by admin | Jul 16, 2017 | Local News / Bohol Balita
By JUNE S. BLANCO
POOLED outputs of small power plants in Bohol can add up to more locally generated electricity.
Rep. Erico Aristotle Aumentado (Bohol, 2nd District) said the province’s size and sources of energy that can be developed into power plants limit production to only around 10 megawatts each – just little more than the production of existing mini hydroelectric plants in Ewon in Sevilla, Hanopol in Balilihan and Tontonan, Loboc.
But he still welcomes developers planning to invest in power plants in Bohol using renewable sources as these do not adversely affect the prime economic drivers of the province – agriculture and tourism.
Aumentado if Bohol’s leaders can convince and bring in interested parties to establish power plants here, be they another hydroelectric, biomass, waste-to-power, solar or nuclear, adding all their outputs can up the locally generated power to boost the power reserve.
“Only in power production is redundancy allowed – even required,” the solon stressed.
To allay people’s fears of a repeat of the Chernobyl, Russia and Fukushima, Japan nuclear plant accidents and disasters, however, Aumentado, together with Zamboanga del Norte 1st District Rep. Seth Frederick Jalosjos, filed House Bill 3651 seeking to create a nuclear energy regulatory body.
The solon is currently in Vienna, Austria, on a scientific visit to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) at the Vienna International Center. The attendees will attend briefings and participate in discussions on key aspects of comprehensive nuclear laws.
These include the establishment of an independent regulatory body, nuclear safety and security requirements, safety of nuclear installations, radioactive waste and spent fuel management, safe guard and civil liability for nuclear damage, as well as the related international legal instruments, particularly in the context of developing an adequate legal framework to support a nuclear power program in the Philippines.
He said this will prepare the Philippines should investors opt to develop nuclear energy.
He has also talked with an investor keen on producing energy from waste – including plastics – as well as biomass, to meet the power demands of Bohol’s 2nd District.
He said the former will cut government spending for the establishment of sanitary landfills. Funds saved from this, he said, can then go to infrastructure and even social projects instead.
The solon expressed confidence that the mix of sources now and soon to be available will ultimately meet the growing power demands of the entire district – and even the province – without depending too much on the geothermal power plant in Tongonan, Leyte.
An added advantage of biomass, he explained, is the residuals in the conversion of biomass into power can be utilized as fertilizer – organic at that.
The move, Aumentado said, will put his district one step closer to his aspiration of making it Bohol’s first “green”, that is, environmentally sound, district.
The waste and the biomass will separately undergo both aerobic and anaerobic procedures, he said.
The investor, he said, will visit Bohol anytime soon to determine the volume of waste and biomass that the district can produce to feed the waste conversion and the biomass power plants to produce from one to two megawatts of energy. He echoed the investor as saying that “the more waste, the more there will be energy”.
He also said for more biomass, the investor is likewise keen on tapping his constituents to plant feed stocks on public lands.
The leaves will be for food for ruminant animals while the waste – parts of the plant that the animals find “not tasty” and will not eat will be fed to the biomass power plant.
by admin | Jul 14, 2017 | DTI Updates
MANILA—The Philippines, through the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), continues to advance the promotion and development of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the ASEAN region through the “ASEAN MSME Development Summit” on 14 July.
Under the Summit’s theme “7Ms Towards Shared Prosperity in ASEAN,” the Philippines laid out a seven-point strategy essential for MSME development—mindset, mastery, mentoring, markets, money, machines, and models—which the country wants the region to adopt to advance the ASEAN economic agenda of shared prosperity.
The Summit gathered representatives from the private sector, civil society, and ASEAN governments to develop new ideas and identify areas of improvement to successfully place MSMEs in the vanguard of the ASEAN Economic Community’s (AEC) drive to achieve inclusive growth.
“The Philippines has been in the forefront of providing substantive initiatives toward establishing MSMEs at the core of the ASEAN economic agenda. We want to elevate discussions and provide the right information on how we can further assist them to support our goal of achieving inclusive growth in ASEAN,” said ASEAN Economic Ministers chairman and DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez.
The development of MSMEs is integral to sustaining the economic development in ASEAN since MSMEs comprise most of the businesses in the region’s aggregate regional economy, accounting for over 90 percent of all the domestic firms and 75 to 90 percent of the non-agricultural workforce.
In pushing the MSME agenda, the Philippines seeks to address key challenges in their development and achieving prosperity in the region.
Experts in various fields discussed the seven-point strategy taking into account the challenges that small enterprises face.
Session 1 with Mindset as a theme, provided discussions on how to train and orient entrepreneurs with the right entrepreneurial characteristics and attitude.
Sessions 2 and 3 on Mastery and Mentoring, tackled the core principles of entrepreneurship that will equip MSMEs with the necessary competence and effective knowhow to seize gains for their ventures.
Session 4 covered Markets, a key component in the survival of any business. It discussed how markets are made more accessible and the various technologies that can help MSMEs gain traction in the local and international arenas.
Session 5 on Money took a closer look on financing schemes that MSMEs can further explore and access and some key initiatives governments undertake to facilitate access to much needed capital.
Lastly, Session 6 and 7 gave an insight on how access to appropriate Machines and technology, and choosing the right business Models can help upgrade their businesses, boost productivity, and improve marketability of products and services.
“MSMEs comprise the backbone of our economy and thus vital to the country’s growth. With the help of 7Ms, we know MSMEs are a step closer to advancement,” said DTI Undersecretary for Regional Operations Zenaida Maglaya.
ASEAN government representatives and MSMEs graced the event and expressed full support to the Philippines’ call for greater cooperation in placing the interest of MSMEs at the core of the AEC agenda.
The ASEAN MSME Development Summit was organized by the ASEAN Committee on Business and Investment Promotion (CBIP), which is chaired by the DTI, and the DTI Bureau of Small and Medium Enterprise Development (BSMED).
The CBIP’s mandate is to organize business and investment promotion activities that will engage the international business community, government, and other concerned parties in the drive to achieve the AEC’s goal of shared prosperity in the ASEAN region.
During the Summit, the Philippines’ DTI also launched “SIKAP: Sipag at Abilidad ng Pilipino,” a coffee table book that showcases success stories of MSMES across the Philippines. It also mounted a Go Lokal! Trade Exhibit, which showcased world-class products of Philippine MSMEs.
The Philippines’ Chairmanship of ASEAN 2017 was formally launched on 15 January at the SMX Convention Center in Davao City with the theme “Partnering for Change, Engaging the World.”
by admin | Jul 13, 2017 | National News
HONG KONG—A free trade agreement between ASEAN and Hong Kong will reinforce the latter’s role as the premier gateway into and out of Mainland China, boosting trade and investment across Asia and the world including ASEAN.
A day after announcing the signing of the ASEAN-Hong Kong Free Trade Agreement (AHKFTA) in November in Manila, ASEAN Economic Ministers chairman and Philippine Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez discussed the elements covered by said agreement during the ASEAN-Hong Kong Business Conference on 12 July.
“We are hopeful for greater trade and business opportunities with AHKFTA in place, reinforcing Hong Kong as the key gateway to China,” said Sec. Lopez.
Aside from the FTA, also for signing in November at the sidelines of the 31st ASEAN Summit is an investment agreement between both sides.
The AHKFTA covers elements related to trade in goods and related issues such as tariffs, rules of origin, non-tariff measures, customs procedures and trade facilitation, trade remedies, technical barriers to trade, and sanitary and phytosanitary measures.
It also touches on trade in services; investment; intellectual property rights; dispute settlement; horizontal and institutional issues; economic and technical cooperation; and other areas of interest to be mutually agreed upon.
In 2015, Hong Kong was ASEAN’s 7th largest trading partner. While ASEAN was Hong Kong’s 2nd largest trading partner, after China for the same year.
Total merchandise trade between ASEAN and Hong Kong amounted to HKD 823.3B or US$ 106.1B. This amount represents 10.8% of Hong Kong’s global merchandise trade in 2015, registering an annual average growth rate of 3.2% per annum between 2011 and 2015.
To date, there are more than 500 ASEAN companies in Hong Kong, including regional headquarters, regional offices and local offices. They account for 6.6% of the total number of foreign companies in Hong Kong.
In this regard, the trade chief encouraged businessmen from ASEAN Member States (AMS) and Hong Kong to continue partnering with ASEAN, particularly with the Philippines, which currently experiences economic resurgence with strong macroeconomic fundamentals and high investors’ confidence.
With the instrument in place, the Filipino business community can expect broader trade engagements with their Hong Kong counterparts.
In 2016, Hong Kong was the Philippines’ 5th trading partner, 3rd top export market, and 10th import supplier with total bilateral trade valued at US$9.11B in 2016. In terms of investments, Hong Kong ranked as the 15th source of IPA (investment promotion agencies)-approved investments in the Philippines.
“Hong Kong is a viable target market for Philippine consumer goods and brands, with Hong Kong serving as a gateway to the China market by providing other economies with a venue for marketing their goods to Mainland China consumers,” Sec. Lopez said.
In addition, Hong Kong hosts an estimated 60 million tourists a year, of which 40 million are from the Mainland. Such fits with the initial assessment of the Philippine Export Marketing Bureau that the Philippines can promote products in Hong Kong, including jewelry and design-driven products like luxury furniture, home furnishings, decors and fashion accessories, according to the trade chief.
With regard to services, both sides are exploring cooperation to develop education services, computer and related services, professional services and other business services, all of which are of interest to the Philippines.
Sec. Lopez also shared that ASEAN continues to make strides towards integrating the region into the global economy through its active FTAs with dialogue partners China, Japan, Korea, India, Australia, and New Zealand.
by admin | Jul 13, 2017 | DTI Updates, National News
In support of an “Inclusive, Innovation-led Growth” for a strong ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), the Philippines, through the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), is conducting today the ASEAN 2017 MSME Development Summit at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC), Manila, the Philippines.
The Summit will place the interests of MSMEs at the center of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) agenda and putting together the MSME advocates, mentors, enablers and business experts from the ASEAN region who can help develop, handhold, and empower the MSMEs and spread the economic fruits of the AEC dream.
With the theme, “The 7Ms Towards Shared Prosperity in ASEAN,” the DTI aims to gather insights from thought leaders and experts addressing the 7Ms that sum up the elements of the approach and framework for enabling and fostering the MSMEs.
“Through the 7Ms, we’ll empower the MSMEs so they can also share in the benefits of the ongoing economic growth, and improve the quality of their lives by engaging in vibrant entrepreneurial activities,” said DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez.
The seven-point strategy includes Mindset, Mastery, Mentoring, Markets, Money, Machines, and Models of Business. These will equip the entrepreneurs in making a difference in the market while contributing to the larger cause of sustaining the entrepreneurial revolution in ASEAN.
MSMEs are integral to the economic development and growth of the ASEAN region as they outnumber large enterprises in both quantity of establishments and share of the labor force they employ. The ASEAN MSMEs comprise the 95-99% of all business establishments, generating between 51% and 97% of employment. .
“We are advocating the 7Ms of DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez in helping the entrepreneurs set up their businesses and be a smarter entrepreneur. And this 2017, in time for the country’s hosting of ASEAN, we want to advance and mainstream the 7Ms in ASEAN region,” said DTI Regional Operations Group (ROG) Undersecretary Zenaida Maglaya.
More than 20 caliber speakers and panelists from ASEAN Member States (AMS) will share inspiring and valuable stories of leadership and entrepreneurial journey on various plenary discussions on Promoting MSME Development Mindset, Mastery and Mentoring Toward Competitiveness and Resilience, Accessing Domestic and Regional Markets, Overcoming Money Hurdles, and Machines and Proactive Business Models Toward Productive and Responsive MSMEs.
At the end of the Summit, prominent business takeholders and key players will provide support and recommend priority actions towards helping achieve economic prosperity in the region through MSME development.
by admin | Jul 12, 2017 | DTI Updates
United Coconut Association of the Philippines (UCAP) recently issued a statement clarifying the American Heart Association’s (AHA) advisory against the consumption of coconut oil.
In the statement, UCAP mentioned that the advisory has gone viral with adverse effect on the coconut oil since it is considered a saturated fat. UCAP called on readers and users of coconut oil to be discerning of the said advisory and news articles drawing conclusion that coconut oil is unhealthy.
According to Dr. Fabian M. Dayrit of the Ateneo De Manila University, the AHA adopted a position that ignores the distinction between medium-chain fatty acid (MCFA) and long-chain fatty acid (LCFA) despite the numerous advances in this certain field of science. Coconut oil is mostly medium-chain saturated fats, the healthy type of fat. Detailed comparison of the fatty acid composition shows that coconut oil is very different from animal fat. Hence, studies that assume they are similar are consequently in error.
Furthermore, Asian and Pacific Coconut Community also highlighted in their recent statement the words of Dr. Bruce Fife, a USA Certified Nutritionist and Doctor of Naturopathy Medicine, “You cannot say LDL is bad and HDL is good.” He explained the two types of LDL: one small and dense, while the other is large and soft. The large LDL is the type that is used in making bile, hormones, and Vitamin D, which are all good for one’s health. Dr. Fife further concluded that, “Eating coconut oil (and other saturated fats) increases both HDL and the “good” LDL, thus, lowering the risk of heart disease. This is one of the reasons why populations that eat a lot of coconut oil have the lowest heart disease rates in the world.”
Department of Trade and Industry’s Export Marketing Bureau (DTI-EMB) concurs with the stand of industry associations such as United Coconut Associations of the Philippines, Inc. and the Asian and Pacific Coconut Community that the advisory is misleading as AHA based its findings on limited studies on saturated fats.
“This is not the first time this kind of negative publicity against coconut oil has happened. If we will look closer to historical accounts, this has happened before. It was magnified this time due to social media and technology,” said DTI Export Marketing Bureau Director Senen M. Perlada.
By and large, DTI will continue to support the industry in sharing the good news about coconut and its economic contribution to millions of Filipino farmers and exporters.
Backed by recent studies and firsthand experiences of its consumers around the globe, DTI will help sustain the impressive health and economic contribution of coconut products such as coconut oil, virgin coconut oil, coconut water, coconut sugar, among others, by continued promotion through roadshows in various markets which will eventually bring additional jobs and income opportunities for Filipinos especially in the countryside.
American Heart Association (AHA) issued a Presidential Advisory on Dietary Fats and Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) on 15 June 2017 which recommended a decrease in consumption of products high in saturated fat such as dairy fat (butter), lard (pork), beef tallow, palm oil, palm kernel oil, and coconut oil.
