STC went to Bacolod City in the province of Negros Occidental and visited PAGASA’s Member there on 15 Jan. 2017.  Mark Gomez operates two KJ Foodmarts and 26 Munsterrific C-Stores in areas surrounding Bacolod.  Thanks to the boom in Business Process Outsourcing, it has contributed to the mushrooming of C-Stores in Mega-Bacolod.

On 13 Jan. 2017, PAGASA’s PRO William Villanueva attended the Consultation Meeting by the National Solid Waste Management Commission (NSWMC) at their office inside the DENR Compound along Visayas Ave., QC to ascertain the needs of stakeholders in relation to solid waste management (SWM) as well as act as a pre-work activity leading to the Symposium on SWM at the Quezon Circle on 1/27/17. 

 

PAGASA’s STC was invited as guest at the early morning program “Umagang Kay Ganda” which airs on ABS-CBN Ch.2 in the morning of 21 Dec. 2016.  With the regular hosts of the program, STC explained the supply and demand situation and steady prices of goods and commodities prevailing in the market.  He also asked the public to shop now and not wait for the last minute Christmas rush to avoid the heavy traffic and parking problems that bring about stress in the metropolis during shopping seasons like these.  He also reminded the public, in behalf of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, to bring out all their old series bills as these will not be considered legal tender come 2017.

 

 

On 6 Dec. 2016, PAGASA Pres. Steven Cua was invited to give a briefing of the Food Retail Industry to an audience filled with the academe and officers from the private and public sector.  Entitled “What Lies Ahead for Food and Agribusiness: Challenges and Expectations” and held at the Li Seng Gap Auditorium of the University of Asia and the Pacific’s APEC Bldg., the speakers included UA&P’s Exec. Dir. for the Center for Food & Agribusiness Dr. Rolando Dy, the Planning Manager of the Sugar Regulatory Admin Rosemarie Gumera, Harbest Agribusiness Corp.’s Pres. Arsenio Barcelona, Pork Producers Federation of the Phils.’ Pres. Edwin Chen and Land Bank of the Phils.’ President/CEO Alex Buenaventura. (L-R) Ms. Gumera, Dr. Dy, Mr. Barcelona and STC sits on stage for the Open Forum portion of the event.

 

 

 

PAGASA’s STC was invited as guest to the Teleradyo program, Konsumer, ATBP. over DZMM on the morning of 3 December 2016. Anchored by Alvin Elchico and DTI Usec. Ted Pascua, the episode discussed the issues to be contended with in the coming Yuletide Season since the Peso’s value has been slipping against the Dollar and world oil prices are beginning to increase. Also guests that morning were DA Usec. Engr. Ariel T. Cayanan/Operations and PRDP Nat. Proj. Dir., DTI Asec. Lilian G. Salonga and Dept. of Energy’s Div. Chief Melita Obillo.  The lively discussion hopefully shed light on concerns of the buying public regarding what’s to come for supplies and prices of fresh produce, basic necessities and prime commodities.

The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) under the DOH invited supermarkets to its Alabang Head Office to orient them regarding market authorizations; existing rules and regulations; and matters that supermarkets may wish to clarify with the FDA.  At the Conf. Room of the Center for Cosmetics Regulation and Research building on 29 November 2016, Product Research Div. Chief Rhoda Manaloto (beside STC) and Licensing & Regulatory Div. Chief Ma. Theresa Gutierrez (beside Ms. Manaloto) took charge of the briefing together with Juan Paolo Toolete (briefing the group), Roda Pascua of the Device Division and others. Attendees included representatives from SM, Puregold, Robinsons, Waltermart, Super 8, PAGASA and others.

In the morning of 28 Nov. 2016, the Technical Working Group for the new “No Shortchange Act” met for the fourth time (and the first time after consultative public hearings were held in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao).  The TWG was honored by the presence of new DTI Usec. Ted Pascua as he chaired over the meeting to straighten out issues brought to fore from the regional public hearings.  PAGASA’s STC and PCCTA’s Carling Cabochan were the only two representatives from the private sector to attend this Meeting (the rest were all from DTI’s different divisions except for BSP’s Roy R. Hernandez). There appeared difficulty in the enforcement of this law as nearing the completion of the crafting of its Internal Rules and Regulations (IRR), gray areas (contradicting laws) make implementation both cumbersome and troublesome.

The City Government of Quezon City introduced at a hearing just some four days earlier a bill for an Ordinance increasing real estate tax on certain areas in the city of up to 500%!  Of course, attendees to this hearing were alarmed and decided to organize a Consultative Hearing with a wider audience for businesses which will be affected by this “preposterous” bill.  Held on the evening of 11/16/16 at the newly-opened Panay Kain, Tulog, ATBP.’s Mandarin Wok Restaurant and hosted by the Q.C. Association of Fil-Chinese Businessmen, Inc. (supported heavily by the Phil. Chamber of Commerce & Industry-QC Chapter), PAGASA was represented by William Villanueva, Fred Gravador, STC and Desmond Chua (who is also a VP for QCAFCBI).  Other Business Organizations were also represented that evening. Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte got hold of this meeting and sent her City Assessor and relevant Councilors/Sponsors of said Bill to the Meeting to defend their proposal for increase in Real Estate Taxes in QC.  Meeting ended with the different Organizations asked to submit Position Papers within 10 days regarding said issue.

 

For the fourth Congress in a row since the 14th Congress, PAGASA presented its position with regards to the use of plastic bags in supermarkets and its impact on the country’s economy as well as the it’s ecology.  Of course, after various improvements on its position as a result of developments in sustainability worldwide, PAGASA was able to present and submit a more coherent Position Paper to a more receptive Committee on Ecology in Congress headed by its sharp and efficient Chair of the Committee, Congresswoman Estrellita Bito-Onon Suansing of Nueva Ecija.  Among one of the sponsors of this Bill is former pres. & now Pampanga Congresswoman Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (seated beside Ms. Suansing). The decision Of the Committee at this Hearing set on 16 Nov. 2016 seems to lean more towards regulation rather than ban of plastic bags as a solution to the problem of improper disposal of said bags leading eventually towards gradual  phase-out of disposable bags in lieu of reusable ones. 

On 15 Nov. 2016, Señor Alberto Hurtado/Export Area Manager who is charge of business development (for Asia) for Adam Foods’ biscuit lines met with PAGASA’s STC as introduced by former Senior DTI Usec. Thomas Aquino at Annabel’s in Q.C.  Señor Hurtado was interested to understand market trends and consumer behavior in modern trade for his line of products.