ILOILO CITY, Philippine, February 28 (IslamOnline.net) - The Philippine government is seeking to turn the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) into a jump-off point for exports to the Middle East, Trade Secretary Cesar Purisima said on Saturday, February 28.

"We could position the area as the center for halal-certified products," he asserted.

"Halal product market is worth about $250 billion worldwide. Securing even a small portion of that market would be good for the region and the country," remarked the official.

He added that there was a potential venture in exporting halal chicken-processed to the Middle East.

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) also affirmed it was throwing its weight behind the plan to establish a regional economic zone authority (REZA) in the ARMM.

Purisima said the proposed zone was in line with the government’s efforts to boost economic development in the region.

The ARMM legislature recently approved the plan to put up the economic zone in the ARMM region which has lagged behind other regions.

"DTI officials have met with Regional Trade Secretary Ishak Mastura who is my counterpart in ARMM," Purisima said.

"The REZA is a good initiative to develop the ARMM. In fact, there are some exporting companies currently operating in the region."

The minister cited the partnership between Paglas Corporation and La Frutera Inc. in Datu Paglas, Maguindanao, which is doing well in the export of bananas to the Middle East.

Industry data show that the banana company is committed to invest $50 million for the expansion of its plantations to Lanao de Sur, also in the ARMM.

Purisima also said that the region is host to a thriving textile industry and could be a potential source of carageenan, which is used to process food, beverage and frozen confections.

He explained that the REZA would function like the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) and that the authority would identify the areas that can be turned into economic zones.

The REZA could give to investors the same incentives given by the PEZA, but it could also devise its own incentive schemes since the ARMM is autonomous, said Purisima.

He announced last month that Mindanao’s wealth would be tapped for the economic development not only of southern Philippines but of the whole country.

Meanwhile, bright trading ties are brewing up between China and the Philippine-EAGA focus areas of Mindanao and Palawan.

Officials from the Chinese Embassy and the Mindanao Economic Development Council (MEDCO) recently agreed for the Philippine EAGA-China trade linkages.

Presidential Assistant for Mindanao and MEDCo Chair Jesus Dureza and Chinese Ambassador Wang Chungui issued on Friday, February 27, a joint statement on "pursuing trade linkage between Mindanao and Palawan and the People's Republic of China within the context of Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-the Philippines-East Asean Growth Area".

In the statement, both MEDCO, which is the Philippine Coordinating office for BIMP-EAGA, and the Chinese Embassy concurred for a joint effort on enhancing trading activities between Mindanao-Palawan and China according to the development thrust of the sub-regional cooperation.

These measures include the constant coordination of their respective staff on BIMP-EAGA matters and conduct of exploratory visits and investment missions of Chinese traders and officials in Mindanao, Palawan and other focus areas of BIMP-EAGA.

They also agreed on the establishment of direct contacts among government and private sector officials of China and Mindanao-Palawan as well as accessing China's various development assistance programs that would benefit Mindanao, Palawan and other areas of EAGA.

BIMP-EAGA, a four-country grouping collectively pursuing a sub-regional growth, is currently gearing towards broadening economic links not just within Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines but also to external markets in Asia, including China.

China, being one of the biggest economies in Asia, presents more than one billion consumer population ready to be tapped by BIMP-EAGA producers.

Fruits and other food products from the Philippines and its EAGA counterparts can largely capture the growing Chinese market.