On 26 Aug. 2016, DTI invited PAGASA to be part of the Technical Working Group for the Internal Rules & Regulations (IRR) of the “No Shortchanging Act of 2016” the recently-passed R.A. 10909 that lapsed into law on 21 July 2016. PAGASA was the first to submit its Position Paper even before this first meeting for the TWG.  PAGASA’s position is to engage the citizenry to bring out the coins in their homes through the use of Coin Retrieval Piggy Banks where they take out the coins collected in these every 2 and 4 th Thursday of the month to assure the healthy circulation of much-needed coins in our economy; thereby, avoiding the lack of coins in establishments so they can give out exact change to their customers.  In attendance were lawyers and staff from the DTI’s various sections/bureaus, the BIR, the BSP, etc. The Meeting was headed by DTI’s Consumer Protection and Advocacy Group (CPAG) Asst. Director Lilian G. Salonga.

The Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce & Industry, Inc. organized a Forum on the controversial yet misleading concept of the “endo” on 18 August 2016 at the Main Ballroom of the Century Park Hotel in Manila.  Seated on stage were FFCCCII Pres. Angel Ngu and officers/past presidents (L-R) Henry Lim Boon Liong, Mr. Ngu, Dept. of Labor & Employment (DOLE) Usec. Dominador “Ding” Say, his able Staff, PP Alfonso Siy and PP Tan Ching. Hosting for the afternoon is Vice Chair for Industrial Relations Comm. Ms. Mary Go Ng.  The room swelled with people as businessmen wanted to be clarified with the Labor Initiatives of the Duterte Administration. PAGASA’S STC was present to catch the latest regarding the issue.

The Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce & Industry, Inc. organized a Forum on the controversial yet misleading concept of the “endo” on 18 August 2016 at the Main Ballroom of the Century Park Hotel in Manila.  Seated on stage were FFCCCII Pres. Angel Ngu and officers/past presidents (L-R) Henry Lim Boon Liong, Mr. Ngu, Dept. of Labor & Employment (DOLE) Usec. Dominador “Ding” Say, his able Staff, PP Alfonso Siy and PP Tan Ching. Hosting for the afternoon is Vice Chair for Industrial Relations Comm. Ms. Mary Go Ng.  The room swelled with people as businessmen wanted to be clarified with the Labor Initiatives of the Duterte Administration. PAGASA’S STC was present to catch the latest regarding the issue.

PAGASA Pres. STC answered all the questions directed at him regarding Cold Chain in the Philippines from the supermarket operators’ point-of- view.  Consulting him were (from STC’s right to left) World Food Logistics Organization’s Arne J. Martinsen, SIAM Professionals, LLC.’s Pres. Kent Sisson and AGRO Merchants Group’s Bill Vargo.  Seated beside STC is their host> Koldstor Centre Phils.’ Marc Dizon. They were trying to address the country’s  inadequate cold chain facilities from farm to market and looking into the possibility of setting up a whole system of cold chain equipment to ensure the freshness and food safety of fresh produce sold in different markets.  Meeting took place afternoon of 16 August 2016 at the Cucina Cafe of Marco Polo Hotel, Ortigas Center.

On 16 August 2016, STC was invited by the Senate to give a report on the state of the food retail/supermarket industry to the newly-elected Chairman of the Senate Committee on Trade & Industry, Sen. Miguel Zubiri (in coat seated alone at head of one end of the discussion table).  Present from the public sector were the DTI Team headed by Sec. Ramon Lopez and Presidential Adviser on the Economy> Joey Concepcion. Also presenting his AVP was Chairman Guillermo “Bill” Luz of the National Competitiveness Council.  From the private sector were Philexport’s Sergio Luis Ortiz, Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Inc.’s VP David Chua, officers of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce Phils., the American Chamber of Commerce in the Phils. and the EU Chambers of Commerce & Industry’s Mr. Henry Schumacher, Pres. of the IT & Business Process Assn. Phils. (IBPAP), Federation of Phil. Industries’ Jesus Arranza, Phil. Franchise Assn.’s Pre

Part of the National Retail Conference is an Exhibition Section called Stores Asia.  This year, presenters used pop-up stores to make their exhibits more attractive.  During the two-day exhibit, PAGASA delegates visited this area time and again from 10-11 August 2016 at the SMX at the Mall of Asia. Mober in the pictures is an Uber version of a logistics operation; also, a homonym to Mover.

On the eve of 10 August 2016, PAGASA held its third quarter General Meeting at Jatujak Thai Restaurant at the Mall of Asia Complex.  Discussed were issues on Endo Contracts, a more efficient circulation of coins in the economy, retail industrial tours to Tokyo/Osaka and Myanmar aside from many other proposals by parties interested to tie-up with PAGASA. Also discussed were plans for the revival of a Supermarket Show in 2017 as part of PAGASA’s 30 th Year Celebration.

On 10-11 August 2016, PAGASA sent a delegation to the 23 rd National Retail Conference and Exhibition at the SMX in Pasay City.  President Steven Cua, together with PRA Past-Pres. Mars Chua, was Presenter and Awarder for the Session on Trend Watching given by Singapore’s young trend strategist Ms. Acacia Leroy. She spoke so fast and presented slide after slide so much so that STC mentioned after her talk that if people in the audience did not catch what she was saying or presenting then they do not belong to the sector called millennials!  PAGASA Dir. and Cebu Retailers Association Pres. Robert Go was the Awarder for Mr. Joe Caliro/CEO-Globe Live on his talk on Next-Generation Interactive Retailtainment together with Presentor JJ Sison.  Topics for this year’s Retail Conference were relevant and insightful.