MANILA: The Philippines has identified healthy convenience food as a potential opportunity in the GCC market, officials told Arab News as a special trade mission ended its tour of the region on Saturday.
The Outbound Business Matching Mission from the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry began in Bahrain on Feb. 11 and covered Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE, culminating in Dubai this weekend during Gulfood 2023 — the world’s largest annual food and beverage expo.
A total of 21 Philippine exporters of halal-certified food, and personal-care and cosmetic products joined the mission to look for opportunities in the $3 trillion global industry and identify a potential niche for themselves.
“The strongest trend is for what they call ‘healthy convenience,’” said Glenn G. Peñaranda, who is in charge of the Trade Promotions Group at the Department of Trade and Industry.
As one of the world’s top producers of agricultural products, especially fruit, and with more than 2.2 million Filipinos living and working in the region, the Philippines already has a major presence in GCC markets.
“Wherever Filipinos are, there is a captive market ... But then we also want to share these tasty, safe and convenient products with the mainstream,” Peñaranda told Arab News.
“The Philippines is really reaching out to new markets and new partners. There’s a lot of opportunity (in the GCC) ... as resources in this area are being redirected and they’re also looking for partners to help them do that.”
The food sector, in particular, provides a number of opportunities, he said, as Gulf countries have been focused on ensuring stable supplies since the beginning COVID-19 pandemic.
To ensure that it can be a part of that process, the Philippines is focusing on making its products compliant with local regulations and halal-certified.
“We can play a role in being their partner ... I’m very excited about the prospects for us,” Peñaranda said.
Food products are the Philippines’ main export to the GCC and in 2022, exports increased by 8 percent to a value of $223 million. The country hopes to add an additional $100 million to that sum annually.
While the special trade mission was focused on GCC countries, it has yet to visit the largest, Saudi Arabia.
Charmaine Mignon S. Yalong, commercial attaché at the Philippine Trade and Investment Center in Dubai, said that promotion efforts in the Kingdom require a separate roadshow.
“Saudi is much bigger than the rest of the GCC countries. When we do our Saudi run it’s always three legs — we have Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam,” she told Arab News.
“It really requires a dedicated effort ... You’ll have a different and dedicated project for them in the coming months.”
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Philippines boosts efforts to tap into GCC food market through ‘healthy convenience’
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Philippines boosts efforts to tap into GCC food market through ‘healthy convenience’
- Philippines is preparing a special trade mission for Saudi Arabia
- Special Philippine trade tour of Gulf states ran from Feb. 11 through Feb. 25
Indian teacher who created hundreds of learning centers wins $1 million Global Teacher Prize
DUBAI: An Indian teacher and activist known for creating hundreds of learning centers and painting educational murals across the walls of slums won the $1 million Global Teacher Prize on Thursday.
Rouble Nagi accepted the award at the World Governments Summit in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, an annual event that draws leaders from across the globe.
Her Rouble Nagi Art Foundation has established more than 800 learning centers across India. They aim to have children who never attended school begin to have structured learning. They also teach children already in school.
Nagi also paints murals that teach literacy, science, math and history, among other topics.
The prize is awarded by the Varkey Foundation, whose founder, Sunny Varkey, established the for-profit GEMS Education company that runs dozens of schools in Egypt, Qatar and the UAE.
“Rouble Nagi represents the very best of what teaching can be – courage, creativity, compassion, and an unwavering belief in every child’s potential,” Varkey said in a statement posted to the Global Teacher Prize website. “By bringing education to the most marginalized communities, she has not only changed individual lives, but strengthened families and communities.”
Nagi plans to use the $1 million to build an institute that offers free vocational training.
Stefania Giannini, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education, said Nagi’s prize “reminds us of a simple truth: teachers matter.”
In comments carried on the prize website, Giannini said UNESCO was “honored to join the Global Teacher Prize in celebrating teachers like you, who, through patience, determination, and belief in every learner, help children into school — an act that can change the course of a life.”
Nagi is the 10th teacher to win the award, which the foundation began handing out in 2015.
Past winners of the Global Teacher Prize have included a Kenyan teacher from a remote village who gave away most of his earnings to the poor, a Palestinian primary school teacher who teaches her students about non-violence and a Canadian educator who taught a remote Arctic village of Inuit students. Last year’s winner was Saudi educator Mansour Al-Mansour, who was known for his work with the poor in the kingdom.
GEMS Education, or Global Education Management Systems, is one of the world’s largest private school operators and is believed to be worth billions. Its success has followed that of Dubai, where only private schools offer classes for the children of the foreigners who power its economy.
Rouble Nagi accepted the award at the World Governments Summit in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, an annual event that draws leaders from across the globe.
Her Rouble Nagi Art Foundation has established more than 800 learning centers across India. They aim to have children who never attended school begin to have structured learning. They also teach children already in school.
Nagi also paints murals that teach literacy, science, math and history, among other topics.
The prize is awarded by the Varkey Foundation, whose founder, Sunny Varkey, established the for-profit GEMS Education company that runs dozens of schools in Egypt, Qatar and the UAE.
“Rouble Nagi represents the very best of what teaching can be – courage, creativity, compassion, and an unwavering belief in every child’s potential,” Varkey said in a statement posted to the Global Teacher Prize website. “By bringing education to the most marginalized communities, she has not only changed individual lives, but strengthened families and communities.”
Nagi plans to use the $1 million to build an institute that offers free vocational training.
Stefania Giannini, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education, said Nagi’s prize “reminds us of a simple truth: teachers matter.”
In comments carried on the prize website, Giannini said UNESCO was “honored to join the Global Teacher Prize in celebrating teachers like you, who, through patience, determination, and belief in every learner, help children into school — an act that can change the course of a life.”
Nagi is the 10th teacher to win the award, which the foundation began handing out in 2015.
Past winners of the Global Teacher Prize have included a Kenyan teacher from a remote village who gave away most of his earnings to the poor, a Palestinian primary school teacher who teaches her students about non-violence and a Canadian educator who taught a remote Arctic village of Inuit students. Last year’s winner was Saudi educator Mansour Al-Mansour, who was known for his work with the poor in the kingdom.
GEMS Education, or Global Education Management Systems, is one of the world’s largest private school operators and is believed to be worth billions. Its success has followed that of Dubai, where only private schools offer classes for the children of the foreigners who power its economy.
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