• Bulacan hosts first pharma ecozone in PH

The province of Bulacan now hosts the country’s first pharmaceutical economic zone at the First Bulacan Business Park (FBBP) in Malolos City

• PH eyes renewal of US trade preference grant

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) hopes the United States will renew the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) grant to the country after it expired at the end-2020.

• CREATE Act to spur knowledge-based sectors to do business in PH

The soon-to-be enacted Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) bill will open numerous doors of opportunities for the Philippines and India to put up S&T joint ventures, and serve as the stimulus that would encourage knowledge-based industries to locate here, Dominguez said.

• Coca-Cola investing P3-B in PH this year

Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines, Inc. (CCBPI) has announced that it is investing USD63 million (about PHP3.06 billion) in the country in 2021 to upgrade its factories

• PH food export companies head to Dubai for Gulfood 2021

The Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), the export promotions arm of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), leads a 13-strong delegation of food companies under the FoodPhilippines banner for Gulfood Hotel and Equipment Exhibition and Salon Culinaire (Gulfood) 2021.

Happening in Dubai from 21-25 February 2021 at the Sheikh Rashid Hall-R172 in the Dubai World Trade Center, Gulfood is one of the world’s biggest fairs for food and hospitality.

• PH delegation showcases coconut products in first fully digital Biofach

The Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) leads a delegation of five food companies in the first fully digital edition of the world’s leading trade fair for organic food, Biofach. The 2021 edition of Biofach runs from 17-19 February 2021, where the Biofach website will feature business-to-business (B2B) functions such as video meetings and chats between exhibitors and various stakeholders, including policymakers and organic-food advocates and enthusiasts.

• BOI-approved investments top Php 1 trillion in 2020, targets Php1.25 trillion for 2021

Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary and Board of Investments (BOI) Chairperson Ramon Lopez announced a Php 1.25 Trillion (T) project approval target for the agency in 2021, following total approved investments of Php 1.02T last year.

• Italian businesses to expand in ASEAN, eyes PH as priority

Things are looking up in the Philippines this year as far as Italy is concerned, disclosed by Enrico Letta, President of Associazione Italia-ASEAN during the online “ITALY-PHILIPPINES: DISCOVERING THE OPPORTUNITIES” webinar, co-organized by the Italian Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines (ICCPI) and Associazione Italia-ASEAN on January 26, 2021.

Italy intends to expand its businesses in the ASEAN region with the Philippines as its top priority as the said seminar aims to strengthen relations and bridge opportunities between Italy and the Philippines.

• BOI gives nod to homegrown EV charger and retrofit kits maker CHRG, boost supply chain

The Board of Investments (BOI) has recently approved the application of CHRG Electric Vehicle Technologies, Inc. as a new domestic producer of electric vehicles (EV) fast chargers and retrofit kits on a non-pioneer status under the current Investments Priorities Plan listing of Innovation Drivers.