PORTALJABAR, BANDUNG CITY - The West Java Provincial Government continues to encourage increased coffee and cocoa exports to the Philippines.

One of the efforts is to facilitate meetings between West Java coffee and cocoa business actors and buyers from the Philippines through business matching, in the West Hall of Gedung Sate, Bandung City, Tuesday (9/7/2024).

Apart from meeting business people, prospective buyers from the Philippines were also invited to see firsthand the coffee plantations and chocolate factories in the Bandung Regency area.

West Java Provincial Secretary Herman Suryatman said that the business meeting was aimed at strengthening trade relations between Indonesia and the Philippines, as well as increasing the economic value of agricultural products.

Apart from that, business meetings can also strengthen diplomatic relations between the Indonesian and Philippine governments. During the meeting, the Indonesian Ambassador to the Philippines and a delegation from the Philippine government were also present.

"We have just carried out business matching between coffee and cocoa buyers from the Philippines, led directly by the Indonesian Ambassador to the Philippines, Agus Widjojo," said Herman Suryatman.

The Philippines is among the top five largest export destination countries in West Java in the last five years. This indicates that the Philippines is a potential market for West Java products.

"We must continue to maintain export performance to this country. One way is by diversifying West Java's export products to the Philippines," said Herman.

Currently, coffee and cocoa are one of West Java's potential export commodities, both in the form of seeds and processed products.

Data shows that from January - April 2024, USD 782,000 worth of West Java coffee products have been exported to various countries in the world. This value increased 11.6 percent from the same period in 2023.

Meanwhile, USD 95 million of West Java cocoa products have been exported to various countries. The value of cocoa exports increased 59 percent from the same period the previous year.

"West Java will continue to increase its role in the economy, and it is hoped that one of them will be through a series of activities that we are carrying out," said Herman.

Apart from conducting business matching and field visits, the Philippine delegation will also carry out a city tour of Bandung City and a visit to Dekranasda West Java.

Herman hopes that their arrival will not only improve the economy in the trade sector but also the tourism sector.

"Tomorrow we will go to the field to see firsthand what coffee and cocoa products are like in the southern Bandung area and the buyers will be taken on recreation to see West Java's tourism potential. So our tourism sector can also increase," he concluded.