Dave Almarinez, the newly appointed president and CEO of the Philippine International Trading Corp., sees “great opportunities” for the Philippines through President Rodrigo Duterte’s popularity for the country to get noticed in international trade and on a global scale.
Speaking after his oathtaking last March 30 in Malacañang, which Duterte himself presided over, Almarinez said what makes the President popular “is his passion in trying to solve the country’s woes when it comes to crimes caused by illegal drugs and corruption and incompetence.”
“Observers may think that the method the President employs to fix the country’s problems is imperfect, but no one doubts his passion and his desire to help every Filipino rise out of poverty, and for that the President gets the overwhelming support of the people,” explains Almarinez.
Almarinez was a board member of the province of Laguna and an executive of an international direct-selling coffee company before being appointed to the PITC.
Almarinez says Duterte’s personal style of no-frills, direct leadership makes the President popular, and that PITC, and other government agencies, can maximize this popularity “to also get the support of the whole world for the betterment of the Philippine nation.”
“As for me, I am optimistic for my entire team at PITC, because I can channel the popularity of President Duterte so the Philippines can be put on the spotlight as well on the more important matter of trade and the access to global market and commerce,” adds Almarinez.
“We have products we want the world to buy and we want to be more active in reaching out to trading partners, so Filipino merchants and traders, marketers and entrepreneurs, will be looked up to with utmost respect when it comes to international trading,” he said.
Almarinez also said the attitudes of foreign observers, particularly international journalists, “who are always on the lookout for dramatic turn of events to develop as news, to increase ratings,” must not discourage the Philippines to continue aggressive trade with different countries, whether it be China or Russia, America or countries in Europe.
He was reacting to the recent editorial of the New York Times calling for nations to penalize Duterte’s actions, through trade, in the ongoing drug war of his administration that has claimed over 7,000 lives at present.
“We need to proceed as a nation with our business plans and economic goals to reap revenues for the country’s much needed funds. I am sure these countries also cannot wait to sit down with us on the trading table in spite and despite of political barbs,” he said.