by admin | Nov 28, 2016 | DTI Updates, Headlines, National News
MAKATI—To create globally competitive, value adding, innovative and inclusive industries is the main objective of the country’s new industrial strategy, the trade and industry chief declared.
Speaking on the first day of the Manufacturing Summit 2016 yesterday (28 November), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez emphasized that the new strategy focuses on industries where the Philippines has existing and potential comparative advantage to generate employment and promote entrepreneurship.
The new strategy’s top five industry priorities include manufacturing, agribusiness, information technology-business process management (IT-BPM), tourism and infrastructure and logistics.
“This industrial strategy is the best way to uplift the lives of Filipinos towards the goal of sustainable inclusive growth and shared prosperity for all. This is needed not only to generate jobs and reduce poverty but also to take advantage of market opportunities,” said Sec. Lopez.
Citing the country’s positive economic outlook as the fastest growing economy in Asia with sustained strong macroeconomic position at 7.1% recorded growth in the third quarter of 2016, the trade chief shared that the Philippines outpaced other countries like China (6.7%) and Viet Nam (6.4%) and fared above average consensus forecast of 6.8%.
While services industry was the main driver of the country’s growth in past decades, the manufacturing industry has been playing an important role, and has been contributing substantially to economic growth since 2013, according to him. In the third quarter of 2016, manufacturing grew by 6.9% or more than one percent point higher that the rate posted in 2015 at 5.8%.
He also said that the manufacturing sector presents opportunities to provide productive jobs to low-skilled, medium-skilled and highly-skilled workers, and further emphasized the need to shift from traditional agriculture to more modern agribusinesses, as well as the relevance of tourism as source of income and jobs.
The new industrial strategy is DTI’s key response to sustain today’s high level growth, while addressing the issue of unemployment, where the bulk are young with ages ranging from 15 to 24 years old, 61% are male and 40% have high school education, while 36% have college education.
“Given these characteristics of our workforce, our industrial strategy focuses on labor intensive industries such as food and resource-based manufacturing, tourism, garments and construction,” said Sec. Lopez, adding that it will also focus on high-tech industries like electronics, aerospace, automotive and chemicals.
Consistent with DTI’s Trabaho at Negosyo agenda, the strategy also focuses on strengthening linkages between micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and large domestic and multinational enterprises to make growth more inclusive.
Meanwhile, Sec. Lopez also called on stakeholders to take advantage of preferential free trade agreements, where the country may benefit. Specifically, he referred to those with ASEAN, as having over 100 million population, a growing middle class, rising consumer and business confidence.
“Huge export markets could be tapped in the ASEAN Economic Community with a population of over 600 million, and as we forge the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), this grows further to over three billion people representing 45% of the world’s population,” he added.
Taking into account external factors such as economic slowdown in US, Japan, Europe and China, opportunities from participating in global value chains and emerging new business models, the DTI chief said that the current strategy would require “climbing the industrial ladder and moving into higher value added activities” in specific sectors.
These sectors include electronic manufacturing services, semiconductor manufacturing services, auto manufacturing, aerospace, chemicals, furniture, garments, shipbuilding, food and resource-based processing and IT-BPM.
“As an enabler, the government pursues an industrial policy strengthening our industrial base and removing the most binding constraints, but to be strategic, we are focusing our efforts by identifying and prioritizing the most binding constraints,” explained Sec. Lopez.
The summit participants, composed by representatives from the private and the public sector, labor, civil society, the academe and some international development partners, were divided into groups to identify such constraints, formulate recommendations to address them and determine the most appropriate intervention.
Sec. Lopez called on the participants to ensure that the recommended policy measures bring “the most significant impacts on and benefits for the development of globally competitive, value adding, innovative and inclusive manufacturing linked with agriculture and services industries.”
The two-day Manufacturing Summit is in partnership with the DTI and the Board of Investments (BOI), in cooperation with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
by admin | Nov 22, 2016 | Major Events, National News
MANILA, November 22 (PIA)–Angay bayaran sa mga pribadong employer ang 13th month pay sa ilang mga kawani nga dili molapas sa Disyembre 24, matud pa sa pahayag kagahapon ni Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Kalihim Silvestre H. Bello III.
“Kailangang bayaran ng lahat ng employer ang mga rank-and-file employee ng kanilang 13th month pay, anuman ang uri ng kanilang empleo at pamamaraan ng pagbabayad ng kanilang sahod, basta sila ay nakapagtrabaho ng hindi bababa sa isang buwan ng kasalukuyang taon,” matud pa ni Bello.
Matud pa sa Kalihim nga ang pagbayad sa 13th month pay agi og pagsunod sa Labor Code of the Philippines ug mga patakaran ug regulasyon sa pagpatuman niini.
Ubos sa Labor Code, ang tanang nasakop nga employer angay mosumiter og taho sa pagpatuman sa balaod sa pinakaduol nga DOLE regional office nga dili molapas sa Enero 15 matag tuig.
Ang 13th month pay kapareho sa 1/12 sa basic salary sa mga empleyado sa usa ka tuig.
Kauban sa basic salary ang tanang bayad o kita nga gibayad sa employer sa empleyado alang sa serbisyong gihatag, apan mahimong dili apil ang cost-of-living allowances (COLA), profit-sharing payments, cash equivalents sa wala nagamit nga vacation ug sick leave credits, overtime pay, premium pay, night shift differential pay, holiday pay, ug tanang allowance ug monetary benefits nga gikonsiderar nga dili na parte o kauban sa regular o basic salary sa empleyado.
Matud pa ni Bello nga mahimong mosumiter sa bisan asang DOLE regional office sa money claim case ang mga na-agrabyadong empleyado kun dili ihatag sa employer ang ilang 13th month pay. (ecb/PIA7-Bohol)
by admin | Nov 22, 2016 | Headlines, National News
Unemployment continues to be one of the Philippines’ biggest challenges to date. Millions of Filipinos either remain on the loose for a job opportunity to earn their keep or are employed but are dissatisfied with their current pay, role or job fit, categorizing them in the “underemployed” segment.
In the year 2000, unemployment rate was at a record high of 13.9. While unemployment rate steadily decreased over the years at a record low of 5.4 in the third quarter of 2016, it remains a major roadblock in seeing the country’s full potential.
Micro-, small- and medium- enterprises (MSMEs) have contributed largely to this increase in employment. In ASEAN countries, majority of enterprises are MSMEs, reaching up to 99% in some. In the Philippines, there are currently close to a million MSMEs. From 1995 to 2011, the number of people employed by MSMEs has increased from 2.7 million to 3.9 million, and the number only continues to grow, allowing people to slowly rise over the poverty line.
MSMEs encounter difficulty when it comes to funding due to having mostly personal assets. Without acceptable collateral such as real property and with a limited track record, MSMEs, especially the smallest ones, are put at a disadvantage in loaning capital as they cannot meet bank requirements.
With its renewed purpose of seeing a country where businesses flourish, Globe Telecom constantly looks at forging partnerships to grow employment opportunities. In partnership with global crowd-funding source Kiva, the company has revolutionized an avenue to help Filipinos, empower local businesses, and promote economic growth. Globe customers can now help Filipino start-up entrepreneurs realize their dreams by donating or lending funds.
Leveraging on its online facility and a worldwide network of microfinance institutions, Kiva provides loans to people without access to traditional banking systems. The micro-finance institutions, which are called Field Partners, administer the loans in the field, giving people in need a safe and affordable access to fresh capital to further their lives and that of their families. Negros Women for Tomorrow Foundation (NWTF), Alalay sa Kaunlaran, Inc. (ASKI), Center for Community Transformation Credit Cooperative, Gata Daku Multi-purpose Cooperative, Paglaum Multi-purpose Cooperative, Community Economic Ventures, Inc., MILAMDEC Foundation, SEED Center Philippines, Inc. and Bagosphere Ph. Inc. are Kiva’s partner Microfinance Institutions (MFI) in the Philippines. To-date, Kiva has over 1.5 million individual lenders from every country in the world. These lenders have funded loans amounting to over US$890 million to 2.1 million beneficiaries.
As part of its month-long celebration for its loyal and tenured customers in September, Globe enabled its prepaid and postpaid customers to support 917 micro-enterprises through a Kiva gift card worth US$25. The beneficiaries in the agriculture, farming, retail and food industries can, in turn, use the amount to scale their businesses.
To welcome the month-long Yuletide season, Globe customers can still continue making a difference in the lives of others by making a donation via Kiva. There are 3 ways: (1) converting Globe Reward Points into Kiva donations, (2) donating via GCash, or (3) by texting Kiva to 2158-Kiva to avail a Kiva Card, a gift card that can be used to choose a beneficiary.
“The best gift that anyone can give this Christmas is a gift that keeps on giving, and we at Globe are encouraging our customers to create a Globe of good by harnessing our partnership with Kiva. Through their donations, they can empower and boost livelihood and employment opportunities which can have a positive impact to many today and in the future,” says Yoly Crisanto, Chief Sustainability Officer at Globe.
The company’s partnership with Kiva follows its commitment to 9 of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, specifically SDG 17: Partnership for the Goals—knowing that sustainability is possible only through collaboration with relevant organizations. Ultimately, this allows Globe to enable Filipino entrepreneurship and instigate job creation, contributing towards SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth.
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by admin | Nov 21, 2016 | Headlines, National News
MANILA, November 21 (PIA)–Giseguro karon sa Malakanyang nga walay mahitabong “white wash”ug walay panalipdan sa ipahigayong imbestigasyon kalabot sa alegasyon sa nagpakamatay nga si Bids and Awards Committee Chairman Francisco Villa Jr. nga adunay nangahitabong korapsiyon sa Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC).
Una nang migawas sa mga taho nga ang gihimong pagpakamatay ni Villa adunay kalabotan sa giingong nahitabong mga anomaliya sa ahensiya.
Gihimo sa Malakanyang ang pagsiguro atubangan sa direktiba mismo ni Presidente Rodrigo Duterte nga magpahigayon og imbestigasyon sa giingong panghitabong irigularidad sa ERC.
Gimando na usab sa Presidente ang pagluwat sa pangatungdanan sa mga opisyal sa ahensya.
Matud pa ni Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Kalihim Martin Andanar, walay santohon ug maigo gayud ang bisan kinsang maigo sa ipahigayong imbestigasyon.
Apan sa pagkakaron, gipahayag ni Andanar nga wala pa’y namugnang special body aron modumala sa ipahigayong imbestigasyon taliwala sa nabutyag nga anomaliya sa maong ahensiya. (ecb/PIA7-Bohol)
by admin | Nov 18, 2016 | DTI Updates, Headlines, National News
The Department of Trade and Industry’s Philippine Trade and Investment Center Los Angeles (PTIC-LA) confirmed that Malagos Premium Chocolates, a chocolate produced in the Philippines, will now be available in the United States. This was further to the announcement made by the Davao-based Malagos Agri-Ventures during their recent participation at the North West Chocolate Festival in Seattle, Washington on November 12 -13, 2016.
The Malagos line of chocolates has received acclaim from international fine food and chocolate award-giving bodies in Europe for its premium qualities. The products are single-origin, having been manufactured fully on-site on its farm in Davao, Philippines.
Mr. Jojie Dinsay, Trade Representative of the Philippines for the US West Coast and Head of the Philippine Trade and Investment Centers in Los Angeles and San Francisco said that this is another success story for the promotions efforts of premium food products in the US market as a result of the partnership between government and the private sector. “We are very happy and proud to have another premium product from the Philippines enter this market” Dinsay said. “The Philippine Trade and Investment Centers as part of our mandate will continue to support companies like Malagos in promoting their products all over the world”.
Featuring 110 exhibitors, the Northwest Chocolate Festival is known to be among the top shows for artisan chocolates in the world today with around 12,000 visitors. Malagos Premium Chocolates, a multi-awarded Philippine chocolate from Davao, was introduced not only to choco-loving consumers but to traditional and artisan chocolatiers, chefs and baristas present at the show.
Malagos Agri-Ventures’ participation at the NW Chocolate Festival was supported by the DTI’s Export Marketing Bureau (DTI-EMB). Prior to this, assistance from the DTI regional office in Davao was also recognized by Malagos.
The Malagos brand is also expected to be introduced by Ampac International Inc., its importer in the United States, to UNI-MART Niles in Niles, Illinois and UNI-MART Hoffman in Hoffman Estates.
According to Mr. Rex Puentispina, Sales and Marketing Head of Malagos Agri-Venture, joining the Festival validates his belief that their chocolates can match the quality and taste of US and other international brands. “We have received a lot of good feedback from chocolate lovers visiting our booth” said Puentispina. “There were even some who say that this is one of the best they have ever tasted,” added Puentispina.
In 2015 at the International Chocolate Awards, Malagos 65% Dark Chocolate was named one of world’s best drinking chocolates. In the same year, it won at the Academy of Chocolate Awards when its 100% Unsweetened Chocolate won the Bronze Award for Best Unflavored Drinking Chocolate.
In 2016, its Premium 100% Unsweetened Chocolate won the Silver at the Drinking Chocolate competition of the Academy of Chocolate’s Eighth Golden Bean Awards in London. It also won that year a blind-taste competition when its Unsweetened Chocolate earned two of the maximum three stars awarded by Great Taste, the world’s most prestigious food accreditation body.
The company continues to invest in equipment and technology, producing its premium, single-origin chocolate products such as Malagos 100% Pure Unsweetened Chocolate, Malagos Roasted Cocoa Nibs, Malagos 65% Dark Chocolate, Malagos 72% Dark Chocolate, and Malagos 85% Dark Chocolate.
With its expansion in the United States, Malagos is expected to generate more jobs for Filipinos back in the Philippines.
by admin | Nov 16, 2016 | DTI Updates, Headlines, National News
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez challenged the Philippine Association of Legitimate Service Contractors (PALSCON) to police its ranks to ensure the effective implementation of the so-called “win-win structure” involving legitimate service providers (SPs), companies and workers.
Speaking at PALSCON’s 6th National Forum on 14 November, Sec. Lopez reiterated that the “win-win” structure that upholds workers’ security of tenure is not a departure from, but an improvement of what has already been provided by the law on legitimate contracting.
The Labor Code and Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Department Orders 10 (Series of 1997), 18-02 (Series of 2002) and 18-A (Series of 2011) guarantee legitimate contracting or subcontracting arrangements.
Consistent with the unchanged position of President Rodrigo Duterte to put a stop on end-of-contract (endo) schemes, the trade chief maintained that as added value to the full and strict implementation of legitimate contracting, the win-win structure carries two specific provisions that safeguard workers’ tenure rights, specifically by making workers regular and permanent, as well as by affording them mandatory retirement benefits.
The DTI-proposed structure also allows companies to either directly employ workers or source workers from legitimate SPs.
Sec. Lopez said that the critical role of the association of legitimate SPs in effectively carrying out the win-win structure is to patrol its ranks to ensure that workers receive appropriate benefits.
“What is critical now is the compliance of legitimate SPs in giving full benefits to the workers,” said Sec. Lopez, adding that the proposal received positive response from President Duterte.
The PALSCON audience showed support to Sec. Lopez’s statement that legitimate contractors’ failure to comply will result in getting blacklisted by client-companies.
Removing contracting and subcontracting arrangements will lead to an immediate reduction of employment, with some foreign investments pulling out, according to him, pointing out the vital link between investment creation and job generation.
He also shared that at least three potential foreign investors in the Philippines began expressing this sentiment in his most recent meeting in Japan this month.
“Changing the ball game now, we will lose investments and miss out on opportunities instead of generating more jobs,” Sec. Lopez added.
According to DTI, it must be recognized that there are certain parts of operations in a company that are best carried out through a service provider mainly due to the seasonality of work or the function-specific nature of some projects, which are deemed to be better handled by a third party, allowing the principal company to focus on growing the business.
Scheduled to hold consultations with another set of labor groups soon, DOLE, with recommendation from DTI, is expected to reach an “effective, legal and mutually beneficial position” on the matter within the year.
“Our fear has always been about losing jobs. To start with, if there are no available jobs, there will be no forms of employment to be discussed today,” Sec. Lopez concluded.
The DTI introduced the win-win structure that is premised on the need to have a business policy environment that creates and encourages job and income generation.. #
