Posted online on 8 April 2020, the Dept. of Trade & Industry produced a video showing the courage and cooperation of supermarket operators in serving the buying public. In spite of the risk of their officers/personnel catching COVID-19 as food retail outlets are places where people congregate, supermarket operators face the challenges head-on with health protocols like disinfecting the store and equipment, requiring customers and staff to wear masks and shields at all times and practicing social distancing.  DTI is in constant touch with PAGASA and all major stores since Day 1 of lockdown to ensure proper coordination as health safety requirements worldwide keep changing.

Visayan media Sunstar Interviewed PAGASA’s Robert Go of the Prince Retail Group on 31 March 2020 regarding supplies and prices of commodities in the region as a result of the unexpected epidemic brought about by COVID-19.

Shelves of some PAGASA Member-stores as of 1 April 2020 were empty as a result of panic buying which started on 10 March. Some closed for as long as a week to source for stocks to fill up their gondola and shelves.

 

 

On 28 February 2020, the Chairman for PRA’s National Retail Conference and Exhibition (NRCE) 2020> Rustan’s Bienvenido “Donnie” Tantoco III called for a Meeting at his Makati Office to set the tone for this year’s NRCE. This initial meeting on themes and names for the Conference were deliberated on by the Core Organizers which included PAGASA’s STC.  Speakers were selected to match the relevant topics intended for the Summit come August.

 

PAGASA attended a Technical Working Group Meeting on 26 February 2020 at the Lower House for the Committee on Ecology chaired by House Speaker-elect Rep. Lord Allan Jay Quinto Velasco of the lone district of Marinduque who sponsored the latest bill on plastic bags.  This Meeting was supposed to consolidate all bills related to Single-Use Plastic Products/Materials.  It was going to be a quick succession of TWG Meetings to swiftly solve the issue on plastics.

Following the TWG Meeting last 26 February, the House Committee on Ecology quickly called a follow-up Meeting on 5 March 2020.  (This was to be PAGASA’s last physical meeting for a long time in view of the upcoming but unexpected lockdown due to COVID-19.  The next TWG Meet for this purpose was held on 30 June 2020 but was virtual in nature.  PAGASA failed to attend that one.)

PAGASA was invited to be an Exhibitor at the Food & Hotel Asia, a trade show held at the SMX on 21-23 February 2020.  Visitors entered the booth of PAGASA to acquaint themselves with the Association and offer products and services to its members.

 

 

A well-attended Hearing in Congress on the 19th of February 2020 delved on the proposed increase in wages as chaired by Partylist Representative Enrico A. Piñeda.  Much discussion on the timeliness and affordability of employers to absorb another round of wage increase came to fore.

On the same afternoon of 19 February 2020, Congress held a Hearing on relaxing the conditions for foreign retailers to invest in our country. The American Chamber of Commerce as well as a few other foreign Chambers in the country cited their reasons why conditions must be relaxed. These were opposed by local retailers headed by PAGASA and the PRA.