The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) is on the look out for more overseas markets for over a million micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the country as prospects for foreign investments expand.

In a press interview at the PCCI General Membership meeting on April 5, PCCI Chairman and CEO of EMS Group of Companies Perry Ferrer said there is "a lot of genuine interest" in the country, which is a sign of "good recovery for the Philippines."

"Now they are seeing the benefit of Philippines geographically, and also the people," he remarked.

To this, Ferrer emphasized that the PCCI is working towards "providing opportunities for MSMEs to find new markets," especially for its members.

"Also, we're working with different trading partners or foreign partners to bring their technology here...What we're looking for and what we're pushing for in the PCCI are investments that would create jobs. We travel the world, trying to attract future technology investments," he added.

For this year, the PCCI is generating a lot of inclusivity, involving both national and local Chambers nationwide.

"The private sector is bullish on the relationship with the government now," said Ferrer, noting they are focusing on upskilling and training partnerships.

International collaborations are also on the table, such as the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) SPEED Project that centers on capacity building and digitalization and an upcoming program on talent pipeline management. These will enable the private sector to "'Philippinize" skills and training for advanced manufacturing and services.

Moreover, Ferrer shared that the PCCI will proceed with the next phase of Project Jobs, a job generation initiative aimed to create another one million jobs, with the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) and ECOP and Philexport (Philippine Exporters Confederation).

JOBS (Job Opportunities Building Skills) is being done with other agencies such as the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Foundation, Inc.(SEIPI), IT & Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP), and the Philippine Constructors Association, Inc.(PCA).

"We're focusing now on jobs and skilling. The good thing about this phase is its multi-administration, [meaning] it will not stop this year or administration. We're creating it to be continuously implemented. We'll coordinate at the academic level the training arms of the government and the private sector," said Ferrer.

A signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) within this year is expected to seal the continuation of the project.