PAGASA attends the Inspirational Seminar called Voices of Leadership featuring (on pics) NutriAsia’s CEO Noel Lorenzana and Hapinoy Managing Director Mark Ruiz aside from Inspirational Guru Francis Kong, Hyundai’s Fe Perez-Agudo and former Presidential New Media Head Jay Jaboneta. (L-R) Johnny Lim, Roy Chua, Arvilene Añonuevo, STC, Mark Ruiz, Myke Teodoro, William Villanueva, Leticia Badilla and Agnes Jucom of PAGASA left the Seminar all inspired and fired-up to become great leaders!  

Improved Sticker for the ICC DImproved Sticker for the ICC ept.of Trade & Industry Sec. Gregory Domingo launches the improved sticker for the ICC Mark at the DTI-BOI Offices in Makati. The Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) is a seal of excellence stamped by the DTI on selected non-food items to establish the safety and quality of these items on consumers. The new hologram sticker boasts of security features which can be seen by the naked eye while others to be detected only by gadgets yielded by DTI inspectors. Some of the hot items monitored by this Mark is Christmas Lights. STC graces the occasion upon the DTI’s formal invitation. Last Updated ( Saturday, 04 August 2012 )

Hong Kong Trade Development Council has various offices all over the world and Bangkok houses their regional office for South East Asia.  On a regional tour, their Marketing Manager for BKK, Simon Lo and Ms. Loretta Wan, Regional Director for SE Asia and India, discusses with STC the latest developments in the Philippines and potential trade with HK and other SEA nations.

PAGASA’s Steve Cua attended the penultimate consultative hearing on Amendments to the Consumer Act of the Philippines in Congress with (L) Phil. Retailers Assn.’s Atty. Paul Santos and DTI’s Dir. for the Bureau of Trade Regulations & Consumer Protection (gesturing) to fine-tune amendments by this Technical Working Group before submission to the sponsors of the amendments covered by numerous House Bills. Last Updated ( Saturday, 04 August 2012 )

On its 2nd Year, the took place on 11/23/11 at the Meralco Theatre before a full house of CEO’s & Company Presidents.  PAGASA’s Board was invited to witness the affair where Nanay Coring of National Bookstore clinched this year’s award. Last year’s winner was Cecilio Pedro of Lamoiyan, makers of Hapee Toothpaste. Last Updated ( Saturday, 04 August 2012 )

PAGASA Pres. STC was interviewed by Sunshine Media in its feature on Christmas Food Shopping ’11 for the following week in its long-running program “Business and Leisure.”  Tips on how to avoid the Christmas rush and make the most of one’s budget were touched on.

Congress held a Consultative Hearing on proposed amendments to the Consumer Act of the Philippines and invited were PAGASA’s VP Fred Gravador (leftmost) and Pres. Steve Cua (2-L). Other resource people were Dept. of Trade & Industry’s Dir. of the Bureau of Trade Regulation and Consumer Protection Atty. Victorio Mario Dimagiba (rightmost in pic where Rep. Rufus Rodriguez points to the slides) and Phil. Retailers Assn’s. Exec. Dir. Evelyn Balmeo-Salire and VP for National Affairs Atty. Paul Santos (in green). This Technical Working Group will provide the inputs for the final draft to be approved by the sponsoring Congressmen of this Bill. Last Updated ( Saturday, 04 August 2012

PAGASA was invited to the Appreciation Party of the Filipino Songwriters, Composers, Arrangers and Producers Association (FILSCAP) at the EDSA Shangrila.  In picture, STC poses with FILSCAP Pres. Noel Cabangon, famed nationalistic singer/composer.  PAGASA is considered a partner of FILSCAP in espousing the intellectual rights of its members. Last Updated ( Saturday, 04 August 2012 )

PAGASA attends PASI Supermarket Conference for 2011 at Fontana Leisure Parks in Clark, Pampanga. STC takes a shot with speaker Robina Gokongwei-Pe. PASI Pres. Carlos V. Cabochan handles the workshop on SRP’s and the PAGASA delegation takes a shot at the foot of the stage.

PAGASA’s STC was tasked to act as Moderator for the Open Forum portion of the 3Q GenMeet of the Phil. Retailers Assn. held on 25 Oct. ’11 at the Galleria Suites Hotel.  Speakers on that day were A.C. Nielsen’s researchers Pinky and Lou-Ann revealing the latest trends on food shopping and dining. Sales of the existing 900,000 Sari Sari Stores have finally equaled that of the existing 1,435 Supermarkets as of end of 2010. Last Updated ( Saturday, 04 August 2012 )

PAGASA was invited to the 1st Phil. Anti- Counterfeiting and Piracy Summit held at the Makati Shangrila from 24-28 Oct. 2011.  The affair was graced by VP Binay and IPO-Ph’s DG Atty. Ricardo R. Blancaflor as well as Dir. Louise Van Greunen of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and various foreign participants. In one of the pictures, IPO-Ph’s Deputy Dir. Gen. Atty. Andrew Michael S. Ong delivers a talk on the National Legal Framework. WIPO Dir. Greunen also tackled on “What is Counterfeiting?” Last Updated ( Saturday, 04 August 2012 )

STC was invited to the General Meeting of the Phil. Confectionery, Biscuit & Snack Food Assn. (PCBSA) to shed light on the Supermarkets’ perspective when accepting or rejecting food belonging to the Association’s categories. The meeting was so fruitful PCBSA decided to host PAGASA’s next General Meeting to meet supermarket owners all in one place. This event took place on 20 Oct. 2011 at Ristorante delle Mitre at the walled city of Intramuros. Last Updated ( Saturday, 04 August 2012 )

Sen.Francis “Chiz” Escudero held a Public Hearing on the use of Plastic Bags for the Committee on Environment which he chairs.  PAGASA again presented its position and offer to act as a collection agent for recyclers of used plastic bags. Last Updated ( Saturday, 04 August 2012 )

On its 25th Year, the Philippine Amalgamated Supermarkets Association(PAGASA) organizes a Conference called “Supermarkets Uprising!” describing the number of new supermarkets up and rising as of late.   Held on 2 Sept. 2011 at the World Trade Center as part of the new event Grocery Asia, the Association traced its roots during the heyday of EDSA Revolution> the reason for its acronym and yellow-colored logo.  Click on the picture above and you will be linked to other pictures of this Event. 

PAGASA booth at Grocery Asia ‘11, the newest event within Food & Drinks Asia which ran from Sept. 1-4. Now on its 25th year as an Industry Association, PAGASA showed the vintage pictures and newspaper ads on Sales Promotions back in 1989 when prices of goods belonged to a different era!

PAGASA’s STC was a speaker at the Opening Ceremonies of Food & Drinks Asia 2011 at the World Trade Center on Sept. 1.  Among the other guests were DTI Usec. Zenaida Maglaya, DA Asec. Salvador Salacup (in barong) and H.E. Yogendra Kumar/Ambassador of India to the Philippines (L-7th) at the ribbon-cutting event. 

PAGASA is invited to a meeting in Congress on 27 bills concerned with amendments for the Consumer Act of the Phils.  It is chaired by the Committee on Trade & Industry under Rep. Albert S. Garcia (in white under the Seal of the House of Representatives) and joined by at least ten other Congressmen.  Other Sponsors of Bills included Reps. Rufus Rodriguez, Arthur Yap and Diosdado Macapagal-Arroyo on topics ranging from food safety, labeling, profiteering, credit cards/prepaid cards, toy safety, timbangan ng bayan, economy airline charges  to Trans Fat in food.

The Senate calls a 2nd Hearing on “The Use of Environment-Friendly Plastic Bags.” Senator Manuel B. Villar chairs the Committee on Trade & Industry and listens to stakeholders together with Senators Pia Cayetano and Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.  STC delivers PAGASA’s position offering its members as collection agents for used plastic bags returned by customers.

Mary Grace Riguer/OIC of the Employment & Research Div. of the Institute for Labor  Studies under the Department of Labor & Employment visits the office of PAGASA to gather inputs about the possible impact  of the regulation of the use of plastic bags on employment/dislocation  in the retail and affiliated sectors.  Inputs will be used at an upcoming Forum by DOLE on the topic. STC is shown holding a Reusable Bag designed for PAGASA Members. Last Updated ( Saturday, 04 August 2012 )

Dept. of Agriculture Sec. Proceso I. Alcala (in white and orange shirt) gestures as he explains at a meeting of stakeholders in the onion industry about the influx of smuggled white onions.  PAGASA’s STC is interviewed later by media regarding the ill effects of said smuggling to the onion farmers and our economy in general. Last Updated ( Saturday, 04 August 2012 )

Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Hannah A. Giray of the External Affairs Division’s Policy Development and Planning Bureau paid the PAGASA Office a visit to check on how the Industry Association can assist in the development of DSWD’s projects along the lines of commodities price-watch and technical assistance to micro enterprises who wish to see their products on the shelves of supermarkets. Last Updated ( Saturday, 04 August 2012 )

At the dinner tendered by DTI for the ASEAN Committee on Consumer Protection> a 2-day Meeting of delegates from the region to strengthen the rights of consumers>(L-R) DTI’s Director Atty. Victorio Mario A. Dimagiba of the Bureau of Trade Regulation & Consumer Protection, STC, Philbaking President Walter Co and Phil. Retailers Association’s Sec. Gen. Evelyn Balmeo-Salire graced the occasion at the New World Hotel. Last Updated ( Saturday, 04 August 2012 )

PAGASA’s STC was invited to give the briefing at the  2011 Mid-Year Food and Agri Business Conference at the Univ. of Asia and the Pacific.  His briefing centered on Food Retailing.  During Open Forum, he was joined by UA&P’s Exec. Dir. Rolando T. Dy, Ph.D. of the Center for Food & Agri Business (left) and Gregorio San Diego of the United Broilers Raisers Association (UBRA) who were also speakers at the forum.  The audience included stakeholders in Agri Business and the academe. Last Updated ( Saturday, 04 August 2012

PAGASA attends the stakeholders’ meeting on chicken supply and prices at the office of the Dept. of Agriculture (DA) where DA Sec. Proceso Alcala (with yellow watch) personally chaired.  With him at the head table are  (L-R) Livestock Development Council Dir. Manuel Jarmin, Asec. Salvador Salacup and Bureau of Animal Industry Dir. Efren Nuestro. The Sec. decided against the setting of a Reference Rate for the price of chicken to allow free market forces to take care of this. Supply was reported ample until end of the year. Last Updated ( Sunday, 07 August 2011 )

PAGASA holds its 2Q General Meeting at a restaurant along Shaw Blvd. to discuss the current trends in the industry as well as plan for the upcoming Silver Anniversary event at the World Trade Center on 2 Sept. 2011. Last Updated ( Sunday, 07 August 2011 )

The new Economic Minister of the Embassy of the Argentine  Republic Jaime J. Goldaracena (left) explores opportunities for the possibility of Argentine imports to the country selling on supermarket shelves like Brazilian corned beef. Last Updated ( Sunday, 07 August 2011 )

< PAGASA President STC was invited to the wreath-laying ceremonies at the Rizal monument on the occasion of the National Heroes 150th Birth Anniversary.  He takes the opportunity to have a shot taken with the old ladies who idolize Rizal and together with Corp. Sec. Roy Chua, has a shot taken with the 4th, 5th and 6th level descendants of the National Hero himself. Last Updated ( Sunday, 07 August 2011 )

The Congressional Committee on Ecology winded up its years of consultative meetings by finalizing the Draft for the Bill Regulating the Use of Plastic Bags on 1 June 2011. All 17 Congressmen who sponsored the various bills that were consolidated into this one being deliberated upon attended the session. One of the prominent features of this Bill incorporates PAGASA’ s suggestion to charge all customers a token/minimum of P1.00 for every new plastic bag used IF customer does not bring his own eco-bag or does not bring used plastic bags in exchange for the new ones used for the groceries he purchased. Supermarkets, as volunteered by PAGASA, will act as collection points for recyclers to recover clean used plastic bags. The P1.00 must be charged by all supermarkets to assure a level playing field and to make it a bit painful on the pockets of consumers if they do not do their share in sustainable development by bringing in used plastic bags to help build a recycling industry.

PAGASA was invited to Nestle Phils.’ 100th Year Celebration at Resorts World in Newport City.  The top manufacturer showed an Anthology of ten 10-min. films depicting the values of the Filipino people and how Nestle has contributed to the development of said values.  Pictures show the extravaganza and PAGASA’s STC (C) with Bacolod Member Waiman Yip (L) of KJ Fairmart and the growing C-store chain called Munsterific and up-and-coming Asst. Dir. Jun King Austria who also doubled as John Lloyd’s officemate in one of the better films shown that evening. Last Updated ( Sunday, 07 August 2011 )