Another afternoon online regarding plastic waste management on 19 January 2022 by PAGASA President Steven T. Cua. The Hearing by Congress is the result of the two marathon TWG Meetings the previous week to straighten out kinks shareholders may have in their role when the Extended Producers Responsibility (EPR) bill is passed into law.

Chairing the Hearing is Ecology Committee Head Rep. Glona C. Labadlabad (top, 2R) together with Deputy Speakers Camille Villar (upper rightmost) and Rufus Rodriguez who were co-authors of this Joint Bill. Congress finally passed it on third reading after years and years of hearings to effect laws on plastic waste management.

Ms. Nanette Medved-Po explained the role of PCX (Plastic Credit Exchange) which she heads in monitoring collection & recycling efforts of its members as posted on screen.

Chaired by Committee Secretary for Ecology Atty. Dilbert Quetulio, it was aided by Deputy Speaker Rufus Rodriguez who stayed on the whole afternoon. On this day, the Bill was srutinized by 98 stakeholders word for word, line by line.

Presentations were made by WWF's Atty. Ina Guingona and PARMS' Atty. Bonar Laureto on their proposed structure for the EPR (see attachments). The public sector was represented by NSWMC Commissioner Crispian Lao and authorities from the DOST, DENR, DOF, BOC, BIR, DBM, MMDA, CHED and staff of Congress/Senate.

The private sector had Nestle, Unilever, Mondeliz, SM Prime, Jollibee, Alaska Milk Corp., Absolute Sales Corp. (for bottled water), KFC, McDonalds, PepsiCo, PCCI's Alfredo Yao (well-known manufacturer and packaging man), PPIA, Recyclers' Groups and PAGASA's Pres. Steven T. Cua.

For the academe and NGOs, there was U.P., Atty. Raul Academia of FPI/BCCP/Joint Foreign Chambers, PCX's Nanette Medved Po, CCC, Sonia Mendoza of Mother Earth Foundation, Greenpeace, Ecowaste Coalition, JSPC, PCAPI, AFPMP and other cause-oriented groups.

For a wholistic solution to plastic waste management in this country, producers would set up recycling facilities over time and a monitoring system would see to it that they minimize the plastic components of their manufactured products and collect the plastic wastes from these products for recycling.

In the morning of 4 August 2021, PAGASA was invited to participate in the digital Town Hall Meeting organized by Go Negosyo's founder and Presidential Adviser for Entre- preneurs Joey Concepcion with the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF), the Metro Manila Development Authority and the Department of Interiors and Local Government. Invited were the mayors of Metro Manila and participants were encouraged to inquire and make recommendations regarding the upcoming circuit-breaker lockdown scheduled from 6 Aug.-20 Aug. 2021.

PAGASA held its third quarter virtual General Meeting on the eve of 28 July 2021. Aside from recent retail/supermarket/economic developments, discussed was the announcement of an impending strict two-week lockdown by LGUs to quell the debilitating spread of the COVID-19 Delta Variant. Our observer attendee at this General Meeting is Mr. Lou Andrew Manlangit of MLQ Extension Minimart located in Mahabang Parang, Angono, Rizal.

On 27 July 2021, Ka Tunying a.k.a. Anthony Taberna offered his breads to interested PAGASA Member-stores in Metro Manila as customers shun leaving their homes and makes access to his breads a dilemma. Representing him for exploratory talks is his wife, Rossel (center) and his sister, Heidi.

PAGASA attended a whole-day Google Meet with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) & stakeholders on the extension of discount privileges to Senior Citizens (SCs) & Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) for online purchases on 16 July 2021. This Public Consultation was to air the various concerns regarding the potential spurious practices customers may apply to avail of the 5% discount explicitly meant for SCs and PWDs during online transactions. Retailers are in for an uphill climb in dealing with erring customers who misrepresent themselves as SCs & PWDs when ordering online. The DSWD was tasked with issuing the Joint Administrative Order (JAO) covering the mechanics for the said selective privilege. Attending were Ms. Joemzky Magno/Ms. Jona Ortega/Ma. Joanna C. Foz of the DSWD, Myrla Sedenio/MCBA, Jose Pepito/Atty. Mario V. Dimagiba/Twinkle Miguel of the Consumer Groups, Mr. Girlie Amarillo representing the SCs, Carlina Josue/Shirley Vasquez of the DTI, Gretchen Mondragon/BIR, Nicka Hosaka/Grab, Glorie Ann Piñeda/ PandaFood, JJ Ocana/Lazada, PRA's Bing Miranda/Mayan Sangil and PAGASA Pres. STC.

PAGASA attended the DTI Webinar In the morning of 15 July 2021 regarding basic necessities & prime commodities (BNPCs) and the list of Suggested Retail Prices (SRPs) used by the DTI to control/tame prices of grocery items. The SRP of selected BNPCs is a good tool for the DTI during episodes of calamity and/or emergency but during relatively normal (i.e., business as usual) times, it is wreaking havoc on operations of supermarkets. Some manufacturers take advantage of this DTI practice (since the former provides their "preferred" SRPs to the latter) by providing retailers unacceptable margins (some as low as 2.9%) in order to make the prices of their products become attractive/competitive! During the Webinar, retailers (especially those regional) have been complaining that some distributors sell to them at the price on DTI's SRP List for consumers! PAGASA President STC raised his hand and aired the appeal to the DTI to send their List of SRPs to the Association some two-three days before publishing these so supermarket operators can get a chance to comment on these prices and check if they are "relatively fair" for retailers. This was already the practice of the DTI before Typhoon Yolanda (Storm Haiyan) devastated the country in 2013. Compounding the problem for retailers is the dive in demand during this pandemic. In fact, at least 20 manufacturers increased their prices in June even as government declared a price freeze. They do not want to defy government directives but simply had to stay afloat for the benefit of the livelihood of their long-term employees and service to the buying public who ask for their products. Some ten more manufacturers increased prices soon as the Freeze was lifted on 10 July.

PAGASA's STC was interviewed on 13 July 2021 regarding price increases after the government-issued price freeze ended on 10 July. He said at least 20 suppliers increased prices even DURING the price freeze and this sowed confusion among the trading sector. He said businesses wanted to comply with directives and cooperate with government but most, if not all companies, are on survival mode and need to stay afloat. Country-level mismanagement not making businesses easier during this pandemic, he says. NOTE: There were definitely more media people than customers during this interview!

PAGASA took part in the longest NPCC Meeting on 5 July 2021 from 10:00am to 2:47pm without any lunch break! The Meeting was very informative & presentations/reports by the DA, PROPORK, PAMPI, UBRA, SRA, DTI, DOH, NFA, PAGASA the weather bureau, DENR, DOE and BSP were all very comprehensive. In behalf of PAGASA, STC reported that despite the order for a Price Freeze which is supposed to end on 10 July 2021, at least twenty manufacturers (both multi-nationals & SMEs alike) have so far increased their prices during the on-going 60-day period. This report was made so that the DTI knows that if some supermarket shelves reflect prices higher than those on their SRP List, they would not be surprised. DTI Usec. Castelo warned that the price freeze applies to all products and not just those on their SRP watch! BSP also introduced their round-off program where they want shops/stores to round off final transactions (after VAT, discounts to senior citizens/PWDs, etc.) to the nearest 25 centavos...so that the economy can do away with the 1- & 5-centavo coins.

In the afternoon of 30 June 2021, PAGASA was a member of the Technical Working Group of the Congressional Committee on Trade & Industry under Deputy House Speaker Valenzuela Rep. Wesley Gatchalian. The TWG was very ably chaired by Nueva Ecija Rep. Ria Vergara and Committee Secretary Valentin Palanca. The TWG tackled the Expanded Price Act of 2021 elaborating the role & function of the National Price Coordinating Council (NPCC) of which PAGASA is a Council Member. PAGASA's STC commented on the unfairness by which DTI's SRP is administered on food retailers. Carling Cabochan of PCCTA mentions the same. We are requested to submit our Position Papers on our contention to this Body. PRA Chairman Atty. Paul Santos admonishes strongly that retailers remain as members of the NPCC as the latter will be fined heavily for violations of the Price Act. Consumers were actively represented by Jose Paredes Pepito of the Nationwide Association for Consumers, Inc. and Atty. Mario Victorio Dimagiba of the Laban Konsyumer, Inc.