PAGASA was invited to a Meeting by the Center for Device Regulation, Radiation Health & Research of the Department of Health at their offices on 9 May 2013 to discuss the proposed guidelines on the sale of Polycarbonate Infant Feeding Bottles & Spill-Proof Cups containing Bisphenol A by supermarkets and other retail outlets. Said materials pose a lot of health dangers to infants.

On Labor Day of 2013, PAGASA held its 2Q General Meeting at the One Café and Events Place inside One Corporate Center in Pasig. OnPrem Concepts, makers of 5am Breads, hosted the Meeting that delved on market expansion at a period of growth in an Election Year.

PAGASA’s STC meets with Nelson Co of TradeChannel Phils., Inc., Myrna Padilla of OFW Watch and Sec. Ivan Uy of the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (in casual pink) who renders advice to OFW Watch. The latter is an OFW organization based in Davao and has for its members thousands of OFWs. The Coffee-Meet was set on 29 April 2013 to discuss the potential of a tie-up for BuySalubong.

PAGASA’s STC is represented at discussions on the desired linkage between industry and the academe specifically for management- oriented courses to align the courses/subjects offered by the different colleges in developing graduates with the necessary/relevant skills to contribute to the economy. Heading this series of meetings is Phil. Business for Education (PBEd) on 11 April 2013 at the Han Room of the Tower Club with Amcham, PCCI, PAGASA and others.

After some nine months, the National Price Coordinating Council (NPCC) under the chairmanship of the Sec. of DTI calls a Council Meeting as prices and supply of grocery items were relatively stable since the last meeting. DTI Sec. Gregory Domingo (speaking) is flanked by USec. Zenaida Maglaya and Bureau of Trade Regulation & Consumer Protection (BTRCP) Dir. Victorio Mario Dimagiba as well as DA ASec. Salvador Salacup (partly hidden) and the rest of the concerned government agencies and industry associations/players.

 

The Police Community Relations Group of the Phil. National Police under Chief Superintendent Gen. Sonny Yanga David (beside STC) and his colleagues (Station 11 Commander Col. Norberto Babagay of Galas, QC; to his left) briefs PAGASA on 3-19-13 regarding the role of today’s PNP in community building and relations. They also discussed emergency procedures during hold-ups and how citizens should get engaged and contribute in maintaining peace and order.

On 14 March 2013, the Phil. Bus. For Education (PBEd) held a Dinner Meeting at the Balagtas Room of the Manila Peninsula and invited Dept. of Education (DepEd) Sec. Bro. Armin Luistro (in the center in white seated between two gentlemen in coat) to listen to the results of the recently-concluded Higher Education Summit. Bus. & Ind. Assns. like PAGASA, MAP, BAP, AmCham, ECCP, PMAP, etc. were invited to validate findings and to tie-up with the academe for proposed projects.

Steve Cua/Pres. o f PAGASA gives a talk entitled “To the Supermarket we GO!” at the annual Conference of PinoyME where Micro Entrepreneurs meet. This was held on Day 1>3/7/13 and advised the attentive audience on how to present themselves and their products when they offer items to supermarkets.

1Q Board Meeting on 6 Mar. 2013 was held at Inagiku Japanese R estaurant at Makati Shangrila. (Foreground, clockwise) Liansel Sy/Liana’s, Patrick Ong/formerly Parco, William Villanueva/ Purity, Atty. Arnaldo Cariño -host/PMFTC, Bobby Ang/Topline, Steve Cua/Welcome, Fred Gravador/Simplicity Ministop, Johnny Lim/ 680, Karl Tan/Budgetlane. Absent were Roy Chua/ Daily and Edna Ontiveros/Candice Megamart.

Dept. of Trade & Industry (DTI) Sec. Gregory L. Domingo (beside lady in green) together with his four Undersecretaries (L-R) Lilia de Lima (2 seats left of the Sec.; concurrent Chair of Phil. Export Zone Authority <PEZA>), Adrian C. Cristobal, Jr., Zenaida C. Maglaya, Merly M. Cruz and Asst.Sec. Josephine Romero (left of Ms. de Lima) attend in full force the Consultation Meeting with Civil Society Organizations on 4 Mar. 2013. The Dept. of Budget & Management has required all government agencies to consult stakeholders (including PAGASA) in the computation/justification of their Annual Budget as presented to Congress and the President for approval. This move to assert transparency in governance was initiated this year and this exercise was for DTI’s Budget for 2014.