PRINT

EU-Philippines Partnership Celebrates Five Years of Empowering MSMEs through ARISE Plus Philippines

28.11.2025
Manila
Press and information team of the Delegation to PHILIPPINES

The Delegation of the European Union to the Philippines and the Department of Trade and Industry, in cooperation with the International Trade Centre, celebrated the achievements of the ASEAN Regional Integration Support – Philippines Trade-Related Technical Assistance project (ARISE Plus Philippines), in a closing event held in Manila on 21 November 2025. The event brought together close to a hundred participants from government, private sector, EU Member States and trade support institutions.

ARISEPlus
© European Union,2025

ARISE Plus Philippines is part of our efforts to foster an increasingly favourable environment for export-oriented Filipino businesses and for more partnerships between enterprises and investors of the EU and the Philippines, said H.E. Massimo Santoro, the European Union Ambassador to the Philippines. 

Since 2021, ARISE Plus Philippines delivered significant results for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), generating over € 171 million (Php 11.64 B) in business and investment deals across key export sectors. The EU invested € 6.1 million (Php 41.52 M) into ARISE Plus Philippines and delivered enhanced trade facilitation, modernized customs processes, and an improved national quality infrastructure that strengthened the capacity of Filipino exporters to access European Union and ASEAN markets. The project reached 11,000 entrepreneurs and MSMEs, enabling them to better meet international standards and compete globally. 

The EU is the Philippines' fourth-largest trading partner, with bilateral trade reaching € 16.8 B (Php 1.1 trillion) in 2024.

ARISE Plus Philippines is a five-year journey built on hard work, collaboration, shared purpose, and a single powerful vision to unlock the global competitiveness of Filipino enterprises. This partnership with the European Union is a powerful statement of what we can achieve when united by shared priorities and the commitment to inclusive growth, said Department of Trade and Industry Chief of Staff Lilian Salonga.

The closing event showcased success stories from beneficiaries who shared their export journeys and growth and explored sustaining momentum in support to MSMEs, policy reform and trade facilitation beyond the project.

This initiative brought comprehensive support at macro, meso and micro levels to Philippine enterprises to be more competitive in international markets. International Trade Centre was privileged to have the support of the DTI, the European Union and the private sector in implementing this project, concluded ITC Director of Country Programmes Escipion Oliveira Gomez.

For media inquiries:

thelma.gecolea@eeas.europa.eu, Public Affairs Officer, EU Delegation to the Philippines