According to the Philippine and foreign chambers of commerce, agribusiness can be enhanced by expanding agriculture education and training programs, lowering the costs of fertilizer and insecticides, and introducing new technology. They also suggest speeding up the distribution of land under CARP so that the program could be phased out within five years.
BPO has already been a star performer in the Philippines, which is now second only to India. It employs 450,000 workers and has provided P7 billion in revenue. The joint chambers recommended that colleges prepare students for BPO careers.
The creative industries include motion pictures, advertising, and architecture. The chambers advise that since English is required in most of the creative business, there should be a national program for gions of the archipelago. Tourism, the Joint Chambers remind us, is an important vehicle for poverty reduction, offering nationwide job opportunities as more visitors arrive and visit different provinces.
The study does suggest eliminating the carrier tax and the billing tax on foreign airlines to encourage more travel. Long-term tourism and retirement plans are being offered through the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority. The Philippines has recently introduced a Long Stay Visitor visa which gives potential retirees from three to six months to look over the country before making a final decision. As the vice president of the European Chambers of Commerce, Henry Schumacher, pointed out, Asia looks like paradise against the background of rising medical costs in Europe.
Agricultural Competitiveness: Market Forces and Policy Choice : Proceedings of the Twenty-Second International Conference of Agricultural Economists Held at Harare, Zimbabwe (Iaae)
Philippines Agricultural Sector Business Opportunities Handbook (World Business, Investment and Government Library)
Specialty agricultural chemicals (Business opportunity report)
