The Philippines has asked the Netherlands to be reinstated in the latter’s Programma Uitzending Managers (PUM), a volunteer organization that assists small and medium enterprises in 37 countries.
Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual expressed to Deputy Minister Hanneke Schuiling the Philippines’ position during a meeting in The Hague on June 29 following the decision by the Netherlands’ lower house bicameral parliament to withdraw PUM’s presence in 12 countries, including the Philippines.
Established in 1978, PUM has supported over 45.000 entrepreneurs in part with financial support from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Pascual also asked The Netherlands to make the Philippines its sixth priority in economic cooperation, following Asean-5 countries Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
This is the first bilateral consultations conducted between the Philippines and the Netherlands in 2020 after 69 years.
Pascual during the meeting also underscored the potential to enhance bilateral trade relations between the Philippines and the Netherlands in semiconductor and high-technology, agri-food processing, and infrastructure.
Pascual also cited the need to enhance cooperation on water management, maritime matters, agriculture, and science and technology.
He said Article 4 of the 1995 Memorandum of Understanding on Economic and Technological Cooperation between the Ministry of Economic Affairs of the Netherlands and DTI-Philippines recognizes cooperation in trade and investment; agriculture; transport and communication; energy; the services sector; environmental technology; and, flood control and land reclamation.
Also on June 29, Pascual met with the Netherlands Aerospace Group (NAG) in Delft where he pitched possible collaboration between the Philippines and the Netherlands on aviation.
He told the association the country can be a gateway for Philippine airline companies to expand their operations in Europe given its record as a major European hub.
Pascual also offered opportunities for outsourcing into the Philippines services like flight simulation, voice, and engineering consultancy given the shortage of engineering and talent in Europe
“The Netherlands has a strong aviation and aerospace infrastructure, with world-class airports, aerospace research facilities, and maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services. We are open to collaborate with you (to) enabl(e) us to keep up with global demands,” Pascual said in his keynote, citing the presence in the presence of Collins Aerospace, the world’s leading aircraft interiors company and Lufthansa Technik, a top MRO provider.
NAG has over 100 members which represent 95 percent of the Dutch aviation industry’s revenue. Currently, their primary focus revolves around aerospace and airport development. Irma Isip
