‘Philippines can be partner in Qatar’s food security needs’

The Qatar-Philippines Food Security Summit held yesterday in Doha is part of initiatives by the Philippine government that support the State of Qatar’s goal to be self-sufficient in the food sector, an official said.Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the summit, Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza) director general Charito B Plaza said the Philippines has some 6mn hectares of idle lands that could be utilised by Qatar for food processing plants and agro-industrial projects.“The opportunity is ripe for Qatari investors to use these facilities in the Philippines because not only do we have economic zones for agro-industrial projects but also halal hubs, which could address the food security needs of the country,” Plaza stressed.Aside from food and agriculture, Plaza said the Philippines is open to investments in the fields of tourism, trade, and even defence, as well as the strengthening of trade partnerships between the Philippines and Qatar.Ahmed Khamis al-Abdullah, the chairman of Management Solutions Consultancy, which organised the event in partnership with Peza, said the summit stems from the company’s social responsibility and part of its desire to address Qatar’s food security plans. He noted that the summit also serves Qatari companies looking for all available alternatives in the markets of different countries not only in the agricultural field, but also in other various fields.Al-Abdullah said he hopes the meetings held on the sidelines of the summit “will result in tangible results for both parties in finding ways of developing food security initiatives.”“More than 100 days after the unjust siege, we affirm that our social responsibility as Qatari companies alongside the public sector is very important, and our co-operation is becoming more urgent to provide support to our government and our people.“To overcome this unjust blockade, we are mobilising all efforts to achieve food security, which is a major criterion for measuring the success and progress of a country,” al-Abdullah said.He added: “With the challenge of the embargo imposed by the blockading countries, Qatari companies are looking for all alternatives available in the markets of friendly countries in the areas of industry, economy, energy and food.”