by admin | May 12, 2017 | DTI Updates, Headlines, National News
Philippine exports for the first quarter of 2017 grew by 18.34% after it reflected double-digit growth for March 2017 with 21% total increase amounting to $5.58 billion compared to $4.61 billion recorded value in the same period in 2016, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) announced.
In the recent report of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the increase for March 2017 exports data, an almost double of the 11% year-on-year growth figure posted in February this year, further lifted the cumulative value of merchandise exports covering the period January-March 2017.
“Increase for March 2017 exports marked the fourth consecutive positive growth in the value of Philippine merchandise exports since December 2016,” explained DTI Export Marketing Bureau Director Senen M. Perlada.
For March 2017, electronics remained to be the country’s top export with total receipts of $2.80 billion, accounting for 50.2% of the total exports revenue in March 2017. It increased by 19.0% from $2.36 billion registered in March 2016.
On the other hand, exports of manufactured goods were valued at $4.69 billion, accounting for 84.1% share of the total export receipts in March 2017, went up by 16.5% from $4.03 billion recorded in the same month last year.
United States (including Alaska and Hawaii), with export receipts valued at $809.93 million, topped other countries as the Philippine top export market for March 2017. It is followed by Hong Kong with revenue amounting to $798.25 million, and Japan as third market with $762.43 million export sales.
By economic bloc, East Asia registered to be the top destination of Philippine goods with 46.4% share to total exports, followed by European Union with 16.2% share to total merchandise exports. ASEAN ranked third with 14.9% share in overall Philippine exported goods.
Against other trade-oriented economies, the Philippines landed at third place among the top export performers for March 2017, a major leap after landing 9th place for February 2017. Malaysia topped the list with 24.1% export growth followed by Indonesia with 24% for March 2017.
PH outward shipments for Q1
Covering the first quarter of the year, exports of Philippine electronic products increased significantly by 15.27% while non-electronic goods also posted +21.48%. Positive performance of the five out of nine subsectors of the electronics industry drive growth which contributed 96.65% share in the cumulative total value of the industry. Semiconductors, which grew +16.3% in the first quarter of 2017, remained to be country’s top electronics exports.
Increase for non-electronic goods was driven by the triple-digit growths in Forest Products (+168.1%) and Coconut Products (+133.1%). The rest of the contributing commodities exhibited double-digit increases ranging from 18.7% to 89.4% except for Basketwork (+8.1%) and Travel Goods and Handbags (+7.6%).
Top markets for Q1
Except for Japan, cumulative value of export shipments to top market destinations of the country posted substantive growths in the first quarter of 2017. Combined markets of China and Hong Kong with a share of 23.6% which also grew by 35.94% topped the list of exports destinations. Second to the list with total 15.49% share was USA which rose by 13.66%; followed by Japan with 15.34% total share of exports which declined by 17.41%.
In terms of year-to-date export growth, shipments to the Netherlands, which has 4.12% share in total exports, reflected the highest growth with 55.98%.
by admin | May 12, 2017 | Globe Updates, Internet Service Provider, National News
MANILA, 11th May 2017: Bell Telecommunications Philippines, Inc. (“Bell Tel”) clarified that it does not have any existing co-location agreement with either the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (“NGCP”) or the National Transmission Corporation (“Transco”) relating to installation of telecommunication structures in any of the NGCP-controlled sites. Transco is the National Transmission Corp., which owns the country’s power grid while NGCP is Transco’s private concessionaire.
“Bell Tel does not have any existing assets in any NGCP-controlled location as there is no existing co-location agreement with NGCP nor Transco,” said Bell Tel co-General Manager Ramon Aesquivel. Bell Tel is one of the subsidiaries of Vega Telecom, Inc., which was jointly acquired last year by Globe Telecoms Inc. (“Globe”) and PLDT Inc. (“PLDT”) from San Miguel Corporation (“SMC”).
Citing a letter to NGCP President Henry Sy, Jr., Transco President Melvin Matibag claimed during a media briefing that he has received reports about “dismantling and deinstallation” of telecommunication facilities supposedly owned by Bell Tel located at NGCP sub-stations, high voltage towers and high voltage poles. Matibag also cited purchase orders, signed by Aesquivel and Bell Tel co-General Manager Aileen Regio, supposedly to implement the said “dismantling and deinstallation”.
Aesquivel stressed, however, that the initial investigation conducted by Bell Tel showed that the purchase orders cited by Matibag were intended for other sites, none of which are NGCP locations.
“Bell Tel has not authorized the dismantling of any telco facility in any NGCP site because Bell Tel does not have existing facilities in those locations to begin with,” Aesquivel emphasized. “”If indeed there is ongoing dismantling of telco facilities within NGCP sites, those are not owned by nor are related to Bell Tel in any way,” he said.
He added that Bell Tel is currently undertaking its own investigation on this matter, including how a Bell Tel purchase order issued to one of its contractors ended up with someone unauthorized or not party to the intended purpose of the purchase order.
by admin | May 12, 2017 | DTI Updates, Headlines, Local News / Bohol Balita
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) reminds business owners whose BN registrations will expire on June 30, 2017. DTI Bohol accepts early renewal of business name registration three (3) months before its expiry.
BN registrations that have already expired, but are still within three (3) months or ninety (90) days from the expiry date will be renewed without penalty. On the other hand, BN registrations that expired ninety one (91) days or more after their expiry dates can still be renewed but, with a fifty percent (50%) penalty/surcharge on the basic fee.
Business name registrations not renewed beyond one hundred eighty (180) days will be deleted automatically from our records thus, a new registration will be required.
by admin | May 11, 2017 | DTI Updates, Headlines, Negosyo Center Updates
TAGBILARAN CITY, May 11, (PIA)–Eighteen Bohol micro, small medium enterprises (MSME) signed a pledge of commitment with the Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI) Go Negosyo with its Kapatid Mentor Me Program (KMMP) and the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship (PCE) through the Bohol Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) during an orientation May 11 at the Belian Hotel.
KMMP intends to help micro, small and medium enterprises upgrade their businesses through coaching and mentoring activities by big brother business owners and practitioners.
The coaching would be on the various aspects and different stages of entrepreneurships, offered through the Go Negosyo Centers, explains Virgilio Espeleta, Boholano dean of the PCE and who talked about the mentoring program set in Bohol this May.
He said there are just a few interventions for entrepreneurs to up-scale their businesses.
While he cited the concept of Shared Service Facilities (SSF) that allows machineries and facilities through government intervention, the business expert picks mentoring as crucial in providing the business know-how to budding entrepreneurs ready to enlarge their businesses.
He also said mentoring can also come in the form of giving management tips if only to allow them to gain a good business sense especially on the fundamentals of entrepreneurship.
The DTI believes that a way to assist MSMES scale up and sustain their business enterprises by equipping them and empowering them with the skills needed for such.
Here, mentoring happens care of business aces in their same fields who would act as big brothers to the budding businessmen through theoretical lectures and mentoring or coaching sessions.
As to how an MSME gets to be matched to a big brother mentor, it is the Go Negosyo Centers, which the DTI puts up by law, explains DTI Bohol chief Marisol Balistoy.
Republic Act 10644, or the Go Negosyo Act, aims to promote ease of doing business through business facilitation and consultations as well as help create jobs and livelihood.
Acting as coordinating centers, the Go Negosyo Centers send out partners and partner organizations like private corporations, leading entrepreneurs, micro-finance institutions, academes, non government organizations, government agencies and industry leaders to the MSMEs needing advice and egging to scale up.
The DTI and the Negosyo Centers which have started sprouting in Bohol since two years ago, have pre-identified entrepreneur clients which comprise the long list of businesses needing mentoring interventions.
The 18 entrepreneurs signing up for the KMMP this May 17 all agree after the Orientation that the program would allow them to improve their current enterprises through lectures, coaching and mentoring sessions and as such pledge to attend scheduled sessions.
They also pledge to comply with assigned tasks, participate during discussions, share experiences, challenges and best practices with mentees, regularly report weekly business performance during the mentorship duration, make available to Negosyo Centers updates of their business performances and develop further through DTI follow up programs.
Signing in for the KMMP in Bohol are Laina’s Furniture, Dango’s Furniture, Reinlitz’s Furniture, Suyman’s Furniture, Ifugao in Bohol Furniture, Buenaventurada Farms, Paeng’s Fried Chicken, Estrella’s Bakery.
Masimo Pizzeria Ristorante Italiano, Gelateria Milano, Bayonas Motors, Prime of Asia Handicrafts, Virtucio Designs, Co-Nature Handicrafts, Tiburcio’s Place, Tubigon Loomweavers Multi-Purpose Cooperative, Egay’s Farm and GK3 Handicrafts.
Other MSMEDs are now lined up for the next batch of KMMP in Bohol, assured Balistoy who assured that the office is now processing the funding for a new batch of mentoring. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)
Bohol MSMEs show the thumbs up sign as the DTI and PCE through the BCCI bring to Bohol the Kapatid Mentor Me Program to help small entrepreneurs up-scale their businesses and sustain through coaching by industry leaders. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)
by admin | May 11, 2017 | DTI Updates, Headlines, National News
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) recently conducted a public consultation/ on the “Draft Department Administrative Order (DAO) on the “Implementing Guidelines on the grant of BAGWIS AWARD to business establishments that uphold consumers’ rights“ at the Bayfront Hotel in Cebu City.
The public hearing was participated by retailers and representatives of business establishments in the Visayas (Regions 6, 7, 8 and 9).
Bagwis Award is a recognition program for business establishments that engage in fair trade business ethics and uphold consumers’ interest by embedding consumer protection at the core of their business operations.
The award covers business establishments under the following categories: Supermarkets, Department Stores, Appliance Centers and DTI Accredited Service and Repair Shops.
With the Bagwis program, DTI aims to foster balance between engaging in business and safeguarding the welfare of consumers and promotes a healthy competition among establishments to ensure that the welfare of consumers is constantly safeguarded.
DTI has placed considerable effort to campaign for more establishments to be accredited in this program to apply as this promotes business while protecting the welfare of consumers.
Business establishments have been encouraged by the department to improve their services to clients and consumers each year. DTI has encouraged the Bronze awardees to upgrade to silver or gold awards and urged more establishments to strictly comply with consumer laws and improve on their customer care to qualify for the awards.
A draft of the DAO can be downloaded at the DTI website, www.dti.gov.ph.
Written endorsement/ position/ comments on the DAO may be submitted to the Consumer Protection and Advocacy Bureau (CPAB) c/o Assistant Director Lilian G. Salonga at the Trade and Industry Building, 361 Sen. Gil J. Puyat Avenue, 1200 Makati City or through email address CPAB@dti.gov.ph at any time before the date of hearing indicated.
For more information on the services of the DTI, log-on to http://www.dti.gov.ph
