The Pampanga Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. (PamCham) and the Federation of Iraqi Chambers of Commerce (FICC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to encourage, promote, and facilitate economic cooperation among the business communities of the Philippines and Iraq. The MOU was signed on the sidelines of the 8th Joint Committee Meeting (JCM) between the two countries, the first in 10 years. Sectors identified for collaboration include trade, oil, construction, health, food, and agriculture. FICC President Heider Jasim urged Filipino enterprises to explore opportunities in fish farming, nursing, and hospital management, and invited Philippine construction players to help address Iraq's housing backlog of 4 million units. The Iraqi Embassy in Manila said the JCM opened discussions on a wide range of economic cooperation areas.