05/06/2025
Philippines Exports Fresh Mangoes to Italy
ROME, 2 June 2025 – The first commercial importation of fresh Philippine mangoes to Italy arrived in Rome on 29 May 2025, strengthening the bilateral trade relations between the two countries. The fresh mangoes are now available in select Filipino stores in the city.
The shipment of over half a ton of Philippine mangoes from Pangasinan in the Ilocos region was an initiative of the Filipino entrepreneurs in Rome led by the members of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce in Italy (PCCI), assisted by the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Philippine Embassy in Italy. The DA-Bureau of Plant Industry (DA-BPI) ensured that necessary sanitary and phytosanitary certifications were in place prior to shipping.
Philippine Ambassador to Italy Neal Imperial thanked the PCCI, in particular, Mr. Dennis Carrascoso, Chairman, Mr. Leopoldo Reyes, President, and its members, for their efforts to bring in a major export crop through Pacific Cargo SRL of Chief Executive Officer Jocelyn Tupino. He also thanked the Philippine Embassy's Agriculture Attaché and Deputy Permanent Representative to UN Rome-based Agencies Dr. Josyline C. Javelosa, for her coordination, guidance on Italy’s import regulations, and technical support for PCCI, making the venture possible.
Ambassador Imperial said that Philippine mangoes are now poised to win over Italian consumers, not just as a tropical delicacy but as a symbol of agricultural resilience, diaspora unity and global ambition.
The initiative is aligned with the Marcos administration’s Philippine development strategy and supports sustainable agriculture, builds resilient value chains, and benefits Filipino farmers and rural communities. It was also another significant step in diversifying the bilateral trade between the Philippines and Italy. In 2024, Italy was the Philippines’ 21st biggest trading partner (out of 223) and the 23rd largest export market (out of 201). The top Philippine commodity exports to Italy include coconut (copra) oil, articles of other precious metals and parts thereof, and tunas.
Besides being a premium tropical fruit celebrated through festivals, Philippine mango is the country’s flagship commodity under the One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) initiative of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), where the Philippines sits as a member of the FAO Council. END.
(Photo courtesy of Ms. Pia Gonzalez-Abucay, Ako ay Pilipino)
Ambassador Neal Imperial, Agriculture Attaché Josyline C. Javelosa, Philippine Chamber of Commerce in Italy (PCCI) Chairman Dennis Carrascoso, PCCI President Leopoldo Reyes, CNA World Honorary President Indra Perera and Filipino entrepreneurs in Rome celebrate the first commercial Philippine mango importation into Italy at Pinoy Saver's Mart in Rome, Italy on 2 June 2025.
