Duterte’s Israel visit to tackle tech partnerships

DAVAO CITY — Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines Effie Ben Matityau said technology partnerships are expected to be signed during President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s visit to Israel in September.
Calling technology “a major story,” he said Globe Telecom, Inc. and Smart Communications are expected to be in the thick of the action, as will other representatives of the Philippine business community, Mr. Matityau said in a news conference here during the signing of an education development project with Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.
“We have a very successful business community in the Philippines and very energized and very mainstream. Israel basically is a high-tech environment. We have a very sophisticated technological environment,” Mr. Matityau said.
He added that the partnerships will benefit both countries because the two have “complementary” economies.”We don’t have competition and we can only complement one another and create partnerships.”
“It’s amazing to see how many contracts we have to sign. People are negotiating and coming up with good ideas, and numbers-wise it is very promising. And because we are talking about a joint venture and about investments and they are not always visible measured in exports and imports. We look at it as a very promising in so many areas,” he said.
The envoy said the embassy hopes to work with Go Negosyo, the advocacy of the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship (PCE), to tap Israeli mentors for Philippine businesses.
“That’s another great contribution and one of the agreements on the table,” he said.
Mr. Duterte is scheduled to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Reuven Rivlin and are expected to discuss labor, tourism, trade, agriculture, counterterrorism and law enforcement issues.
“This is the first time that a President of the Philippines is going to visit Israel. We have a long range of issues starting with defense and Israel is a very close ally of the Philippines,” Mr. Matityau said.
Israel, he said, has also committed to come up with regulations to ensure that overseas Filipino workers in Israel receive equitable compensation and benefits. — Maya M. Padillo