Philippine Biofuels Leaders Visit the US
FAS/USDA organized a Philippine Biofuels delegation to visit U.S. biofuels research facilities in Denver, CO en route to Washington DC for briefings by USDA and the Department of Energy.  The delegation also attended the Advanced Biofuels Leadership Conference prior to participating in business-to-business meetings held at the Philippine Embassy also in Washington, DC.  The Philippine delegation regarded all components of the U.S. Biofuels visit as very informative and a resounding success.   read more

Efforts to Introduce American Originals Cheese
Experts from the U.S. Dairy Export Council came to Manila on April 23 to conduct a seminar geared towards 40 industry professionals of major Philippine companies that import dairy products from around the world.  The seminar introduced numerous varieties of award-winning cheese with a special focus on American Originals, cheese varieties that originated in the U.S.  Participants were given an overview of the U.S. cheese industry, its heritage, and cheese making expertise as well as cheese sampling and tasting. This trade promotional effort was funded by the U.S. dairy industry and USDA’s Market Access Program.  The U.S. exported approximately $87 million in dairy products to the Philippines in FY 2009, mostly in the form of nonfat dry milk. 
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USDA Participates in the World Food Expo in Cebu
On April 15, Agricultural Counselor Emiko Purdy presented opening remarks for the World Food Expo held in Cebu City April 15-18. The USDA hosted a booth promoting the importation and use of U.S. agricultural products at the three day event as part of a “stage two” follow-up program to the successful Trade and Investment Mission led by Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack last October 2009. FAS Manila staff educated show participants about USDA’s role in the Philippines and the services available to ease the process of importing U.S. products. On Saturday, April 17, USDA hosted an ag forum with guest speakers from the Cebu Chamber of Commerce, Philippine Department of Agriculture, Philippine Economic Zone Authority, Cebu Furniture Industries Foundation, and the Dairy Congress covering topics such as free trade agreements, Philippine Special Economic Zones, the furniture industry, and the dairy industry. A reception hosted by USDA was held that evening for importers and businesses interested in U.S. agricultural products.