THE Philippines has signed an agricultural cooperation pact with South Korea which will involve the further adoption of technology in mechanization and irrigation activities.
“With the MoU (memorandum of understanding) on Agricultural Cooperation signed today, various activities are now being lined up, including technology transfer on mechanization and irrigation,” Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol said on social media, soon after talks with his counterpart, Acting Minister Kim Hyeon-soo.
Also on Monday evening, President Rodrigo R. Duterte and his counterpart Moon Jae-in issued their respective statements following their bilateral talks and affirming diplomatic and economic ties between the Philippines and the Republic of Korea. Mr. Moon, for his part, also reaffirmed his country’s ties with the larger region of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
As of Monday’s reporting, the ASEAN’s Business Advisory Council (ABAC)-Philippines is also set to sign an MoU on the ASEAN Mentors for Entrepreneurship Network (AMEN) with the Korean business community, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) President George T. Barcelon said.
“Basically, we have our counterpart there, the Korean Chambers of Commerce. We have some MoU to be signed. And being part of the ABAC, we have been promoting the AMEN,” Mr. Barcelon said in a phone interview on Monday, June 4, before his flight to South Korea, where Mr. Duterte is on an official visit.
Asked how many MoUs between business groups are expected to be signed, Mr. Barcelon said: “There’s only one for the advocacy, the AMEN program. There is also an MoU…with the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industries.”
Mr. Barcelon also said he will join Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship and ABAC Philippines chair Jose Ma. “Joey” A. Concepcion III in signing the said MoU with their South Korean counterpart.
AMEN is ABAC’s mentorship program for the micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
“It is organized to serve as a platform for conversations among regional and global stakeholders in the ASEAN Economic Community. These stakeholders are expected to be business leaders, public personalities, entrepreneurs, and entities considered as thought leaders with subject matters covering: Digital Economy, Agripreneurship and Trade and Industry, and priority sectors focusing on Women and Youth. AMEN is the formalized ecosystem of regional mentors that aims to facilitate the scaling up of micro and small entrepreneurs through the power of the 3MS for MSME Development: Mentorship, Money and Market,” the ABAC said. — Arjay L. Balinbin, Janina C. Lim

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