The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) through the Philippine Accreditation Bureau (PAB) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with United Arab Emirates – Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology (UAE-ESMA) on 19 July 2018 at the DTI International Building in Makati City. The MOU aims to ease the technical barriers on trade and enable bilateral trade between the Philippines and the UAE, particularly the Halal products. Through this MOU, the two countries intend to develop the technical cooperation in the Halal Accreditation’s field that is aligned with both of the countries’ rules and regulations and also, relevant with the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) provisions. In photo (from L to R): DTI – Industry Development & Trade Policy Group (IDTPG) Undersecretary Ceferino S. Rodolfo, DTI- Export Marketing Bureau (EMB) Assistant Director Anthony B. Rivera, DTI-EMB Director Senen M. Perlada, DTI-PAB Assistant Director and Officer-in-Charge Ernani M. Dionisio, ESMA Director General Abdulla Abdelqader Al Maeeni, UAE Ambassador to the Philippines Hamad Saeed Al Zaabi, and DTI –  Foreign Trade Service Corps (FTSC) Commercial Attaché Eric C. Elnar.♦

Date of release: 23 July 2018