On 4 May 2017, PAGASA was invited to the deliberations for the Internal Rules & Regulations (IRR) of the Expanded Consumer Act by the Senate Committee on Trade, Industry & Entrepreneurship based on the bills filed by Senators Bam Aquino & Ralph Recto to update the public on circumstances surrounding online retailing and the newer forms of modern commerce.  At the session were DTI Usec. Ted Pascua and Laban Konsumer Chairman (& former DTI Usec. Vic Dimagiba) who “battled” it out over definitions, semantics and legal parlance on certain terms, clauses and stipulations of the proposed Expanded Consumer Act of the Philippines. Session was adjourned by 1pm and to be continued at a later date.  Though a lot of the participants were barristers, STC gave his practical two- cents’ perspective on a more realistic approach on how things are done in the workplace regarding sales and consumers’ rights.

 

 

PAGASA held its 2/Q GenMeet at the relatively new Fely J’s Kitchen at Uptown Mall of the BGC. Host for the evening is the Agriculture, Food & Life Division of SGS Philippines, Inc.  The GenMeet was held at this newest retail development of the BGC to signify the changing landscape of retail outlets in view of new townships heavily based with BPO Companies and the retail needs of those employed in this industry.

 

 

Dusk of 24 April 2017, STC was invited to the office of Community Crafts Association of the Philippines along Araneta Avenue, QC to meet with its Executive Director Voltaire Alferez.  This NGO aims to assist calamity-stricken as well depressed communities to help them stand on their own two feet via handicrafts livelihood projects. On the same day, members of Fair Trade USA visited this office to view the latest products on display for export globally. All their products were exported until Voltaire thought of gaining sales volume for these under-privileged by offering Christmas Baskets for use by supermarkets during the Yuletide Season to PAGASA Members.

 

 

On the afternoon of 20 April 2017, STC attended in behalf of PAGASA the project of the HR Committee of the PRA to better air concerns on the issue of Endo for retailers in particular.  The well-attended forum was held at a function room of the Oakwood Joy-Nostalg Bldg. Invited were former DOLE Sec. Marianito D. Roque and Professor Atty. Benedicto Ernesto R. Bitonio, Jr. of the U.P. College of Law and U.P. School of Labor and Industrial Relations. The former dealt with the practical perspective of D.O. 174 which is a Departmental Order and not a new law.  The latter discussed the legal aspect and basis for reviewing the execution of this old law and its relevance to retailers; especially for those with chains located all over the country.

PAGASA’s STC was invited to a Public-Private Market Dialogue with the theme: “Boosting Food Standards in the Philippines” on 20 April 2017 at the Oakwood Joy Nostalg Building at the Ortigas Center.  This Meeting included producers, retailers, associations, companies with certified produce, certification bodies and consumer groups.  This Dialogue-Workshop aims to understand the state of implementation of food standards in the Philippines as well address challenges in the horizon. It is an ASEAN-German Cooperation Project on standards in the Southeast Asian Food Trade (SAFT) wth the Bureau of Agri. and Fisheries Standards (BAFS) under the D.A.  STC gave his inputs into how to promote the sales and consumption of organic fruits and vegetables by appointing a credible certification body (there are now two), making the accreditation process easier to achieve and by making consumers aware of organic goods to eventually form the habit of consuming these regularly and in bigger quantities.

 

 

The Philippines is one of the few countries which does not have an active Competition Act or Law. The Phil. Competition Commission (PCC) was created in 2015 to help regulate trade and competition to assure that business is carried out in a fair manner (to disband monopolies and oligopolies as well as prevent conditions conducive for collusion/connivance) in the better interest of consumers.  The PCC works together with BSP, ERC, SEC, NTC, IC, CAB and other regulatory bodies in the pursuance of their mission.  Immediate past NEDA Sec. Gen. and Economic Planning Sec. Arsenio M. Balisacan acts as PCC’s founding Chairman.  The Forum introduces the PCC to business associations, coops, consumer groups and other stakeholders on how the PCC can help these stakeholders view competition and pricing as being fair in our economy.  On the sidelines of this Forum, STC gives former DTI Usec. Atty. Victorio Mario Dimagiba a token of PAGASA’s appreciation (a commemorative coin) for partnering with us through PAGASA’s 30 years of existence. Atty. Dimagiba currently retired from government is now President of the consumer group>Laban Konsyumer, Inc.

 

In the afternoon of 17 March 2017, STC was invited to speak during the 5-day Sikat Pinoy National Food Fair held at the three sections of the SM Mega Trade Hall.  This event organized by the DTI’s Bureau of Domestic Trade features regional delicacies and the best products of the OTOP (One-Town One-Product) Program.  A lot of the SME’s were interested on how to penetrate the mainstream of food retailing; that is, to get their products on shelves of supermarkets.  STC gave them practical tips and guidelines on how to best do this with the highest probability of success.

 

On the 16th of March 2017, the Phil. Retailers Assn. held a Retail CEO Economic Briefing at Marco Polo Hotel at Ortigas Center. Economist in the House was Mr. Federico R.D. Ocampo, MSC/ Senior VP & Chief Investment Officer of BDO Unibank, Inc.- Trust & Investments Group.  He mentioned that four of the prevailing local trends in retailing are Premiumization, Health & Wellness, the growing importance of Convenience and Online Buying. PAGASA was given two awards that day by the PRA: the Active Member Award and the Membership Loyalty Award  while STC was personally given an Award of Recognition for his involvement in PRA projects and advocacies through the years.

 

The International Food Exposition (IFEX) is organized by the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) under the Dept. of Trade & Industry to highlight Filipino products to foreign buyers as well as (its new thrust) to invite foreign suppliers to bring in their products to our shores.  For this new thrust, (L-R) CITEM’s Kate Piñeda/Head of Buyer Marketing Services Div., Chol de la Paz/Marketing Head for Local Buyer Campaign and Romleah Juliet P. Ocampo/CITEM Project Manager visited the PAGASA office in the afternoon of 15 March 2017 to discuss its arrangement with PAGASA for this year’s Offering.  PAGASA is tasked to organize a supermarket tour for foreign suppliers who are eyeing the local market.

In the early morning of 14 March 2017, DTI organized a Forum to discuss with stakeholders (bricks-and-mortar as well as on-line retailers) the definition and regulations surrounding Sales Promotions of various kinds and creations. The Office of the Solicitor General made a recent observation that many retailers seem to have “skipped” the time requirement (at least 30 days) stated in Article 116 of the Consumer Act for DTI to approve or deny any sales promotion.  Many questions were brought to the floor from department stores to telecommunications companies to television stations and online vendors. PAGASA’s STC was honored to have been invited to sit on the panel with Usec. Ted Pascua and Directors Lilia Salonga and Nestor Manfoste. Of course, STC asked questions in behalf of supermarket operators and retailers. The function room at Berjaya Hotel was expecting 100 guests but was filled to the rim with 250!