The Philippines and Qatar are eyeing to ratify this year an Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (IPPA) which will ensure a business-friendly environment to facilitate greater trade, investment, and economic cooperation between the two countries.

Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Alfredo Pascual shared that he and Qatar Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI) Sheikh Mohammed Bin Hamad Bin Qassim Al-Abdullah Al-nes have discussed the proposed agreement in a meeting held in Doha on the sidelines of the Qatar Economic Forum.

He added that they also discussed the holding of the inaugural Philippines-Qatar Joint Economic, Commercial, and Technical Committee (JECTC) meeting in the first quarter of 2025, with a business forum and a business-to-business matching session on the sidelines of the meeting.

The DTI and MOCI also agreed to pursue a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to strengthen cooperation on intellectual property rights (IPR) protection, as well as facilitate the exchange of information and best practices, training programs, and high-level dialogues on IP policy, Pascual elaborated.

He noted that the Philippine delegation expressed concern about the proliferation of counterfeit Filipino brands in the Middle East, including Qatar, as he expressed optimisim that enhanced cooperation on IPR protection, including the proposed MOU, would address these concerns and create a more fair and secure environment.

Pascual emphasized, “The Philippines is eager to further strengthen its economic partnership with Qatar through enhanced investment flows, increased cooperation on intellectual property rights, and the establishment of the Joint Economic, Commercial, and Technical Committee. We believe that this collaboration will not only benefit our two countries but also contribute to greater prosperity and stability in both the Gulf and Southeast Asia regions.”

During the forum, he discussed the Philippines’ focus on infrastructure development, improved connectivity, and strategic policy reforms to ensure the country’s competitiveness.

He stressed that the Maharlika Investment Fund, the Philippines’ first sovereign wealth fund, provides support to the nation’s Build Better More infrastructure program.

The new Public-Private Partnership Code also ensures a clear and predictable policy environment for investors, he added.

“Our competitive economic environment, coupled with our game-changing reforms, signals our readiness to attract foreign investments and support sustainable development,” Pascual emphasized.

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