CITEM’s IFEX Philippines 2025 opens to full house at WTCMM

IFEX Philippines 2025 officially opened to the public with (from left, front): PHILFOODEX President Ruben See; Department of Agriculture Assistant Secretary and Special Assistant for Export Development Philip Young; Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc. (PHILEXPORT) President and CEO Dr. Sergio Ortiz Luis Jr.; Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) Executive Director Leah Pulido Ocampo, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Cristina Roque; Senator Mark Villar; DTI-Regional Operations Group (ROG) Undersecretary Blesila Lantayona; Secretary of Tourism Christina Frasco; and Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) CEO Maria Margarita Nograles. Behind them onstage are IFEX Philippines Project Director Rowena Mendoza, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Undersecretary Charles Jose, and Office of the Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs Undersecretary Ma. Angela Ignacio.

The Philippine food industry movers and shakers were all out in their support for the opening day of IFEX Philippines 2025 featuring Sustainability Solutions Exchange (SSX) Exhibition and Conference, held on May 22, 2025 at the World Trade Center Metro Manila in Pasay City.

Event organizer Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) officially opened the trade show featuring over 500 food exhibitors from across the nation by welcoming global trade buyers, partner agencies, the diplomatic community, and other invited guests. Taking the lead in their welcome was CITEM Executive Director Leah Pulido Ocampo, together with Deputy Executive Director Ma. Lourdes Mediran, other CITEM officials, and the IFEX Philippines team headed by Project Director Rowena Mendoza.

As the CITEM Executive Director addressed the attendees on opening day, she called for food industry allies in both private and public sectors to “continue working with us and help us  find ways to meet the trade challenges of today.” She urged them to “respond with agility through policies and responsive programs” while expressing confidence and optimism about the country’s strong ability to adapt and persevere in light of challenging developments in the local and foreign trade sector. She underscored the importance of a more focused, united government approach and strategic collaborations in creating a more competitive Filipino MSME export food community.

(L-R) Early patrons, media, and guests waiting for the trade show’s official opening; and CITEM Executive Director Ocampo greeting guests before the show.

With CITEM being more empowered with the issuance of Executive Order (EO) 75, the CITEM leader stated, “we will continue to develop strategies to reach wider markets, lead product development initiatives, and implement programs for capacity-building and assistance in market entry certifications to help MSMEs reach their full potential.” As the preeminent promotion authority for the Philippine export industry under the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), she also shared the more immediate plan of establishing permanent showrooms in the first quarter of 2026 to serve as marketing platforms for MSMEs representing all of the country’s 17 regions. Activities here would range from market testing and product development to B2B transactions of local enterprises with domestic and foreign buyers.

DTI Secretary Roque and PHILEXPORT President and CEO Ortiz addressed the importance of MSMEs and private-public collaborations for a stronger export industry.

Sharing these thrusts, keynote speaker DTI Secretary Cristina Roque acknowledged that MSMEs indeed form the backbone of the country’s economy, steering how efforts like IFEX Philippines continue to evolve to enable them toward more robust and sustainable economic opportunities. As IFEX Philippines is complemented by its 24/7 presence via IFEXConnect, which houses the digital storefronts of participating exhibitors, the DTI has launched a similar program called the Bagong Pilipinas Marketplace that works as a B2B e-commerce platform for MSMEs for local and international markets as well.

Most notable among first day visitors of IFEX Philippines was none other than First Lady of the Philippines Louise Araneta-Marcos. Showing her continuous support for the export industry, she went around the trade halls, taking time to visit booths and meet with participating exhibitors.

First day highs with First Lady of the Philippines Louise Araneta-Marcos as she made the rounds engaging with IFEX Philippines exhibitors.

The first day of IFEX Philippines also coincided with the various activities for the Sustainability Solutions Exchange (SSX) Exhibition and Conference, with the latter held at the Philippine Trade Training Center (PTTC). A series of panel discussions from industry personalities was held, highlighted by the launch of the Green Economy Platform, a digital information hub for sustainability stakeholders. This is the latest initiative of the European Union (EU)-Philippines partnership toward the country’s efforts to progress to a circular economy. Dr. Marco Gemmer, EU’s Head of Cooperation for the Philippines helped kick start the launch and SSX Conference together with CITEM and the SSX community.

All out for the physical relaunch of SSX at the PTTC main hall on May 22, 2025.

In the evening, CITEM recognized the contributions and efforts of its local and foreign partners who have contributed to the successful mounting of this year’s IFEX Philippines. Conferments included industry partners Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc. (PHILEXPORT), Philippine Food Processors and Exporters Organization, Inc. (PHILFOODEX), and Integrated Food Manufacturers Association of the Philippines (INFOMAPP); Huiyuan Culture Development Group Ltd. and European Union–Philippines Green Economy Partnership. For the government sector, they included the Department of Agriculture (DA), various officers and offices of the DTI-Regional Operations Group (ROG) and Foreign Trade Service Corps (FTSC), and the Philippine Trade Training Center (PTTC).

CITEM Executive Director Ocampo (2nd from left) shared the stage with some of the foreign Trade Assistants and PTIC-Beijing Commercial Counsellor Glenn Peñaranda (4th from left).

Capping of the evening’s activity was the announcement of the Special Citations of the KATHA Awards for Food for Best Booth presentations in the individual, group, and regional categories, which went to Escaba Food Products Inc., Market Reach International, and City Government of Cagayan de Oro and the Provincial Government of Misamis Oriental, respectively.

Visit CITEM’s official Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn accounts to see more photos and highlights of IFEX Philippines 2025. You may also visit ifexconnect.com and citem.gov.ph  for more news and updates about the export industry.