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PH completes ratification of WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement
The Philippines has successfully completed the ratification of the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) and has deposited its Instrument of Acceptance to the World Trade Organization (WTO) through the Philippine Permanent Mission to the WTO in Geneva, Switzerland on 28 October 2016. Adopted at the WTO’s 2013 Ministerial Conference in Bali, Indonesia, the TFA contains provisions for expediting the movement, release and clearance of goods. It also includes measures for effective cooperation between customs and other appropriate authorities on trade facilitation and customs compliance issues. Provisions on technical assistance and capacity building are also included to help countries implement the Agreement. The TFA is the first multilateral trade agreement to be concluded since the establishment of the WTO in 1995. Once it enters into force, the Agreement is expected to reduce total trade costs by more than 14 percent for low-income countries, more than 15 percent for lower-middle countries, and more than 13 percent for upper middle-income countries by streamlining the flow of trade across borders. The commitments of developing and least-developed countries in the Agreement are linked directly to their capacity to implement the TFA. On 31 July 2014, the Philippines submitted its Category A notification to the WTO indicating which provisions of the TFA it intends to implement upon entry into force of the Agreement. As a developing country, the Philippines can choose which commitments to prioritize, and the implementation can be on a staggered basis. “The Philippines finds great value on the implementation of the TFA – not just for the big businesses – but also for local micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) with the prospects... read morePH to China: let’s level up trade and investments
BEIJING—The Philippines, through Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez, recently (20 October) encouraged China to level up trade and investments for both sides, during the Philippines-China Trade and Investment Forum at the Great Hall of the People in China. Sec. Lopez said that although relationship between the two countries has had its highs and lows, China remains to be a major commercial partner of the Philippines, being the country’s 2nd major trading partner with $17 billion value in total trade. China is also the country’s 4th largest export market and 1st or top import supplier. As of 2015, China is the 14th investment source of the Philippines in terms of Investment Promotion Agencies (IPA)–approved investments. “The $17 billion total trade level can double or triple in a few years,” said Sec. Lopez, adding that the Philippines shares a long history of friendly and mutually-beneficial relations with China not only in terms of trade and investments, but also in cultural and social exchange. “Huge opportunities still await that can easily leap frog the level of Chinese business transactions with the Philippines,” Sec. Lopez added. Noting that the influx of Chinese tourists in the Philippines in 2015 reached 500,000, the trade chief is optimistic that such figure can also be increased by two to four times, considering that there are over 100 million Chinese tourists in the world today. Current Philippine export to China of about USD 6 million can likewise be doubled, as China’s total imports to the world amount to USD 2 trillion, according to Sec. Lopez. The trade chief also emphasized that President Rodrigo Duterte’s... read more
DTI CONDUCTS PUBLIC CONSULTATION ON THE GRANT OF BAGWIS AWARD
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...No Results Found
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Local News/ Bohol Balita
35 patients evacuate as fire hits Tagbilaran Community Hospital
At the Tagbilaran City Community Hospital, 35 patients ere evacuated when an air conditioning unit in the X-ray room caught fire. The fire happened at exaclty 3:00 p.m. in the afternoon on November 19, 2008 (Wednesday). The staff of the said hospital helped to extinguish the fire as to avoid damage to the X-ray equipment. While the firemen arrived to help in the situation. Senior Fireman Chief Bautista said that according to an investigation, the cause of the fire was a system overload. The aircon wirings had an interconnection with the electrical lines for the lighting, appliances and hospital equipment. The X-ray wiring was badly burned. Bautista recommends a re-wiring of the entire hospital, and that the aircon wiring should have its own electrical...Police warns City to be careful of burglars
SPO4 Adriano John Backus, Head Police for Theft and Robbery Section, warns people to be careful since more cases are being reported in the past months. Backus adds that there are already gangs that they are doing surveillance on and they have observed that these gangs use the tiempo style to victimize. He adds that these gangs are probably not locals from the city. As of September – October of this year, there have 25 cases reported and 23 have yet to be...COMELEC prepares for 2010 elections
Commission on Election (COMELEC) – Bohol is now on preparations for the receiving of the registration of new voters for the coming 2010 elections. The said registration will be from December 2, 2008 – December 15, 2009. Atty. Eliseo Z. Labarya, Provincial Elections Supervisor, declares that they have started to pull-out old records of voters. Labarya says that there will be an increase of voters by 10% this 2010 than the number of voters for the Barangay And Sannguniang Kabataan (SK) elections last October 2007. He adds that the direct voting and counting machine used in the ARMM elections is suggested by COMELEC for the elections here for faster...Chocolate Hills advocates tap Cebu votes
Local officials of Carmen, Bohol recently visited Cebu City to solicit votes for Chocolate Hills for the New Seven Wonders of Nature, thus going to the Cebu City Hall and schools to ask for their help. Carmen town councilor Primo Digao said Bohol representative almost toured the entire Philippines starting from Mindanao last April, Luzon last August to October and cities of Lapu-lapu, Mandaue and Cebu this month. Vice Mayor Ramonito Torefranca sought the help of the Cebu City government and school information technology heads of several universities in the city to cast their votes on line for Chocolate Hills. Click for full...Drainage water analysis out
The water analysis of the City Drainage Outfall shows that waste water is within tolerable standards. However, the laboratory findings apparently left out a very critical component in establishing water quality, which is the level of coliforms. Likewise, the seawater fronting the City Port has not been classified by Department of Environmental and Nature Resources (DENR) thus most lab test would yield a tolerance level. The progress report of the DENR water sampling taken before and after the Tagbilaran drainage outfall was opened was relayed to Gov. Erico Aumentado last Saturday but copies of which was only released yesterday. Despite the laboratory findings, Provincial environment and natural resources officer (PENRO) Nestor Canda recommended that the Tagbilaran sea waters be classified in accordance with DENR Administrative Order (DAO) 34 Series of 1990. Under DAO 34-1990, the water quality criteria in testing for contributing pollutants lists some 16 parameters. The DENR laboratory test obtained included only five – which is determining the pH level (range), temperature (maximum rise in degree Celsius), dissolved oxygen (mg/liter), biochemical oxygen demand (mg/liter) and total suspended solids (mg/liter). Click for full...National News
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