II noted an economic upsurge in Korea, spawning an increased demand for food products among middle class Korean consumers.

"We are urging our food exporters to take a closer look at the Korean market. Korea, which generally imports the bulk of its food requirements in neighboring countries, has been sustaining its economic momentum for the rest of the year with consumer spending in an upward trend," Roxas said.

"Our food products definitely have a competitive edge over other country competitors," he said.

"Aside from the presence of an agro-climatological environment – which allows the country to produce a wide range of superior fresh and processed food products through the use of modern agricultural technologies, the Philippines’ relative proximity to Korea is also an advantage," he explained.

Roxas cited a report from Seoul-based Philippine Trade and Investment Center (PTIC) Commercial Attache Nicanor Bautista who said some $3.067 million in negotiated sales was generated during a one-day business matching conference arranged for a mission of local food exporters.

Bautista said the huge sales indicated the rising enthusiasm of Korean consumers for food products, particularly those produced in the Philippines.

The mission comprised major Philippine food companies Divert Corp., Seachamp International Export Corp., Mabuhay 2000 Enterprises Inc., 7-D Food International Inc., Celebes Agricultural Corp., See’s International Food Manufacturing Corp., and Shemberg Marketing Corp.

It was organized by the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) in collaboration with the Korea Importers’ Association (KOIMA), which has an established importers’ group handling 83 percent of Korea’s import volume.

In the same meeting, the Filipino food firms negotiated fruitful deals with some of Korea’s major food importers, to include Samsung Corp.; Cheil Jedang Corp., the biggest food conglomerate in Korea; and the Shinsegae Department Store which owned a chain of over 25 department stores.

The Divert Corp., for one, received orders for fresh abalone and fresh baby clams worth $600,000.

Seachamp also closed a deal for tilapia fillets, lobster, abalone and black tiger prawns valued at $1.068 million.

The Korea Airlines’ food purchasing division tapped Seachamp for "de-veined" fresh-chilled prawns. Korea Airlines prepares over 30,000 set meals a day.

Other best selling Philippine food products were coconut juice (buko juice) in can, a novel product for Korean buyers, and Philippine mangoes.

Mabuhay closed deals worth $570,168 for its canned coconut juice and 7-D, for dried mangoes and mango nectar valued at $396,000.

CITEM officials said many Korean companies have offered exclusive distributorship of Philippine mango products in Korea.

Roxas said the food selling mission to South Korea carried out the memorandum of understanding signed during the May visit to the Philippines of a South Korean buying mission led by KOIMA chairman Chul-pyung Chin.

Representatives from the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Philippine Exporters Confederation and KOIMA signed the agreement.

The food-selling mission to South Korea is one of the promotional strategies being done by the trade department’s brand development team for food products.

The Philippines is in talks with oil-supplying nations for "special contingency bilateral supply arrangements" to ensure that the country has enough oil for its transportation sector in the event that war breaks out in the Middle East.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo disclosed this Friday during a media briefing in El Nido, Palawan, as she said the outbreak of conflict in the Middle East might impact on the production, supply and price of world crude.

The President said the country, though becoming less dependent on oil for its power requirements, still needed imported oil to fill up the demands of its transportation sector.

She said the bilateral supply arrangements were being discussed with traditional and new oil suppliers.

Citing "diplomatic prudence" for not naming the oil suppliers, the President confirmed ongoing talks with a Middle East nation for a "formal solid assurance on oil supply.

"That will be finalized within the next few weeks," she said.

A commercial arrangement between the Philippine National Oil Company and its counterpart in a neighboring country is also being concluded, she added.

She said she would send a high-level mission to initiate the second arrangement that would give the Philippines "an alternative source of oil with a non-traditional country source."

The President said the bilateral oil supply arrangements were part of a comprehensive energy contingency plan the government had drawn to shield the country from the rippling effects of a possible Middle East conflict.

The contingency plans include an increase in the country’s oil inventory.

Another is the government’s response to Japan’s call to set up a regional oil stockpile. The call was made during the recent Asean + 3 Energy Ministers meeting.

The President had offered Subic Bay "as a location for the regional stockpile." The issue would be taken up in the November Asean Summit.

Further, the President ordered Energy Secretary Vincent Perez, Jr. to prepare an executive order "requiring all oil companies to maintain a certain minimum oil inventory within the country."

"There will be no need to hoard. There will only be a need to conserve," the President said.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today expressed hopes the Philippines and the People’s Republic of China could have a defense partnership aimed at fighting terrorism and transnational crimes in the future.

The President declared her wish during a meeting with visiting Chinese Defense Minister Chi Haotian in Malacanang.

"We can fight terrorism together and we can fight transnational crimes together," the President said.

The President noted that the Philippines has a long standing military partnership with the United States, but none with "the neighbor across the South China Sea."

The President noted that the visit of the highest defense official of China enhances the security and peace in the region.

She also expressed the country’s readiness to explore various areas of cooperation with China in the South China Sea.

Chi, on the other hand, said that bringing stability in the region is "our joint aspiration."

Chi further noted discussions he had with Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes on possible cooperation in the future.

Chi expressed to the President how "overwhelmed" he was for the warm hospitality shown by the Filipino people during his delegation’s visit.

Chi also said he was "moved" by the attendance of Secretary Reyes’ 92-year old mother during a dinner tendered in his honor.

Chi, who was accompanied by his wife Jiang Qingping, also conveyed to the President the regards sent by Chinese Premier Zho Rongji and Chinese President Jiang Zemin.

His deputy Liang Guanglie, Chinese Ambassador Wang Chungui, Lt. Gen. Zhao Keming, Col. Geng Yangsheng, Senior Col. Coz Zhang Ywhe and Lt. Gen. Ziu Zhenmui accompanied Minister Chi, among others.

During the talks, the President also noted the healthy and excellent state of the two countries bilateral relations.

She also reiterated that the Philippines viewed China, along with the United States and Japan, as important factors in the security and development of the region, as well as of the Philippines.

Meanwhile, Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye, in a statement, noted that the South China Sea is the sea that unites rather than divides the Philippines and China.

"We are ready to explore with China various areas of cooperation in the South China Sea particularly the working groups on confidence-building measures, fisheries cooperation and marine environmental protection," Bunye said.

The government today condemned the treacherous attack perpetrated Friday by communist terrorists in Lopez, Quezon, while sympathizing with the families of policemen either killed or taken later by the rebels.

Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye, in a statement, said Malacaņang condoled "with the widows and families of the brave policemen who fell while defending the duly-constituted government and democratic system."

Bunye also called on the people "to get involved in the fight against the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA)."

The United States government has lately branded the CPP-NPA as a terrorist organization.

"We exhort the citizenry, especially the human rights groups and communist organizations who are not engaged in violence, to join us in condemning this latest act of terrorism," he said.

Reports said the Lopez policemen fought back during the rebel attack, leading to the death of Lopez police chief Superintendent Cesar Santander.

The reports added that three others, including a civilian, were wounded in the firefight. The rebels sustained fatalities too, reports said.

"This terrorist act will not go unpunished," Bunye said.

He disclosed that police and military operations against the rebels were launched immediately after the attack.

"Police and military operations will continue. There is no ceasefire between the CPP-NPA and the government," he added.

The administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo expects to generate at least six million jobs in the tourism industry by the year 2010.

Speaking before the townsfolk in Linapacan, Palawan where she gave a P1-million check to the provincial government for the "One Product, One Town, One Million" program, the President noted that in year 2000, there were at least three million jobs generated by the country’s tourism industry.

The President said that in the year 2000, there were at least 3 million local and foreign visitors who traveled the many tourist spots in the country.

She said that by year 2010, the government has projected the volume of tourists to reach five million.

She added that in year 2000, at least $ 7 billion was earned by the tourism industry. By the year 2010, the government projects a $17 billion income from tourism.

In year 2000, she said domestic tourists spent at least $800 million. By year 2010, the government expects domestic tourists to spend at least $2.5 billion in their travels.

The President stressed that tourism brings awareness to one’s culture and responsibility for the environment.

"Kaya dito sa bansa nating Pilipinas, ang ating panaginip ay lumawak ang turismo at makatulong sa pagsugpo ng kahirapan sa loob ng dekada (It is our aspiration to expand tourism and eradicate poverty within the decade)," she said.

She noted that tourism is the primary stimulus of development.

Like Information Technology, tourism is considered by her administration as one of the sectors that would spur dramatic growth, she said.

She further noted that 90 percent of the money spent by tourists in the country stays in the local economy. "Kaya napakalaki ang kanyang epekto sa local economy (Tourism has a big effect on the local economy)," the President said.

This, the President said, is in contrast with the electronics sectors, in which only 30 centavos in each dollar stays in the local economy.

"But in tourism, in each dollar, 90 centavos goes to the local economy," she said.