by admin | Jun 25, 2018 | National News
UNIDO lauds DTI’s efforts in pushing inclusive innovation,
initiatives strengthening MSMEs
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez discussed with United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Director General Li Yong the 1st UNIDO Country Programme for the Philippines (PH) as well as the technical assistance and support for the Philippine National System of Innovation.
“The partnership between the Philippines and UNIDO will greatly benefit the Filipino people and improve the current state of the country through various technical assistance and support in developmental areas. As the country programme is based on the macroeconomic agenda of President Rodrigo Duterte, it will support the government’s drive to reduce poverty and improve industries through the development of human capital, innovation, and connectivity in the country,” said Sec. Lopez.
The UNIDO Country Programme was crafted in line with the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2017-2022. Its framework is based on the country’s national priorities and aims to strengthen collaborations among development cooperation partnerships of the PH government.
DTI has identified priority interventions that will benefit from the support and technical assistance from the partnership with UNIDO. These will focus on promoting innovation, upgrading industries, and facilitating manufacturing resurgence.
During the meeting, the trade chief highlighted PH’s thrust to push for rapid growth in the industry sector through the Inclusive Innovation Industrial Strategy (I3S), an industrialization program that will ensure the development of the micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) as part of the value chains.
“Our plan is to promote productivity, innovation, and inclusivity in industry development. These will allow participation of those at the bottom of the pyramid and solve the poverty situation,” Sec. Lopez added.
Director General Yong commended the programs of the government that reflects the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) strategies. He also lauded PH’s growth rate, the country’s initiatives empowering MSMEs, the drive for job and income generation, as well as the government’s efforts of linking MSMEs to the global value chains.
Meanwhile, Sec. Lopez conveyed the need to include and put emphasis on trade as well as building the manufacturing capacity in the country programme. He expressed that greater human capital, innovation, productivity, and resilience are essential in creating stronger manufacturing and export manufacturing base in the country.
“Our success in achieving our goal to balance trade and create surplus depends on capacity building—both physical capacity and human resources. The technical assistance as well as support in these areas are greatly needed,” said the trade chief.
Sec. Lopez also mentioned the need to address the power cost, which is one of the major challenges, as it affects the competitiveness of companies operating in the PH.
The UNIDO Country Programme aims to address key issues including challenges in investment and ease in doing business, competitiveness, innovation in the industry sector, skills mismatch (labor force vis-à-vis industry needs), availability of data and statistics (industry sector, especially MSME), productivity-enhancing support services, infrastructure (agriculture, forestry, and fishery sector), and vulnerability to climate and disaster risks.
DTI has started exploring cooperation with UNIDO in terms of strengthening the innovation ecosystem for industry and support to private sector innovation. This covers measures to strengthen academe-industry linkages for research and development, commercialization, and financing. It also includes firm-level innovation programs for PH’s priority industries such as electronic manufacturing services, automotive and auto parts, aerospace parts, chemicals, shipbuilding, design-oriented furniture and garments, tool and die, agri-business, information technology and business process management, transport and logistics, tourism, and construction. The institutional strengthening of the Department, government, academe, and industry partnerships was also emphasized.
by admin | Jun 24, 2018 | Local News / Bohol Balita
By JUNE S. BLANCO
THREE years after Rep. Erico Aristotle Aumentado (Bohol, 2nd District) first filed the bill proposing the construction of a bridge to link Bien Unido and Talibon towns in northern Bohol, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has allocated P5 million for its full-blown feasibility study.
During the pre-feasibility study, the team that conducted an ocular inspection of the possible anchor sites for the proposed bridge to link the two towns had identified Barangays San Isidro in Talibon and Nueva Esperanza in Bien Unido. Seawaters surrounding both barangays are observed to be shallow.
Aumentado said while Bien Unido is adjacent to Talibon, one has to travel some 20 kilometers if he has some business or has something to buy in the latter which is the bigger town.
Bien Unido and Talibon are both on the mainland, but they are points on promontories separated by a bay. With the bridge only five kilometers long, travel time will be drastically cut short. As a result, more business, like the transport of goods from one town to the other, can be done in a day.
The solon expressed hope that the feasibility study will turn out good. Once completed, he said this means the cost of goods will go down hence, prices of commodities will reduce. The market linkage will also spur economic development for the two towns.
Then DPWH Sec. Rogelio Singson had sent the composite team of engineers and technical personnel from the national and regional offices. But current Sec. Mark Villar had effected the allocation of P5 million for the feasibility study.
A 2015 DPWH estimate had pegged the cost of the bridge at P285 million.
Meanwhile, Aumentado early this week briefed a team from DPWH Bohol and DPWH Leyte on the possible anchors in both provinces for the proposed Leyte-Bohol Bridge. The team conducted an ocular inspection of Ubay and Lapinig Island on the Bohol side and Maasin in Leyte.
by admin | Jun 22, 2018 | Headlines
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) as chair of the Export Development Council (EDC) is expecting the approval of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte of the new Philippine Export Development Plan (PEDP) 2018-2022 after getting the endorsement of the country’s Economic Development Cluster last 14 June 2018.
The PEDP 2018-2022 is a five-year roadmap that identifies strategies that will support in reaching the country’s export targets and improving country’s export competitiveness.
“Past PEDPs have been helpful in setting the direction that we implement to attain our targets. With the new plan, we aim to level up our initiatives and address recurring issues through concrete and efficient action plans that will benefit both the public and the private sector,” said Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon M. Lopez.
In 2017, the PEDP identified a target of $92.15 billion in exports revenues for combined merchandise and services exports. PEDP has been instrumental in hitting the target and even exceeded it with actual exports revenue of $98.84 billion in 2017.
Lopez also mentioned the goal of the PEDP to synchronize initiatives that will help attain end-period target for exports of $122 billion by 2022 as identified in the Philippine Development Plan (PDP). Thus, instead of the usual PEDP as three-year rolling plan under the Export Development Act (RA 7844), the PEDP 2018-2022 extends until the end-period of the PDP.
“This intensifies the mandate to the Export Development Council and the DTI to strictly implement and efficiently cascade action plans as it becomes integral in attaining the medium-term plan in PDP and in the long-run, in attaining the Ambisyon 2040,” Lopez added.
The PEDP 2018-2022 identified three strategies that laid out action plans that will support the growth of the exports industry in the coming periods.
First strategy dwells on the government’s goal of improving the overall climate for export development through removal of unnecessary regulatory impediments, enhancement of trade facilitation, improved access to trade finance and exports’ competitiveness.
The second strategy identified is to exploit existing and prospective opportunities from trading arrangements. DTI has existing programs that aim to increase awareness on various opportunities offered by free trade agreements (FTAs) that the Philippines currently enjoys. In the new PEDP, the second strategy proposed a dedicated program like DTI’s Doing Business in Free Trade Areas (DBFTA) to strengthen promotion efforts to prospective and existing exporters.
Lastly, the plan proposed the crafting of comprehensive packages to promote select products and service sectors.
“We are working closely with the private sector and other government agencies in attaining success on this and we welcome the issuance of the Memorandum Circular No. 27 in October last year that directs all concerned and relevant agencies to strengthen the implementation of the PEDP in the coming periods with their identified roles and tasks,” said DTI Undersecretary for Trade and Investments Promotion Group Nora K. Terrado.
The memorandum further identifies the integral roles of the identified agencies in relation to the implementation of the PEDP. It explicitly linked PEDP with PDP further supporting their closer synchronization and strengthening time frames and targets. After the approval of the PEDP, the Export Development Council will hold stakeholder engagements across the country.
by admin | Jun 21, 2018 | Headlines
Engr. Rene E. Fajardo, CMDF Executive Director handing out CMDF certificate of completion to Industry Supported Program attendees.
The Construction Industry Authority of the Philippines, through the Construction Manpower Development Foundation was recognized by the Cebu Contractors Association, Inc. and the Association of Carriers & Equipment Lessors, Inc. as an industry partner for Philconstruct-Visayas. The expo which ran from 7-9 June 2018 in Waterfront Cebu City Hotel was attended by key industry leaders, government officials and construction stakeholders.
As industry partner, CMDF conducted 4 Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) accredited programs for the event namely the PMB Asphalt Seminar, Guidelines for the GREEEN (Geared for Resiliency and Energy Efficiency for the Environment) Building Rating System, the Industry Supported Technical Enhancement Seminar for Formworks and Scaffolding, and the Safety Seminar for Workers.
As the construction human resource development arm of the Construction Industry Authority of the Philippines (CIAP), CMDF understands the need to work closely with the industry to further boost the competency and skills of people working for the construction sector, the Industry Supported Program is a new partnership template developed by CMDF to enhance collaboration with industry partners. CMDF will continue to explore different avenues to support the Build! Build! Build! program of the government by equipping our manpower with knowledge and tools to safely deliver high quality results on time.
by admin | Jun 19, 2018 | Headlines
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) remains committed in supporting Filipino exporters and traders in maximizing opportunities that will help them gain access to markets such as China.
On 18 June 2018, Philippine Star published ‘PH officials no show in China expo’ mentioning that the country failed to take advantage of the said exposition by not sending representatives that would showcase the country’s products as expressed by the representatives of the Chinese Filipino Business Club Inc. (CFBCI).
The DTI is saddened by the statement provided by CFBCI in the report that mentioned the country’s lack of support to the private sector in taking advantage of the opportunities provided by the said fair. However, the DTI clarifies that the Philippines’ participation at the 25th China Kunming Import and Export Fair 2018 was discussed accordingly with the officials of the province of Yunnan during their visit to Manila last 17 May 2018, a month before the actual trade fair.
During the said visit of the officials of the province of Yunnan, the DTI expressed its support to the said fair. However, it also emphasized the lack of budget and limited time for preparation for the country’s participation at the Kunming Import and Export Fair this year and has offered to take a closer look on the proposal for the possibility of joining the fair in 2019.
On the same meeting, DTI Trade and Investments Promotion Group Undersecretary Nora Terrado also mentioned the process and the strategy implemented by the Department this year in determining strategic country participation at bigger fairs held in China. This is also in relation to the limited budget provided to the Department for trade fair participations abroad.
In record, the officials of the province of Yunnan expressed their support to the DTI’s decision not to participate this year at the 25th China Kunming Import and Export Fair and welcomed the invite of the DTI to meet with the Philippine delegation at the upcoming 1st China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai this coming November.
With the blooming trade relations between the Philippines and China, invitations and requests to join fairs and expositions in China abound from city, provincial, and national levels. There has been an increase in inbound missions and support requests from many China-related business associations. DTI endeavors to attend to these requests to the extent of its absorptive capacity and priorities.
For this year, the DTI strategically programmed and planned the country’s bigger participation in nationally organized fairs/expositions which are: SIAL China 2018 in Shanghai last 13-20 May, China-ASEAN Expo in Nanning on September and the 1st China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai on November. These are jointly supported by DTI’s Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) and the DTI’s Export Marketing Bureau (EMB) in close partnership with the private sector.
DTI’s Trade and Investments Posts in China (Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai) in close coordination with the home offices of DTI have been proactive in facilitating the country’s participation in trade fairs prioritized this year and have been assisting both public and private organizations for smooth coordination and synchronization of trade activities with China’s business support organizations.
In line with this, DTI seeks to gain increased support in the coming years by lobbying for bigger budget and dedicated support for the country’s increased participation in international trade fairs not only in China but also in other markets.
DTI also urges private sector organizations to continue to engage and partner with DTI in maximizing opportunities that the global trade offers to Filipino businesses and products.
