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GOCC subsidies down by 80.1%

NIA

BUDGET SUPPORT extended to state-owned firms declined by 80.1% year on year to P8.34 billion in June, after government significantly lowered subsidies to major non-financial government corporations and supplied no funds to the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), the Bureau of the Treasury reported.

Preliminary data from the Treasury also indicated that subsidies dropped 81.33% from their May levels.

The National Irrigation Authority received the largest allocation of P2.645 billion or 68% of the month’s total. This rose 7.96% from year-earlier levels.

The National Housing Authority received P2.123 billion, down 71.5% from a year earlier.

Budgetary support was received by trade-related government-owned and -controlled corporations (GOCCs) such as the Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport Authority (P4 million), the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (P12 million), the Southern Philippines Development Authority (P6 million), the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (P30 million), and the Zamboanga City Special Economic Zone (P24 million).   

Support was allocated to non-PhilHealth government health institutions such as the Lung Center of the Philippines (P34 million), National Kidney and Transplant Institute (P107 million), Philippine Heart Center (P164 million), Philippine Children’s Medical Center (P87 million), and the Philippine Institute for Traditional and Alternative Health Care (P18 million).

GOCCs in the agriculture sector receiving subsidies were the National Dairy Authority (P30 million), Philippine Coconut Authority (P597 million), and the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (P277 million).

Government-led research institutions were also granted subsidies such as the Philippine Center for Economic Development (P5 million), Philippine Institute for Development Studies (P16 million), and the Philippine Rubber Research Institute (P35 million). 

Other GOCCs that received budgetary support in June are the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (P270 million), Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (P903 million), Cultural Center of the Philippines (P33 million), Light Rail Transit Authority (P85 million), Credit Information Corp. (P7 million), People’s Television Network, Inc. (P9 million), and IBC-13 (P6 million).

The National Government did not provide subsidies during the month to the National Food Authority, Philippine National Railways, Cagayan Economic Zone Authority, Development Academy of the Philippines, Philippine Crop Insurance Corp., the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, and the Small Business Corp.

In the first half, GOCC subsidies fell 28% year on year to P88.282 billion.

Subsidies to GOCCs are meant to cover operational expenses not supported by their revenue. — Luz Wendy T. Noble  

Key legislator says mining industry fiscal overhaul crucial for recovery

DAVID HELLMANN-UNSPLASH

A PROPOSED LAW overhauling the tax regime for the mining industry is considered critical for the economic recovery because of its potential to generate revenue for the government and make the investment climate more certain.

Albay Rep. Jose Ma. Clemente S. Salceda, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, said the bill is important because of current “deficiencies” in how the government manages its natural wealth.

“We still need a fiscal regime for mining, as a baseline or downside protection for whatever negotiations are entered into by the government (with investors),” he said in a speech at the Philippine Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative National Conference on Thursday.

Mr. Salceda said that he sees the mining industry as “a potential job creator post-pandemic” and crucial for the economic recovery because of the tax revenue it will likely generate.

“The proposed regime will generate P7.2 billion in incremental revenues in the first year and P37.9 billion over the next five years,” he added.

The Mines and Geosciences Bureau estimates the mining sector accounted for P102.3 billion in output, equivalent to 0.6% of gross domestic product, in 2020.

However, Mr. Salceda said that there is a “lack of a coherent fiscal regime” that would set aside funds for rehabilitation and investment.

House Bill 6135 seeks to “introduce corporate governance structures” such as the imposition of royalty payments, margin-based windfall profits tax, and (will discourage) businesses’ dependence on excessive debt funding.

The measure also seeks to create a national resource trust fund from royalty payments of large-scale metallic mining operations outside of mineral reservations to fund projects by local government units that are affected by these activities.

“If we don’t set aside anything from the mining revenue for those externalities, the costs will (manifest) in some form, sometimes in tragedy. There has to be a dependable reserve of financial resources for timely rehabilitation of mines and for mining communities,” Mr. Salceda said.

Chamber of Mines of the Philippines Executive Director Atty. Ronald S. Recidoro said Friday via Viber that the group supports the proposed law, calling it necessary to “create a more stable investment environment.”

“We expect this policy to impact laws such as the tax code that properly governs revenue sharing in all mineral agreements,” he told BusinessWorld. — Russell Louis C. Ku

Reimagining the future of work

(First of two parts)

While many organizations had previously embarked on implementing more agile, people-centric and digitally-enabled workplaces, these same enterprises were not sufficiently equipped to deal with the rapid proliferation of COVID-19. After more than a year of adapting to the new normal and transforming how we work, it became evident that employees, workplaces, and the future of work have changed in significant ways that we could not have previously imagined.

According to the EY 2021 Work Reimagined Employee survey, which compiles the input of more than 16,000 employee respondents across 16 countries, the workforce has positively adapted to the uncertain circumstances in real time. On a 1 to 10 scale, almost 75% of employees rated their job satisfaction at a 7 or above. Employees are fully embracing the flexibility that has made remote work possible, with 54% indicating that they would leave their company if the same flexibility in work location and scheduling is not extended post-pandemic. Despite the lack of physical connection between employees, 48% of respondents believe that their company culture improved during the pandemic.

Because the data indicate that workforce needs are changing to adapt to the present circumstances, there is an opportunity for leadership to reimagine the future of work. Though employees value their new levels of flexibility and appear to be equally productive working from home, we’ve yet to determine the long-term effect of remote working. There is also less clarity surrounding how much is lost from the lack of in-person engagement and interactions, especially in terms of coaching and mentoring.

To deliver long-term value for employers and their employees, organizations will need to consider three critical courses of action: gaining deeper insight into the transformed employee experience; enhancing the collaborative needs of employees through remote and hybrid working environments; and supporting leadership with workforce insights.

UNDERSTANDING THE NEW NORMAL WORKER
Virtual collaboration has become the norm in enterprises across multiple industries and internally across functions from operations to innovation, with organizations leveraging technology to shift manual processes and workflows to a virtual platform. With an increase in adoption rates, user data and resources, tech companies have capitalized on the opportunity to evolve and enhance their offerings. Tools enabled by cloud technology are now ubiquitous, with new collaboration software features such as reactions, cross-platform sharing, and image filters digitizing the human connection. Organizations are exploring how to better leverage cloud technologies to deliver enhanced employee experiences to retain high employee engagement rates.

Employers who initially expressed skepticism about maintaining the productivity of tech-enabled remote work can now objectively view the data that indicates that productivity remained high after a full year of working from home, according to the 2020 Harvard business review study, “Research: Knowledge Workers are More Productive from Home.” While the long-term productivity implications of working remotely remain uncertain, EY survey participants responded positively: 65% agree that remote work enables better productivity, and 66% believe that their productivity can be accurately measured regardless of where they work. Now that employees are aware that their work does not have to be limited to specific locations, they want their employers to provide them with more technology, benefits, and support to further improve their remote working experience. They have expressed their desire for reimbursement for hardware and home office setups, followed by training for remote presentations. In certain countries like the Philippines where a stable internet connection is not always guaranteed, some employees are also looking to their leadership to provide solutions to their data needs so they can work more effectively.

With a vast range of tools, technology and platforms available to the workplace, HR and technology leaders should assess which of these add the most value and identify which of these are the most pragmatic to deploy given their unique culture and business model, while mapping out their new enterprise tech stack. EY Global Technology Consulting Leader Dan Higgins believes that leaders will likely uncover surprising findings that show how new tech impacts employee experience and retention. He added that 40% of employees want their organizations to offer better communication and collaboration tools to boost their productivity.

To achieve this, Chief Human Resources Officers (CHROs) and Chief Technology Officers (CTOs) need to collaborate to assess their workforce and garner insight into how tech enables and transforms the employee experience. They will need to understand how tech enhances inclusive contributions and ideation in areas of collaboration and team dynamics, while also remaining aware and prepared as new cybersecurity and technology-related risks arise.

After assessing how the new ways of working and rapid adoption of technology impact employee productivity, leaders will also need to better understand and potentially expand employee expectations around flexibility. The transformational journey will have implications on how office spaces can be configured to encourage certain work practices and better support the physical and mental well-being of the workforce.

In the second part of this article, we discuss how to optimize work in the use of remote and hybrid workspaces, and the necessity of making data-driven decisions fueled by workforce insights.

This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional advice where the facts and circumstances warrant. The views and opinions expressed above are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of SGV & Co.

 

Lisa Marie T. Escaler is the People Advisory Services – Workforce Advisory (PAS WFA) Leader of SGV & Co.

Delta variant roaming freely, researchers say

PHILIPPINE STAR/ MICHAEL VARCAS

By Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza, Reporter

RESEARCHERS from the country’s premier university on Sunday flagged a fresh surge in coronavirus infections in Metro Manila, which they said suggests that a more contagious Delta variant was freely moving in the community.

“The rapid growth rate suggests the possibility of community transmission of the Delta variant in the National Capital Region (NCR),” the OCTA Research Group said in a report.

The capital region reported 1,740 infections on July 31, the highest since May 10, it said.

The weekly average of new coronavirus cases in the region rose by 40% to 1,279 from a week earlier, OCTA said.

The increase “cannot be easily explained by Alpha or Beta variants which have already been managed,” OCTA Research fellow Fredegusto P. David said in a Facebook Messenger chat.

There might be 300 new Delta variant infections daily in Metro Manila, he told ABS-CBN Teleradyo separately.

OCTA said the reproduction rate in NCR had increased to 1.52 from 1.29 a week earlier.

Hospital occupancy rate in the capital and nearby cities increased to 45% from 38%, while intensive care unit use rose to 52% from 45%, it added.

The researchers said as much as 70% of the region’s hospital beds will have been occupied in less than five weeks, while 70% of ICU beds will have been occupied in less than three weeks “if there are no changes in quarantine restrictions.”

OCTA said 13 local governments in the capital region were now considered high risk.

Metro Manila will be placed under an enhanced community quarantine from Aug. 6 to 20 to contain the Delta coronavirus variant, the presidential palace said last week.

Philippine health authorities on July 31 said 97 more people had been infected with the Delta coronavirus variant, pushing the total to 216.

Of the 97, 88 got the virus locally, six were returning migrant Filipinos, while officials were still verifying how the three got the virus that was first detected in India, the Department of Health (DoH) said in a statement.

Of the six migrant workers, two were seafarers of MT Clyde and Barge Claudia, now anchored in Albay, while four were crew members of MV Vega that arrived from Indonesia, the agency said. Ninety-four people have recovered, while three died, DoH said.

The Delta variant has been reported in about a hundred countries and the World Health Organization expects it to continue to spread amid increased social mixing, relaxed health protocols and inequitable vaccine access.

DAILY TALLY
The Department of Health (DoH) reported 8,735 coronavirus infections on Sunday, bringing the total to 1.59 million.

The death toll rose to 28,016 after 127 more patients died, while recoveries increased by 5,930 to 1.50 million, it said in a bulletin.

There were 63,646 active cases, 94.0% of which were mild, 1.3% did not show symptoms, 2.1% were severe, 1.45% were moderate and 1.2% were critical.

The agency said 11 duplicates had been removed from the tally, eight of which were tagged as recoveries. Seventy-five recoveries were reclassified as deaths. Four laboratories failed to submit data on July 30.

Also on Sunday, the presidential palace said Cebu City, which is under a modified enhanced quarantine, would be placed under a more relaxed general lockdown with heightened restrictions from Aug. 1 to 15.

Laguna, Aklan and Apayao would be under a modified enhanced community quarantine, presidential spokesman Herminio L. Roque, Jr. said in a statement.

An inter-agency task force also shortened  the isolation of patients who have tested positive for the coronavirus to less than five days.

The body also approved a policy that will prioritize facility-based isolation and quarantine to prevent household transmission.

The task force likewise sought increased vaccination of seniors, seriously ill people and essential workers, he said.

Aside from enforcing a stricter lockdown until Aug. 20, the government also extended the travel ban on India, where the Delta variant was first detected, and its neighbors until mid-August, Mr. Roque said last week.

The Philippine economy could lose more than P200 billion during the two-week enhanced community quarantine, the National Economic and Development Authority said on Friday.

It would also increase the number of poor people by as many as 177,000 and add 444,000 jobless Filipinos, it said.

VFA reinstatement won’t sour ties with China, analysts say

PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte’s reinstatement of a military pact with the US on the deployment of troops for war games is unlikely to anger China because it never looked at the tough-talking leader’s anti-American sentiment as permanent, political analysts said.

“China has always viewed the Philippines as being in the US corner,” Jay L. Batongbacal, head of the University of the Philippines Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea, said in a Viber message at the weekend.

“China has a much more stable and consistent perspective about the Philippines and the US, and Duterte’s antics have never impressed them to change their strategic views or postures,” he added.

Mr. Duterte, who led a foreign policy pivot toward China away from the Philippines’ western allies, recalled a plan to end the visiting forces agreement (VFA) with the US after meeting with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin last week.

China is aware that the Philippine Defense department had always remained supportive of the US, said Renato C. De Castro, an international studies professor at De La Salle University.

Mr. Duterte’s decision won’t damage Philippine ties with China because “there is really very little substance to the relationship beyond mutual declarations of friendship expressed by the Chinese government for the President and vice versa,” said Herman Joseph S. Kraft, who heads the University of the Philippines Political Science Department.

“One cannot gain the vaccine diplomacy of China,” he said in a Viber message. “But despite those expressions of great mutual friendship even at the personal level, China has not given the Philippines any special attention and treatment on vaccine rollouts compared with other countries in the region.”

Early in his presidency, Mr. Duterte got about P1.2 trillion in investment and loan pledges from China to boost big-ticket infrastructure projects. But critics said few have materialized.

The reinstatement of the VFA showed that the China appeasement policy did not have full support inside the administration,” Michael Henry Ll. Yusingco, a lawyer and research fellow at the Ateneo de Manila University, said in a Facebook Messenger chat.

“The national security group in particular, clearly bore a deep mistrust of China and likely continued to have the inclination to rely on our traditional ally, the US,” he added. 

China has warned the UK’s Carrier Strike Group, led by the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth not to carry out any “improper acts” as it entered the contested South China Sea, according to the BBC. Britain is also set to hold military exercises with the US, Australia, France, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea in the Philippine Sea.

The Philippines is expected to take a neutral stance on the UK, Mr. De Castro said, noting that the Philippine policy is to “let the more powerful countries deal” with the sea dispute with China.

“The term is free-riding. You want to free-ride, which means we can benefit from it without being involved,” he said via Zoom Cloud Meetings.

While the multilateral exercise may create tension in the disputed waterway, the country stands to benefit from it, the experts said.

“The Philippines benefits indirectly, because for as long as the South China Sea is used multilaterally and all countries exercise their rights in accordance with international law, it can never become subject to China’s expansive claims of sovereignty and other rights in excess of what is allowed by international law,” Mr. Batongbacal said.

“This ensures that the Philippines will still have the freedom of mobility and access that it needs to protect its interests in the Kalayaan Island Group and its sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea,” he added, referring to parts of the sea within the country’s exclusive economic zone. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

FPI calls on gov’t to gather health sector experts for pandemic response, info campaign 

PHILSTAR

By Jenina P. Ibañez, Senior Reporter 

THE FEDERATION of Philippine Industries, Inc. (FPI) is calling on the government to gather public health leaders and listen to their expertise experience on the country’s coronavirus response as the capital prepares for renewed lockdown measures. 

FPI President Jesus L. Arranza said the Health department and the inter-agency task force on the coronavirus should organize an event with the leaders of medical institutions to share best practices that led to the country’s high rate of recovery.   

“Our doctors and other health experts have never really come together to formally discuss how we achieved such a number of recoveries. What we are only hearing are anecdotal accounts of how people were healed, rather than factual and science-based,” he said in a statement on Saturday.  

FPI said that a report mapping hospitals’ coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) responses according to each comorbidity would help ease public anxieties. 

“This will also give everyone the needed information to prevent them from relying on mere rumors or recommendations of people identifying themselves as experts on social media on how best to treat COVID,” the business group said. 

Metro Manila will again be placed under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), the strictest lockdown level, for two weeks starting Aug. 6 as more cases of the more transmissible Delta variant are recorded.  

FPI said that it would respect the government’s decision “as long as it is based on science and sound analysis of relevant statistics.”   

While the business group is concerned about the effect of another lockdown on the economy, Mr. Arranza said that the government could help curb a surge in coronavirus infections.  

He added that the government needs to ramp up inoculation to protect Filipinos and support unhampered economic recovery. 

The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), which had spoken against more lockdowns, said that businesses will comply as the Health department finds it necessary due to the Delta variant cases. 

“With the Delta variant, we have no alternative but go back to ECQ,” PCCI Chairperson Alegria Sibal-Limjoco said in a mobile message on Saturday, adding that restrictions could cost jobs as businesses shut. 

“We just hope September will be the start of full recovery,” she said.  

Henry Lim Bon Liong, president of the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce & Industry, Inc., said in a text message on Sunday that the lockdown will cause setbacks for the retail, manufacturing, and services industries. 

“This is a bitter pill for us to swallow.  Hopefully (with) the ECQ, we can starve the virus and prevent it from spreading. We will just have to make it up in the last quarter,” he said. 

SC reverses CoA decision disallowing P17-M DBP salary increases  

THE COUNTRY’S Highest Court has reversed the 2015 ruling of the Commission on Audit (CoA) that disallowed the salary increases of eight senior officials of the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) in 2006 amounting to P17.4 million.  

In its decision dated March 2 and published on July 25, the Supreme Court (SC) held that the “CoA committed grave abuse of discretion in reviewing a final and executory judgement and reopening a settled account beyond the legal period.”  

The court explained that the 2012 CoA decision to lift the disallowance of the salary increase was “final and executory” as there was no motion for reconsideration or appeal filed by the opposing party within 30 days after the DBP received the CoA’s decision in Feb. 6.   

Under the CoA’s Rules of Procedure, “the commission’s decision or resolution shall become final and executory after 30 days from notice unless a motion for reconsideration or an appeal to the (Supreme Court) is filed.”  

The High Court further stated that under Section 52 of Presidential Decree 1445 or the Government Auditing Code of the Philippines, the CoA can only reopen and reexamine cases “within three years after the original settlement.” — Bianca Angelica D. Añago  

House set to approve monthly social pension hike

PHILIPPINE STAR/ MICHAEL VARCAS

A PROPOSED law seeking to at least double the monthly social pension for indigent senior citizens is set to be approved by the House of Representatives on third and final reading when it resumes session on Monday.   

House Bill (HB) 9459 seeks to amend both Republic Act 7432 and Republic Act 9994 or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010 by providing a monthly stipend of at least P1,000 from P500 to assist with the purchase of daily and medical needs.    

The measure will also amend the qualifications of senior citizens who could receive the increased pension by removing the need to be “frail, sickly, or with disability” as defined by RA 9994. 

“Now, our senior citizens just have to prove that they do not have a permanent source of income. This will make it easier for senior citizens to avail of the social pension and eliminate one of the causes of corruption on the ground in its disbursement,” Senior Citizens Party-list Rep. Rodolfo M. Ordanes said. 

The proposed law also mandates the Department of Social Welfare and Development, in consultation with the Budget department, to review and consider a possible increase every two years.   

Mr. Ordanes said he expects that the measure will be “well-received” at the Senate, and he will work with Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III to pass a counterpart measure in the upper chamber.  

“I expect HB 9459 to be well-received at the Senate, where there are six Senate bills waiting for it for further consolidation, so when the Senate finally approves it, I do not expect the need for a bicameral committee,” he said. — Russell Louis C. Ku 

Hasten vaccine rollout to minors along with gradual return to physical classes — lawmaker

PHILSTAR

SENATOR SHERWIN T. Gatchalian, chair of the Committee on Basic Education, Arts and Culture, is pushing government to speed up the launch of the vaccination program for minors while preparing for the gradual return to physical classes in low-risk areas of the country.  

“The kids might not get infected as fast as science says, but their parents, the shopkeepers, the sari-sari (neighborhood convenience) store owners, they might be susceptible to the virus spread,” said Mr. Gatchalian in a press release over the weekend.   

He said vaccinating students would provide an added layer of protection, especially with the more transmissible Delta variant of the coronavirus, as schools are tied to economic activities such as the use of public transportation and the operation of small businesses. 

“By the time we get enough supply we can already vaccinate teenagers, and this is a very crucial stage in going back to face-to-face classes,” the senator said.   

The Department of Education (DepEd) and the Department of Health (DOH) are crafting the guidelines for the gradual reintroduction of in-person classes.   

At least 100 schools would participate in the pilot study of limited face-to-face classes once President Rodrigo R. Duterte gives the green light, according to DepEd. 

The World Health Organization’s (WHO) Strategic Advisory Group of Experts has concluded that the Pfizer/BionTech vaccine is suitable for use by people aged 12 years and above. Children aged between 12 and 15 who are at high risk may be offered this vaccine alongside other priority groups for vaccination. Vaccine trials for children are ongoing.   

Secretary Carlito G. Galvez, Jr., who head the vaccine program, said in June that the government is eyeing to use 20 million Pfizer doses for minors. Drug maker Sinovac has also applied for authorization to use its vaccine CoronaVac on minors aged 3 to 17.  

As of July 22, the country has received 2.4 million doses of Pfizer shots through the COVAX facility co-led by the global vaccine alliance GAVI,WHO, and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI).

The national government has also so far procured 26 million Sinovac shots.  

Aside from securing adequate vaccine supplies to cover minors, Mr. Gatchalian cited the importance of getting the protocols and systems in place, especially at the local government level. — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan 

Low-priced frozen pork, chicken to be sold in Marikina   

LOW-PRICED frozen pork and chicken products will be sold at the Marikina Riverbanks Center every Saturday through a government program in partnership with private firms.  

“The importation of frozen pork meat is only a temporary measure to augment the country’s supply and lower the prices for consumers, especially in Metro Manila. We are working with our partners to give consumers cheaper options, especially pork meat, due to the effects of the African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak,” Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar said in a statement on July 31.  

The Department of Agriculture and the Department of Trade and Industry sealed a partnership over the weekend with Atkins Import and Export Resources, Inc. and the MyOwn Group of Companies for the “Presyong Risonable Dapat (PRD): Frozen Meat Edition” program in Marikina.   

Products that will be sold under the program include pork belly (liempo) at P250 per kilogram (/kg), pork chop at P225/kg, pork ham/shoulder (kasim/pigue) at P220/kg, ground pork at P200/kg, chicken leg quarters at P110/kg, drumsticks at P110/kg, and chicken breast at P110/kg.    

Recently, the two departments also partnered with Robinsons Supermarket for the same initiative that will offer affordable frozen pork and chicken products in all Robinsons Supermarket branches across Metro Manila.   

At the same time, Mr. Dar assured that the government is helping the local hog industry to recover from the African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak.   

“The government’s primary target is the repopulation program of the local hog industry because they were badly affected by ASF. We are helping them to recover,” he said. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave   

Taraka set to commission 1st LGU-funded solar power irrigation, water system in Mindanao  

THE SMALL rural town of Taraka in Lanao del Sur will be commissioning part of its solar-powered irrigation and water supply system on Aug. 10, the first local government-funded project under the Mindanao Development Authority’s (MinDA) water supply program.   

The MinDAWater program, supported by the Department of Interior and Local Government and the Development Bank of the Philippines through a loan program, is intended to help local governments in the southern islands establish sources of water for drinking and agriculture.  

Taraka, a 4th class municipality with a population of less than 30,000, is setting up a six-unit solar power system that will irrigate about 700 hectares of farmland and provide household water supply, according to MinDA.    

MinDA Chair Emmanuel F. Piñol, in another post on his Facebook page, said the covered farm area will be used for producing high-quality rice, to be branded Premium Maranao Rice.   

The harvest will initially be for local use, but farmers have been introduced to the full value chain concept in preparation for future sales outside town.      

“It will involve stakeholders from planting to processing and marketing,” Mr. Piñol said.  

Other government agencies assisting the program include the Philippine Rice Research Institute, the Bangsamoro region’s Ministry of Agriculture, the Department of Agriculture’s Northern Mindanao office, and the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization. — MSJ  

More Swedish investors looking at ventures on BPO, manufacturing, dealership in Davao 

MINDA

THE SWEDISH business community is exploring investment opportunities in Davao City, including in business process outsourcing (BPO) and dealership where some companies from the European country already have a local presence.   

Antonio S. Peralta, chairman of the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP)-Southern Mindanao Business Council, told BusinessWorld the other potential investment areas are in manufacturing consumer durables,  and distribution and dealership for industrial machinery and parts.   

Sweden was one of the recent stops of an online roadshow organized by the Davao City Investment Promotion Center with ECCP, Embassy of Sweden in Manila, Philippine Embassy in Stockholm, and the Department of Trade and Industry. 

Among the sectors discussed were agriculture, light manufacturing, information technology, and Smart City technology, among others.  

Mr. Peralta said Swedish presence in Davao City include the Volvo Trucks distributorship, Stockholm-headquartered Transcom through its recent acquisition of local BPO Awesome OS, Atlas Copco, H and M fashion store, and the HUSQVARNA Group that sells industrial and transportation products like KTM Motorcycles. — Maya M. Padillo 

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