The Philippines secured two business agreements worth a combined USD27 million with Chinese firm Somago (Tianjin) Cross-border E-commerce Co. Ltd., opening bigger market opportunities for Davao-based durian producers and exporters.
Signed Friday during the ninth China International Import Expo (CIIE) 2026, the agreements cover strategic cooperation and frozen durian procurement, strengthening commercial ties between Philippine suppliers and the Chinese market.
The first agreement, signed by Eng Seng Food Products and Somago, establishes a strategic cooperation framework valued at USD17 million annually, covering November 2026 to November 2027. The arrangement allows for possible increases in succeeding years through mutual negotiations, depending on market conditions.
Based in Davao City, Eng Seng is an integrated durian enterprise with capabilities spanning cultivation, processing and cold-chain exports. It has successfully shipped fresh and frozen durian to China and maintains partnerships with approximately 2,000 farmers.
The second agreement, signed by Somago and Maylong Enterprises Corp., covers frozen durian procurement with an annual target of USD10 million for November 1, 2026, to October 31, 2027.
Also headquartered in Davao City, Maylong operates across cultivation, processing, exports and cold-chain logistics. It has secured the necessary qualifications to export frozen durian pulp to China.
Somago operates through the integrated development strategy of Tianjin’s Jizhou District, using the Jizhou Bonded Logistics Center (Type for bonded warehousing, import and export operations, supply chain management and cross-border e-commerce. It intends to procure and distribute frozen durian in the Chinese market.
Agriculture Assistant Secretary Genevieve Velicaria-Guevarra said the agreements represented the kind of concrete business opportunities the Philippines sought through its participation in CIIE.
“This is what we came to CIIE for—to turn opportunities into actual business partnerships and open more markets for our Filipino agricultural products. Beyond showcasing what the Philippines can offer, we want to see our farmers, fisherfolk, and agri-enterprises benefit from meaningful trade agreements and increased export opportunities,” she said.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. congratulated Asec Guevarra and her team for continuing to help agricultural stakeholders secure new markets for their products, saying stronger export opportunities could help raise farmers’ incomes while addressing the country’s widening agricultural trade deficit.
“By expanding overseas markets, we are not only strengthening the country’s agricultural trade position through higher export earnings but also encouraging much-needed investments in the agriculture sector,” he said.
The signing coincided with the opening of the Philippine Pavilion at Hall 8.1B6-05, attended by Philippine government officials, Chinese dignitaries and private-sector representatives.
Leading the Philippine delegation were Philippine Ambassador to China Jaime FlorCruz, Philippine Consul General in Shanghai Myca Magnolia Fischer, Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) Executive Director Romleah Pulido-Ocampo and Velicaria-Guevarra.
They were joined by Commercial Counsellor Glenn Penaranda of the Philippine Trade and Investment Center in Beijing; Vice Consul Jose Ma. Dinsay of PTIC Shanghai; Agriculture Counselor Marlito Cabunos of the Office of the Agriculture Counsellor in Beijing; Regional Technical Director Zabdiel Zacarias of the Department of Agriculture’s Davao Region office; and Department of Trade and Industry Financial Services Director Maria Asuncion Cruzada.
Also present were Wang Qihui, deputy director general of the Department of Asian Affairs of China’s Ministry of Commerce, and Larry Chan, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Liwayway (China) Co. Ltd.
Following the opening ceremony, guests toured the Philippine Pavilion and participated in a food-tasting activity featuring Filipino products.
The Philippine delegation comprises 30 exhibitors, with the DA, the DTI-Export Marketing Bureau and CITEM each assisting 10 enterprises. Products being promoted include fresh durian, bananas, pineapples, young coconuts, coconut-based products and other agricultural commodities with strong export potential in China.
The Philippines is building on the gains of its participation in CIIE 2025, when its delegation generated P920.58 million in booked sales, with a reported return on investment of 252.69 percent. Four memoranda of understanding and letters of intent to purchase were also signed during the exhibition.
Subsequent agricultural export transactions involving fresh and frozen durian, fresh eels, young coconuts and frozen fruits reached a combined P3.8 billion.
These results demonstrate CIIE’s potential to turn business introductions and trade negotiations into actual export transactions, providing Philippine enterprises with access to international buyers and more opportunities to scale up production.
Through its participation in CIIE 2026, the DA, in collaboration with DTI-EMB and CITEM, continues to help Philippine enterprises penetrate international markets, expand agricultural exports and strengthen the country’s position as a supplier of quality agricultural and fishery products.
The latest agreements with Somago underscore the growing commercial prospects for Philippine durian in China and the importance of converting export opportunities into sustained orders that can benefit producers, processors and farmers across the supply chain.
