EDC and DTI invite exporters to regional seminar on PEDP on Nov. 29

Concerned agencies and exporters are invited to a regional seminar to discuss the implementation of the newly approved Philippine Export Development Plan (PEDP) 2011-2013 on November 29, 2011 at the Cebu Parklane Hotel.

Organized by the Export Development Council and the Department of Trade and Industry Bureau of Export Trade Promotion (DTI-BETP), the seminar will present to stakeholders the Philippine International Trade Strategy, the approved PEDP 2011-2013, regional targets, plans and programs to implement the PEDP and programs for export development and promotion.

For more information on the regional seminar, interested parties may contact Ms. Vicki Diaz of DTI at tel. no. 255-0036 loc. 601.

The PEDP, the country’s blueprint for export development, forecast Philippine exports to double and reach US$120 billion by 2016. Export growth target for each year from 2011-2013 is 10%.

The PEDP is a rolling three-year plan, which defines the annual and medium-term export thrusts, strategies, programs, and projects. It is implemented  jointly by the government, exporters, and other concerned sectors. It is prepared by the DTI in cooperation with the  Export Development Council (EDC) and the Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc. (PHILEXPORT) Project on Partnership and Advocacy in Competitiveness and Trade. 



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DTI steps-up monitoring of establishments selling motorcycle helmets

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is stepping-up the monitoring of wholesale and retail establishments selling protective motorcycle helmets and their visors to ensure that these are certified.

In an effort to ensure safety for the fast-increasing number of motorcycle riders and their passengers, the DTI is making certain that only certified helmets are sold in the market.

According to the DTI, it is mandatory for all manufacturers and importers of protective helmets and their visors to secure a Philippine Standard (PS) License or Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) certificate from the Department prior to the sale and distribution of their products.

“Those found with uncertified products shall face administrative charges from the Department,” DTI warned.

In order to provide the industry with an internationally-accepted reference standard in manufacturing reliable protective helmet, DTI adopted the United Nations Economic Commission on Europe (UN ECE) standard specifications and test methods for protective helmets and their visors for motorcycles and mopeds drivers and passengers as a Philippine National Standard (PNS/UN ECE 22:2007).

It is imperative that the quality of the product is checked to ensure that it performs as intended, DTI emphasized. 

DTI regulates critical consumer products that greatly affect life, property and health. Therefore, in consultation with the helmet industry sector and other stakeholders, the DTI has included the protective helmets in its mandatory product certification scheme to level the playing field of businesses, and more importantly, to avert the pervasive distribution of substandard helmets in the market for consumer protection.

DTI operates a Product Certification Scheme to assure consumers that critical products such as protective helmets sold in the market are safe and reliable. The Department requires the manufacturers and importers of products under mandatory certification to apply for the PS License or ICC certificate, and have their products inspected and tested based on PNS/UN ECE Reg 22:2007 prior to its sale and distribution in the market. 

The Department has already given all manufacturers, importers and distributors of protective helmets enough time to comply with the product certification scheme. This year, only helmets bearing the PS or ICC mark can be sold in the local market, DTI said.

To ensure compliance with the law, the DTI enjoins the buying public to patronize only PS and ICC-marked products in the market.  Consumers can report or file a complaint against substandard products through the DTI provincial offices.

For more information on helmet standards, the public may visit or call the Consumer Welfare and Business Regulations Division of the DTI Central Visayas provincial offices: BOHOL PROVINCIAL OFFICE, 2F FCB Bldg., CPG Ave., Tagbilaran City at tel # (63) 038-501-8260; CEBU PROVINCIAL OFFICE, 3F LDM Bldg., M.J. Cuenco Avenue, Cor.Legaspi Street, Cebu City at tel. # (63)(032) 412-1863 / 253-2631; NEGROS ORIENTAL PROVINCIAL OFFICE, 2F Uymatiao Bldg., San Jose Street. Dunaguete City at tel. # (63)(035) 422-2764; SIQUIJOR PROVINCIAL OFFICE, Chan She Bldg., Legaspi Street, Poblacion, Siquijor, Siquijor at tel # (63)035-480-9065.


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Amendments on BMBE Get Support

Cebu lawmakers support the proposed amendments on the Barangay Micro Business Enterprises (BMBE) Act of 2002 during the public hearing held last September 23 at the Capitol Social Hall.

BMBE Act of 2002 was made in acknowledgement of the importance of micro enterprises as the drivers of the country’s economy.

The law was aimed at encouraging small businesses to develop and grow through granting of incentives and benefits and active intervention of government.

The house committee on Small Business Entrepreneurship and Development conducted their first public hearing in Cebu to get inputs from concerned sectors on the proposed changes in the law.

Congressman Teddy Casiño, chair of the committee, said the law has been “underutilized” because not all entrepreneurs are able to take advantage of it.

Micro business entrepreneurs have not registered their businesses because of bureaucratic restrictions.

Cebu congressmen Pablo Garcia, Pablo John Garcia, Benhur Salimbangon, and Luigi Quisumbing were one in supporting the proposed amendments.

Salimbangon said the main concern of the MBEs is the knowledge on how to access credit to banks that will help them start up business or get aid in improving their small businesses.

It was discussed in the hearing that entrepreneurs get discouraged to register their business because they are bombarded with so many applications and there is discrimination of MBEs in processing of application.

Casiño said schemes of credit access and delivery are being gathered so that they will be able to pattern good working models to include in the amendments.

One issue also discussed was the amendment on tax, fees and charges exemptions.

Pablo John said he is glad to know that the committee took the effort to “strike a balance of the needs of the local government unit and the needs of the micro business entrepreneurs”.

Casiño said they still need to resolve this issue because in the original law, exempting MBEs from local taxes is there however; it is not being implemented because LGUs are saying that it will affect their source of revenues.

He added that this caused MBEs not to register their business. “Nahihirapan sila magkuha (ng permits) kasi (ang pangbayad) pang.capital na nila yon.”

Casiño’s committee aims to finish the data consolidation, hearings and finalization of the substitute bill within the year so that by 2012, they will be able to pass the said amendments.

The BMBE Forum in Cebu was made possible with the assistance of the Department of Trade and Industry and the SB Corporation.


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Valencia Hydraulic System Technologies now a registered Ecozone Export Enterprise

The Department of Trade and Industry Region 7 announces that Valencia Hydraulic System Technologies, Inc., a domestic subsidiary of the Norwegian company PMC-HydrapowerAs (www.hydrapower.no) that manufactures hydraulic water pumps, spare parts and components for the fishing and drilling industry within the Scandinavian region in Europe is now a duly registered Ecozone Enterp[rise under Certificate of Registration no. 11-37.

Valencia Hydraulic System Technologies is committed to produce excellent quality hydraulic water pumps and other components.

The company is considered as one of the pioneer locators of the newly proclaimed Agro-Industrial

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DTI holds Info session on Doing Biz in Free Trade Areas in Cebu on June 29

An information session dubbed "Doing Business in Free Trade Areas (DBFTA II) Program – A Sectoral Approach for Garments, Food, Services, Gifts, Decors and Housewares" will be held on June 29, 2011, 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon, at the Cebu Parklane International Hotel, Cebu City.

The activity will be conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in partnership with the Bureau of Customs (BoC) and the Tariff Commission (TC) to encourage and train business people, academe, concerned government agencies and local government units, customs brokers, traders, distributors and freight forwarders on Free Trade Agreements (FTAs).

DBFTA informs exporters on how to sell their products in countries wherein the Philippines has agreements. The sessions cover market opportunities, tariff levels and procedures of availing preferential tariffs and inform exporters how to navigate through the various procedures that would qualify them for the benefits of reduced or eliminated tariff barriers.

This business info session aims to increase utilization of preferential tariff agreements and to maximize Philippine export potential.

To be discussed in the activity are market opportunities for the Food, Garments, Services, Gifts, Decorative and Houseware Sectors in Free Trade Areas to include world demand, Philippine exports in FTA markets, shares of Philippine exports to world imports, consumer trends, lifestyle/social changes and special product focus in FTA markets for food.

FTAs had been concluded by the Philippines with Australia, New Zealand, ASEAN, Japan, and China, which made Philippine products more competitive in these countries.

On June 29, DBFTA will be held in Cebu together with the “One Country, One Voice”, a consultative mechanism for enhancing and sustaining public engagement in trade policy formulation. 

On June 30, an Export Market Information seminar will be conducted for the Gifts, Decors, Houseware and Food industry sectors at the Golden Prince Hotel and the DTI 7 Conference Room.

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Bohol holds series of consultations for Tourism Summit in June 2011

A series of consultations are currently being held in Bohol in preparation for a Tourism Summit in June this year.

Recently, Boholanos launched the tourism summit at the Bohol Tropics Resort  which highlighted the orientation on Republic Act 9593, known as the National Tourism Act of 2009, by Governor Edgar Chatto who authored it during his incumbency as representative of the province’s First Congressional District

Bohol Governor Chatto said that the summit aims to standardize tourism sites and services in Bohol in order to elevate these toward global standards. 

Gov. Chatto explained that the summit also intends to make LGU stakeholders aware of their tourism development options, since the provincial government holds that development in tourism does not only mean the development of sites and attractions but also the provision of support services to established neighboring clusters.

Among the presentations scheduled during the summit proper are the results of the inventory of the province’s tourism and tourism-related resources and facilities and the Tourist Satisfaction Survey conducted by the Holy Name University Research Center, as commissioned by the Deutsche Gesellschaft Fur (GIZ), which brings together the DED (German Development Service), GTZ (German Technical Cooperation), and Inwent-Capacity Building International of the German Federal Government

The summit proper will also come-up with priority interventions, classification of municipal tourism sites or attractions for development and to identify existing policies and laws and those that need to be crafted to address pressing needs of the industry.

The tourism summit will feature speakers from the Department of Tourism, Tourism Without Boundaries, PTC Chair Nunag, the provincial government and the newly established GIZ.

Bohol, an island province in the Visayas, has aggressively pushed for eco-cultural tourism as an engine for economic development. The province has successfully elevated its economic standing among the country’s provinces from among the poorest to among the most promising.

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President approves creation of Valencia Economic Zone in Negros

Valencia in Negros Oriental can now attract more investments in agriculture, aquaculture, communications, and even tourism from local and foreign investors after it was proclaimed an Agro-industrial Economic Zone by President Benigno Aquino Jr. on April 26, 2011.

This was confirmed by Lilia de Lima, director general of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), in a letter to Valencia Mayor Rodolfo Gonzales dated May 4, 2011.

De Lima assured Gonzales of PEZA’s full support and assistance in the operation of the Valencia Special Economic Zone that has an area of 43,252 square meters.

Pursuant to Republic act No. 7916 as amended by Republic Act No. 8748, the Ecozone shall be developed and operated as a decentralized, self-reliant and self sustaining industrial, commercial/trading, agro-industrial, tourist/recreational, banking financial and investment center to create employment opportunities in and around the Ecozone and attract sustainable foreign investments.

Already, Valencia Hydraulic System Technologies, Inc., a Norwegian owned company that fabricates hydraulic pumps, is operating within the economic zone.

The local government of Valencia which hosts the geothermal facility of Energy Development Corporation took the initiative of establishing its industrial park in a bid to generate more livelihood and work opportunities for local folks.

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said the designation of a parcel of land in Barangay Palinpinon in Valencia, Negros Oriental as an Agro-Industrial Economic Zone will bring about more economic development not only in Valencia but also in Negros Oriental.

PEZA, an attached agency of DTI, promotes the establishments of economic zones in the Philippines for foreign investment. A PEZA declared economic zone will ensure investors of world-standard facilities and support services.

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Raffia weavers receive assistance from DTI-7

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI-7) has formalized its collaboration with the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) to help the marginalized raffia weavers of Bohol, through the SMART-Cebu (SMEs for Environment Accountability, Responsibility, and Transparency) program supported by the European Union Commission.

The Bohol Raffia Weavers is being helped via the Materials Research and Development (R&D) program for Materials Innovation of the ECCP.

The program, which kicked off last February, is currently assisting the raffia weavers of Inabanga and Tubigon Bohol, in coming up with new design patterns and mixed media applications which will then be coverted into actual products by exporter companies.

Through the three-year SMART-Cebu program, at least 450 SME exporters in Cebu and in the region will be mentored and helped in pursuing legitimate green or environment-friendly operations.

In Cebu, three industries have already been identified to benefit this program. These are the furniture, fashion jewelry and gifts-toys-and-houseware making sectors.
The EC awarded close to one million Euro (or approximately P65 million) grant to support the greening of Cebu industries and to help Cebu position itself as an important player in the “green” markets of Europe and Asia.

Delegation of the European Commission to the Philippines environment and sustainable development officer Matthieu Penot earlier said that SMEs in the export sector in Cebu need to embrace fully on ‘green manufacturing’ as there is now a growing number of consumers demanding products that are produced through environment-friendly system.

DTI-7 regional director Asteria Caberte said Bohol is one of the active provinces in the region that supported Cebu’s export sector especially in sourcing indigenous raw materials that will also support the bid to become a ‘green export manufacturer” in the world.

The Smart Cebu project aims at increasing environment-friendly technologies and practices among SMEs, and switch to consumption of products that are less damaging to the environment. 



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Cebu’s graduates meet BPO international standards

Cebu’s graduates have abilities that are at par with international standards for business process outsourcing (BPO), according to the results of a study on Cebu students.

A skills assessment conducted by CIBI Information showed that there was a 7.4 percent gap in verbal abilities between those who are still studying and those who are already in the industry.

However, CIBI executive vice president Jonathan Defensor de Luzuriaga, in a recent presentation, showed that the analytical abilities of local students were just 1.3 percent lower than the highest ranked scores of those already working in BPO centers in India.

Students scored 50 percent in verbal abilities while those in the industry scored 57.4 percent. In analytical abilities, students scored 45.9 percent, just a little lower than the industry’s score of 47.7 percent.

Service providers are mainly concerned with the relationship between what the local academe produces and the needs of the industry.

A gap between the “graduating talent pool and the employable talent pool” has been observed by service providers, especially those offering high end services such as knowledge process outsourcing (KPO).

They used a customized skills assessment suite to measure various skills sets related to outsourcing.

These included verbal abilities, analytical abilities, attention to detail, quantitative abilities and programming.

The respondents from the industry were those who were newly hired by BPO, KPO and ITO (information technology outsourcing) companies with a year or less experience.

The respondents from the academe were graduating students who took up courses that were matched with the industry.

De Luzuriaga said these figures would show that it is not impossible to bridge the gap between those produced by the academe and those already in the industry.

He also said that the gap implies that at the recruitment stage, hiring managers have to search for applicants with higher verbal skills than what the academe is able to produce.

He said there is still room to improve verbal skills training on the part of the academe to address this gap.

As for analytical abilities, the score Cebu students got “exceeds expectations,” saying all those who graduate from the schools and universities can have a career in BPO.


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