The government of the Philippines and of Brunei are working on a tie-up that will see Brunei availing of Philippine expertise in sardine processing and the latter riding on the former's halal brand to penetrate the lucrative Middle East market. Benjamin F. S. Tabios, Jr., assistant director of administrative services of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), said in a phone interview yesterday that his office expects the deal to be finalized by April. The project is one of many cooperation thrusts being undertaken under the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMPEAGA) framework, Mr. Tabios said.

Liu, K. J. R. (2010, February 10). Philippines, Brunei explore partnership on sardine processing. BusinessWorld, p. S1/3.