The Packaging Institute of the Philippines (PIP) hosted the AsianStar Awards (last time this happened was some 20 years ago) together with the Asian Packaging Federation (APF)-made up of Packaging Associations from all over Asia on 4 Dec. 2014 at the Manila Polo Club. Picture shows the Sec.-Gen. Prof. N.C. Saha presenting the main award to the Malaysian winner. PAGASA was invited to grace this occasion as supermarkets provide input to the packaging requirements of products offered on their shelves.

At a press conference held on 27 Nov. 2014, PAGASA’s STC was On hand with Jesse Cham/Pres.- Meat Importers & Traders Assn. (MITA/center) and L-R, Mr. Dizon/Pres.-Cold Chain Assn. of the Phils.(CCAP), Ms. Maria Januszczak/Trade Commissioner for Agri., Food & Bev.of the Canadian Embassy & Francisco Buencamino/Exec. Dir. of the Phil.Assn. of Meat Processors, Inc. (PAMPI) to attest to the fact that imported meat is safe to eat and is not contaminated as mentioned in the news recently. Said press conference was held at the Milky Way Restaurant in Makati.

On 26 November 2014, PAGASA held its last General Meeting for 2014 at the Quezon City Sports Club. Discussed were the feared possible lack of supply this Yuletide Season given the unsolved problem of Port Congestion and the inevitable rise in prices due to insufficient supply.

Veteran Broadcaster and former Philippine Vice President Noli “Kabayan” de Castro visited PAGASA’s STC at one of his stores to shoot for TV Patrol’s 2-day Special Edition coverage of the compounding problems resulting from Port Congestion. His comprehensive report takes him to the ports and the supply chains affected by lack of infrastructure needed to sustain a growing economy.

On the very early morning of 20 Oct. 2014, PAGASA’s STC was invited to be the lone guest for the segment popularized by ace broadcaster Anthony Taberna at ABS-CBN’s morning show Umagang kay Ganda. Tackled was the irritable issue of Port Congestion and its ill-effects supply and prices nearing Christmas.

  PAGASA held its 3 rd Quarter Board Meeting at the lobby of the Peninsula Hotel on 11 October 2014. Topics of Immediate concern and  interest to the Industry was discussed that evening over pomp and fanfare.

At the Opening of its 21 st Edition at the World Trade Center on 9 Oct. 2014, Agrilink, Foodlink, Aqualink once again filled the halls with visitors to the rafters. By noon time, a press conference was held attended by no less than Department of Agriculture Sec. Proceso J. Alcala (4 th from Left) and PAGASA’s STC at the right-end of the Head Table. Sec. Alcala has attended all of this Show’s Openings since he sat as Head of the DA to show the DA’s partnership with the organizer, The Foundation for Resource Linkage and Development, Inc. (FRLD). PAGASA has been a Co-Organizer of this endeavor since 1999 and STC was appointed as the Show’s Chairman in 2007.

On 1 Oct. 2014, STC was invited by the University of the Philippines-Los Baños (UPLB) academic community to a Roundtable Discussion on Food Security at the Offices of the Department of Agriculture, Elliptical Road, QC. Attending were the Deans and Professors of the different colleges at UPLB. Two of the Deans and a Dir. from the DA later awarded STC with a plaque and a token gift for his presentation on Marketing’s Important Role in getting fresh produce to the consumer’s table entitled: “Marketing and Post-Harvest.”

The Philippine Retailers Association (PRA) prepares for the Asian Retailers Conf. & Exhibition (ARCE ’15) next year. It held its 3/Q General Membership Meeting on 23 Sept. 2014 at the Grand Ballroom of the Marriott Hotel at Newport City, Resorts World Manila. Topic for the day was the Valuation of One’s Retail Business. PAGASA is an active Affiliate Member of the PRA.

On 18 September 2014, the Supply Chain Management Association of the Phils. (SCMAP) opened its two-day Annual Conference at the EDSA Shangrila. SCMAP is the Organization of Distributors in the Phils.  It is on its 25 th Year of existence. PAGASA’s STC is invited as a Keynote Speaker together with Senator Bam Aquino and FPI(Fed. of Phil. Industries) Pres. Meneleo Carlos. STC was later awarded a token by SCMAP Pres. Arnel Gamboa while Mr. Carlos was awarded by SCMAP stalwart and former Pres. Cora Curay.

DTI Sec. Gregory Domingo calls a National Price Coordinating Council Meeting to discuss potential supply and price situation during the coming Yuletide Season given the lingering problem of Port Congestion and its ill effects to the economy. Meeting took place on 11 September 2014 at the Audio-Visual Room of the Bureau of Investments Building in Makati.

Opening of ASIAFOOD 2014 took place on 10 September 2014 at the World Trade Center. STC was invited to speak at the Opening and grace the Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony together with (L-R) Norman Adriano/Sec. Gen.-SCMAP, STC, Col. Escaño/Meralco Foundation, LNA Mgt’s Josephine Miranda, Chef Robert Francisco/Hotel & Restaurant Chef’s Assn. of the Phils. and Lucito Chavez/VP-Phil. Fed. Of Bakers. They later made the initial rounds of the Trade Show dealing with machineries and processes for food processing.

On 4 Sept. 2014, the Supply Chain Management Association of the Phils. (SCMAP) held a CEO Forum at the EDSA Shangrila Hotel to discuss the Port Container Congestion Issue before their upcoming National Conference. STC was invited to be part of the panel discussion together with two of the three Port Operators of the Manila International Container Terminal. To STC’s right is Christian Gonzalez, Asia Region Head of the International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI).

On 28 Aug. 2014, the Phil. Confectionery Biscuits and Snack Association (PCBSA) held its formal induction for the new set of Officers & Directors for 2014-2015: (L-R) Reynaldo Go/Columbia’s and Out-going President, Jimmy Cu/Markenburg & President- Elect, STC and William Lim/WL Foods & In-coming Vice President. Representing PAGASA is Pres.Steven Cua and Director Fred Gravador and his better half and active Member, Simple.

The Dept. of Agriculture called a Meetingat its offices on 11 August 2014 to assess the supply and apparent increase in price of chicken in the market. Corp. Sec. Karl Marxist Tan represented PAGASA at said meeting where DA said ascertained that there was ample supply of chicken and that inequitable distribution was the culprit for seeming lack of poultry meat and resulting increase in prices at wet markets and supermarkets.  STC was later interviewed on the said topic in a supermarket.

  DTI Usec. Victorio Mario A. Dimagiba calls a meeting with manufacturers and retailers on 5 Aug. 2014 to discuss how the current truck ban is affecting the supply of prime commodities considering the container traffic at the ports.  Joining the meeting are Edita de Leon/Pres.-Philippine Chamber of Food Manufacturers (conversing with Usec.) and (counter-clockwise from her) PASI Pres. Carlos Cabochan, STC, NAMVESCO-National Market Vendors Cooperative representative Rodolfo Dalangin, PASI VP Rene Guevarra, PASI’s Fidian Ples (son of Atty. Fred Ples), Logistics   Staff of Nestle Phils. and the team of Usec. Dimagiba. STC aired PAGASA’s concerns regarding the use of SRPs coming from manufacturers as basis for apprehending retailers when the latter’s prices exceed DTI’s SRPs. He suggested that a deviation of up to 2% above or below DTI’s SRPs is considered ideal to consumers and that this be included as a footnote to the SRP List posted/printed by DTI.

PAGASA held its 3 rd Quarter General Meeting on 30 July 2014 at David’s Tea House and Shabu Shabu inside the new Z Mall in Quezon City.  A.C. Nielsen’s Patrick Cua gave an analytic update on the trends and latest developments in retailing before STC gave the quarterly report on concerns of PAGASA Members regarding the industry in particular  and the economy as a whole.

PAGASA Board held its 2 nd Quarter Meeting at the Grand Ballroom of Solaire Resort and Casino on 13 July 2014. Present (L-R) seated were Sec. Karl Tan (SuperBudgetlane), Pres. Steve Cua (Welcome Supermart),Dir. Edna Ontiveros (Candice Megamart), Treas. William Villanueva (Purity) and Dir. Fred Gravador (Simplicity Ministop).Standing behind is Dir. Myke Teodoro (Velamart).  Present but not in picture is VP Liansel Sy (Liana’s).

On 9 July 2014, PAGASA was invited by the Senate’s Committee on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship together with the Committee on Ways and Means, and Finance to act as resource for a new bill.The former is headed by Sen. Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV and the latter by Sen. Juan Edgardo “Sonny”M. Angara; both of whom were present at this public hearing to determine the need to set up regional Emergency Warehouses with the intention of catering to the various disasters that occur year-in-and- out in the different areas of the country. Government agencies (DTI represented by Usec. Zenaida Maglaya handling Regional Op’ns; DND; DSWD; DOF; NFA) and NGO’s (Red Cross, CARD, Hapinoy) who responded to relief operations were invited to submit their Position Paper on the matter.

STC is interviewed at dawn popular tv program “Umagang kay Ganda” to clear up discrepancies of SRPs (Suggested Retail Price) coming from suppliers and those from the DTI.  As it seems, DTI did not agree to requests for price increase of certain SKUs by some suppliers whereby the notice of disagreement was announced after suppliers have  already increased prices to retailers (not thinking that DTI would disagree; as in most past cases). In the early morning of 2 July 2014, STC aired the Association’s plea for clarity/synchronization in DTI’s coordination with suppliers so retailers can comply with greater ease in “aligning” prices with SRPs posted by the DTI for basic necessities and prime commodities. Anchors for the day’s early news were (L-R) Anthony Taberna, Bernadette Sembrano and Jorge Cariño.

  In behalf of the Food & Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, Prof. Larry Digal of U.P.-Mindanao consults with STC on 1 July 2014 regarding the prospects of getting organic rice on the shelves of supermarkets. Together with Ms. Balgos, they try to pinpoint the factors which will allow producers to penetrate the mainstream of supply chain to get people to accept this product given its price premium.

Since Congress has passed on third hearing the Bill on Hoarding of Coins, the BSP thought it prudent to engage all stakeholders regarding this Bill to ask as to what levels constitutes “hoarding of coins.” PAGASA and other fellow retailers were one in opining that the word “hoarding” seems misleading as the feeling is one of constant  lack of coins in general circulation. Discussions veered towards ways to encourage the public to part with coins stashed inside households. The Meeting was held on the afternoon of 25 June 2014 at the highly-secured BSP Security Plant Complex along East Ave., QC.

  On 24 June 2014, the Phil. Retailers Assn. held its 2 nd Quarterly General Meeting at the brand-new Marco Polo Hotel at the Ortigas  Center (still to be launched on 7 July!). PAGASA was represented by STC. Google Asia’s Justin Keh presented on the evolving significance of online presence as consumers today “search” before they actually buy. A.C. Nielsen also presented on how to attract the growing and changing consumers belonging to the middle-income sector.

DTI Sec. Gregory Domingo, acting as Chairman of the National Price Coordinating Council (NPCC) calls an Emergency Meeting in view of uptick of prices for rice, sugar, garlic and chicken among others. He is supported by DTI Usec. Victorio Mario Dimagiba, DA Asec. Leandro Gazmin (concurrent head of the Agri-Marketing Assistance Services <AMAS>) and DTI-NCR’s Arch. Ferdinand Manfoste.  The NPCC is made up of all concerned government agencies that have to do with the movement of prices of basic necessities and prime commodities like DA’s Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), Sugar Regulatory Authority (SRA)and the National Food Authority (NFA), BSP, DOE, LTFRB, DOJ, PAGASA (the Weather Bureau) and the like. It also includes Industry Organizations like PAGASA, NAMVESCO (Market Vendors Org’n.), Phil. Assn. of Hog Raisers/Poultry & Broiler Org’ns., Phil. Assn. of Meat Processors and major manufacturers whose products are categorized as market leaders.  STC brings up the controver

On 14 June 2014, STC was invited as guest at “Konsumer, atbp.,” a one-and-a-half-hour program hosted by newly-appointed DTI Usec. Atty. Victorio Dimagiba & Alvin Elchico.  This episode discussed prices of basic necessities/prime commodities during school opening and the supply of Sugar, etc. Beside STC is Sugar Regulatory Commission’s Rosemarie Gumera.

SIAL is a 50-year old French Company in the Events Industry.  It holds only one B-2-B tradefair  in each  continent but made an exception in Asia where it has held this Event in Shanghai during the last decade. They decided to hold one for South East Asia given its emerging markets and have handpicked Manila for this purpose. Japanese, Korean, European, Indonesian, Chinese, American traders were represented at the Show looking for distributors/buyers for their products/produce. This is a joint venture between SIAL and MAFBEX which also held its Show simultaneously at the Tent beside the World Trade Center. STC takes a shot with Bjoern Kempe/ GM for SIAL Asia and Joanne Cook/ Reg. Dir. Of SIAL ASEAN.  He also discusses with DA Sec. Proceso Alcala who was Guest of Honor (together with Sen. Cynthia Villar who heads the Agriculture Committee in the Senate) regarding the recent high prices of garlic. At PAGASA’s booth, STC is in a huddle with Markenburg Int’l. Foods