The Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), the export promotion arm of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), reported $1.53 billion in export sales for the Philippines in 2024.
CITEM executive director Leah Pulido Ocampo said the recent gains stressed the pivotal role of the agency in expanding the global presence of Philippine micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) across sectors such as creatives, home, fashion, lifestyle, food, beverage and ingredients.
“Our operations in CITEM are in full swing. Together with our governments and private partners and key stakeholders, CITEM is fully committed to advancing a competitive export sector. With the newly-issued Executive Order No. 75, we embark on a transformative journey to strengthen our role in promoting Filipino ingenuity on the global stage,” she said.
CITEM’s cohesive export promotion programs and projects empowered over 2,000 export-ready companies to access international markets.
It has facilitated more than 32,000 trade inquiries from over 6,000 local and international buyers including three flagship events—the International Food Exhibition (IFEX) Philippines from May 10 to 12, 2024; CREATEPhilippines X MIPAM from September to October; and Manila FAME from Oct; 17 to 19, 2024.
The agency cited its active participation in premier overseas trade fairs (OTFs) like the Maison & Objet in Paris, France; Ambiente in Frankfurt, Germany; Gulfood in Dubai, UAE; the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) Food Expo Pro and CentreStage HK in Hong Kong, China; Tokyo International Gift Show and FINOPINAS in Tokyo, Japan, among others.
CITEM leveraged its digital trade community platforms—fameplus.com, ifexconnect.com, createphilippines.com, and sustainability.ph—to extend MSMEs’ reach.
The virtual event onboarded 1,102 companies, attracting over 330,000 unique users and nearly one million page views.
These tools facilitated digital promotion, content marketing, and business lead generation, ensuring seamless global market access for MSMEs.
EO 75, which was issued on Nov. 22, 2024, strengthens CITEM’s mandate as the Philippines’ export promotion authority.
