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How to apply for a sales promo permit

By Mariel Alison L. Aguinaldo

With establishments working to keep the lights on during the COVID-19 pandemic, entrepreneurs have turned to sales promotions as a means of enticing consumers to spend. Sales promos are activities for broad consumer participation which promise some form of gain, such as cash or material prizes, a free product, or monetary discounts.

According to a survey by Facebook and YouGov, price is the greatest purchase consideration for 90% of Filipinos. Sixty percent of Filipinos have also made purchases during sale events.

Here are the steps to follow in applying for a Department of Trade and Industry-Fair Trade Enforcement Bureau (DTI-FTEB) sales promo permit.

1. Check if the promotional activity that you had in mind is eligible for application.

Not every activity that offers promises of gain is actually a sales promo. It must have all of the following elements:

• Offers consumer products and services – These are goods and services that are primarily for personal, family, household, or agricultural purposes. Products that fall under food, drugs, devices, cosmetics, and hazardous substances, are under the jurisdiction of the Department of Health – Food and Drug Administration.

• Targets consumers – A consumer is a natural person who is the end-user of a product or service. Sales promos, therefore, do not apply to juridical persons such as corporations and firms.

• Uses mass media – A promo must be broadcast to the public using the likes of television, radio, broadsheets, and the Internet. Collaterals within the store or mall do not fall under this category.

• Has a clear duration – A promo must have a set timeline that runs within one year. Pride reduction promos cannot exceed three months, while closing-out sales cannot exceed six months. However, promos can be extended up to six months upon the approval of the DTI. In this case, promos can run beyond a year. If an extension for a nine-month promo was approved, then it will run for a total of one year and three months.

 

2. Complete the list of requirements set by the DTI.

There are different kinds of sales promos, such as discount promos and raffles. Each one entails their respective set of requirements.

The checklist may be accessed through the IRegIS Portal, under the Sales Promotions tab.

3. Determine the scope of your sales promo.

Aside from being an integral part of the sales promo plan, identifying the area of implementation also determines the office of application.

If the sales promo covers a single province or several provinces in a single region, the application must be filed at the DTI Regional Office where the business’ head office is located.

If it covers the National Capital Region (NCR) or several regions including NCR, the application must be filed at the DTI-FTEB office. It could also be accomplished online through the IRegIS Portal, but this first requires registering the business on Negosyo Konek. This can be done on the Konek Your Business portal.

If the sales promo covers several regions excluding NCR, the application must be filed either at the DTI-FTEB office or at the DTI Regional Office where the business head or coordinating office is located.

Rep. Villar donates tablets to Las Piñas teachers for e-learning

Public schools in Las Piñas City are gearing up as they get ready for distance learning.

Las Piñas Lone District Rep. Camille Villar donated mobile tablets to the Las Piñas City National Senior High School-Talon Dos Campus which teachers can use for holding virtual classes and for making their video lesson learning modules.

“This will give teachers access to technology needed during this period,” Villar said. She also gave face masks and face shields to the school.

Just last month, Villar donated three RISO machines to DepEd-Las Piñas which would be used for the printing of modular learning program materials of various schools.

The congresswoman said this was just an initial batch of donations to the Education sector as she vowed to help them during this crisis.

“We are aware of the various challenges that teachers, children and their parents are facing that is why we are doing this to help facilitate learning as schools go online, we are dedicated to helping in any way we can,” Villar pointed out.

Face-to-face classes are not yet allowed and the Education department would be adopting modular distance learning to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Public schools are due to reopen on October 5.

Present at the turnover were Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Joel Torrecampo, Assistant Schools Division Superintendent Juan Obierna, Las Piñas City National Senior High School principal Jennifer Erispe, and Education Program Specialist II-Schools Mobilization and Networking head Raygeinald Villacorta.

Wear a mask while having sex, Canada’s top doctor suggests

OTTAWA — Skip kissing and consider wearing a mask when having sex to protect yourself from catching the coronavirus, Canada’s chief medical officer said on Wednesday, adding that going solo remains the lowest risk sexual option in a pandemic.

Dr. Theresa Tam said in a statement there is little chance of catching COVID-19 from semen or vaginal fluid, but sexual activity with new partners does increase the risk of contracting the virus, particularly if there is close contact like kissing.

“Like other activities during COVID-19 that involve physical closeness, there are some things you can do to minimize the risk of getting infected and spreading the virus,” she said.

Skip kissing, avoid face-to-face closeness, wear a mask that covers your mouth and nose, and monitor yourself and your partner for symptoms ahead of any sexual activity, Ms. Tam said.

“The lowest risk sexual activity during COVID-19 involves yourself alone,” she added.

Sexual health is an important part of overall health, Ms. Tam said, and by taking precautions, “Canadians can find ways to enjoy physical intimacy while safeguarding the progress we have all made containing COVID-19.”

Canada has reported 129,425 cases of COVID-19 and 9,132 deaths, as of Sept 1. New daily cases are far below peak volumes, but there has been a recent uptick, driven by more infections in certain western Canadian provinces. — Reuters

Japan coastguard rescues one person in search for missing NZ livestock ship

WELLINGTON/TOKYO — Japan’s coastguard rescued one person in the search for a cargo ship carrying nearly 6,000 cattle and dozens of crew members that was feared capsized in the East China Sea as Typhoon Maysak lashed the region.

The Gulf Livestock 1 sent a distress call from the west of Amami Oshima island in southwestern Japan. Strong winds and rains from Typhoon Maysak were hampering rescue efforts as the storm moved on to drench the Korean peninsula.

A spokeswoman for the coastguard said one person was rescued on Wednesday night (Tokyo time) during the search for the ship.

The rescued Filipino crew member said the ship’s engine failed before it was hit by a wave and capsized, a second coastguard spokeswoman said.

Pictures provided by the coastguard showed a crew member in a lifejacket being hauled from choppy seas in darkness.

The Gulf Livestock 1 departed Napier in New Zealand on Aug. 14 with 5,867 cattle and 43 crew members on board, bound for the Port of Jingtang in Tangshan, China. The journey was expected to take about 17 days, New Zealand’s foreign ministry told Reuters.

The crew included 39 people from the Philippines, two from New Zealand, and two from Australia, the coastguard said.

The 139-meter, Panamanian-flagged vessel was built in 2002 and the registered owner is Amman-based Rahmeh Compania Naviera SA, according to Refinitiv Eikon data. The ship manager is Hijazi & Ghosheh Co.

New Zealand animal rights organization, SAFE, said the tragedy demonstrated the risks of the live animal export trade.

“These cows should never have been at sea,” said Marianne Macdonald, campaigns manager at SAFE.

“This is a real crisis, and our thoughts are with the families of the 43 crew who are missing with the ship. But questions remain, including why this trade is allowed to continue.”

Last year, New Zealand’s government launched a review of country’s live animal export trade, worth around NZ$54 million ($37 million) in 2019, after thousands of animals being exported from New Zealand and Australia died in transit.

A conditional ban of the live export of cattle was one of several options being considered, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor said. — Reuters

K-Shaped recovery comes to emerging markets as rich get richer

Look no further than emerging markets for evidence that the K-shaped recovery is taking hold.

Stocks and currencies from wealthier developing nations are outperforming their poorer peers amid the coronavirus outbreak, magnifying the gap between the “haves” and “have-nots” of the global economy. The gulf may even get wider if the pandemic leads to deeper recessions in less wealthy nations due to their lower capacity for containing the virus.

A Bloomberg study of 17 emerging markets (EM) has found a 42% correlation between gross domestic product per capita and stock performance since the virus-fueled risk sell-off began on Jan. 20 until early this week. The correlation between GDP per capita and currency returns was 31%.

As long as the virus lasts the K-shaped divergence will continue, said Rob Subbaraman, global head of macro research at Nomura Holdings Inc. in Singapore. “In the EM world with rapidly rising debt and deep recessions, the cost of servicing debt is going to get more burdensome and we cannot rule out some financial crises or major debt restructuring.”

Wealthier emerging markets have been better placed to rebound from the March sell-off due to more advanced technology and governance that have given them greater flexibility to respond to the pandemic. They have been able to limit the impact of lockdowns and social distancing, make larger fiscal responses, and are better equipped with the resources needed to curb the outbreak, such as hospitals, test centers, and quarantine facilities.

Countries such as South Korea and Poland have seen the smallest increase in economic disruptions, according to an effective lockdown index compiled by Goldman Sachs Group Inc. The gauge takes into account a combination of government restrictions that suppress activity and adds social distancing numbers based on Google mobility data. There has been a negative correlation of 54% between Goldman’s gauges and per capita GDP. In turn, countries with the lowest lockdown index have tended to see the best stock market and currency performance.

WIDEST IN ASIA

The rich-poor divide among emerging markets is widest in Asia. The stock returns from the four economies with per capita GDP above $10,000 last year—China, South Korea, Taiwan, and Malaysia—has been 20% above that of the nations which fall below that level, including India, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand. While this is partly due to the number of technology companies listed in the former countries, it is also due to the fact that authorities there have been able to spend more to reassure citizens and investors.

South Korea’s fiscal response to the pandemic, including three supplementary budgets, totals 270 trillion won ($228 billion), or about 14% of GDP, providing support to the stock market even as the local outbreak has worsened. In contrast, the Philippine government has said it’s unable to fund the 1.3 trillion pesos ($27 billion) stimulus package approved in June. The nation’s stock market is the region’s worst performer this year, dropping more than 25%.

Looking ahead, lower rates of infection, greater policy space, and stronger health services may help more affluent countries maintain their lead in the economic recovery.

Richer emerging economies are likely to gain access to effective coronavirus vaccines sooner, following the steps of wealthy developed nations. There is even a risk bigger economies will monopolize supply, a scenario that played out in the 2009 swine flu pandemic.

“Not many emerging markets have access to cutting-edge technology, and they will continue to struggle,” said Tsutomu Soma, a bond trader at Monex Inc. in Tokyo. “We will continue to see the divergence in developed and emerging markets going forward.” — Bloomberg

Note: Simon Flint is an emerging-market strategist at Bloomberg News. The observations he makes are his own and not intended as investment advice.

Unemployment hits 10% in July

LATEST official labor data showed a decline in the country’s unemployment and underemployment rates in July compared to April, but were higher when compared to July of last year.

Preliminary results of the Philippine Statistics Authority’s July 2020 round of the Labor Force Survey (LFS) put the unemployment rate at 10% versus 17.7% in April 2020 and 5.4% in July 2019.

This is equivalent to 4.571 million jobless Filipinos, lower than 7.254 million in April, but higher than 2.437 million in July last year.

Likewise, the underemployment rate — the proportion of those already working, but still looking for more work or longer working hours — was 17.3%, down from 18.9% in April but higher than 13.6% in July 2019.

In absolute terms, underemployed Filipinos numbered 7.137 million, higher than 6.388 million and 5.799 million in April 2020 and July 2019, respectively.

The size of the labor force was approximately 45.877 million out of the 74.061 million Filipinos aged at least 15 years old, yielding a labor force participation rate (LFPR) of 61.9%. This was higher than the 55.6% in April, but lower than 62.1% in the same survey round last year.

The employment rate, which is the proportion of the employed to the total labor force, registered at 90%. This was higher than the 82.3% in the previous survey round, but lower than last year’s 94.6%. The actual number of employed Filipinos reached 41.306 million as compared to April’s 33.764 million and July 2019’s 42.521 million. — Michelle Anne P. Soliman

Nationwide round-up

New police chief to focus on drug trade high-value targets

THE NEW police chief, Lt. Gen. Camilo P. Cascolan, will be focusing on the capture and filing of charges against big-time drug dealers. “We will see to it that we will build up cases most especially against high-value individuals,” he said in an interview over Teleradyo on Wednesday, his first day as head of the Philippine National Police (PNP). Mr. Cascolan also acknowledged that street pushers and users, who have been the main casualties in the government’s controversial anti-drug campaign, should not be killed and instead be tapped as leads to the drug trade’s main players. He is one of the authors of Oplan Double Barrel, which became the PNP’s flagship program in the anti-drugs campaign. Previously designated as the PNP’s deputy chief for administration, Mr. Cascolan is due to leave the service on Nov. 10 upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 56. With just two months at the top post, he said he still aims to institute lasting changes with the ongoing “cleansing” program for the 209,000-strong police force. — Emmanuel Tupas/PHILSTAR and Gillian M. Cortez

Ban on transfer of inmates to jails extended

THE SUSPENSION on the transfer of inmates to jails has been extended to September 30, the Office of the Court Administrator announced Wednesday. In a circular, Court Administrator Jose Midas P. Marquez ordered the continued ban on the issuance of commitment orders of inmates to prison units of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) and the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor). The court administrator cited the different levels of community quarantine imposed around the country. The suspension on moving inmates to BJMP and BuCor units was first implemented in July to help prevent the spread of coronavirus, especially with most facilities operating at congested levels. The first circular was prompted by a request from Interior Secretary Eduardo M. Año and BuCor Director General Gerald Q. Bantag. President Rodrigo R. Duterte on Monday placed Metro Manila, the provinces of Bulacan and Batangas, and the cities of Tacloban and Bacolod under general community quarantine (GCQ) until September 30. The rest of the country is under the more relaxed modified GCQ except for Iligan City, which is under a stricter lockdown. The Supreme Court earlier issued guidelines addressing congestion in jails to prevent coronavirus outbreaks, including the release of indigent inmates through reduced bail or own recognizance. The court also allowed hearings through video teleconferencing while judges have been directed to release inmates who have served the minimum penalty of their sentence and those who have no witnesses for their cases. The Justice department also approved the rules that eased the requirements for the grant of parole and executive clemency to prisoners. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

FDI net inflows bounce back in May

THE CENTRAL BANK sees net inflows of foreign direct investments to reach $4.1 billion this year. — REUTERS

FOREIGN INVESTMENTS into the Philippines jumped by 42% in May, reversing three months of decline due to the coronavirus pandemic’s impact on investor confidence, the central bank said on Wednesday.

Data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed net inflows of foreign direct investments (FDI) rose to $399 million in May from $280 million a year ago. Inflows in May also improved by 28% from April’s $311 million.

Despite the rebound in May, year-to-date FDI inflows declined by a fourth to $2.379 billion from $3.196 billion a year ago.

“The stronger FDI performance during the month (of May) relative to the level last year was on account of the increase in nonresidents’ net investments in equity capital and debt instruments,” the BSP said in a statement.

In May, net investments in debt instruments climbed 40.8% year on year to $236 million, while reinvested earnings dropped by 23.7% to $85 million.

Equity other than reinvestment of earnings shot up to $738 million from $1 million last year. This as placements rose by 8.1% to $80 million while withdrawals plunged by 96% to $3 million.

During the month, placements came mainly from Japan, Singapore and the United States where restriction measures were gradually eased. The BSP said most investments went to the manufacturing, financial and insurance, and real estate industries.

Inflows to equity and investment fund shares also increased by 44.8% to $162 million year on year.

The BSP said FDI net inflows could reach $4.1 billion this year, more than half its $8.8-billion projection given last year.

In 2019, FDI net inflows fell by 23.1% to $7.647 billion as investor sentiment was weighed down by global uncertainty, regulatory risks and delays in the Philippines’ tax reform program.

The rebound in May amid the lockdown could be due to lagged effects of FDI entry in the country, said John Paolo R. Rivera, an economist from the Asian Institute of Management.

“This growth may be due to agreements and transactions already sealed maybe as early as 2019 which took effect only during this period,” Mr. Rivera said in a text message.

“Alternatively, the Philippines has alternative locations where FDIs are directed,” he said.

“Not all FDIs settled in COVID-19 hardly hit areas such as NCR (National Capital Region). The diversity of possibilities for an archipelagic economy like the Philippines might have been a factor for sustained FDI growth,” he added.

UnionBank of the Philippines, Inc. Chief Economist Ruben Carlo O. Asuncion said the higher FDI inflows in May may could lift sentiment in the country as it grapples with the coronavirus crisis.

“Even if it were coming from a rather low base, the green sign is a welcome sign for an economy needing positive news, especially from domestic economic data,” Mr. Asuncion said in an e-mail.

Analysts said urgent policies will make or break the recovery track for FDI in the coming months as the COVID-19 pandemic weighs on investor sentiment.

Policy reforms that will be critical to FDI inflows include the passage of the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises Act (CREATE) bill and amendments to the Public Service Act (PSA), Mr. Asuncion said.

The first bill, which will slash income tax to 25% from 30% is pending at the Senate. Amendments to the PSA, which will lift foreign ownership restrictions in certain sectors is also being tackled by a Senate committee.

The Philippines’ ability to control the coronavirus pandemic will determine whether it can attract more FDI, Mr. Rivera said.

“Note also that other ASEAN countries are very successful in containing the pandemic — they are all potential destinations for FDIs,” he added.

On Wednesday, the Health department reported 2,218 new coronavirus infections, bringing the total to 226,440. The death toll has reached 3,623. — Luz Wendy T. Noble

Philippines leaps to 50th place in global innovation index

By Jenina P. Ibañez, Reporter

THE Philippines moved up four spots to 50th out of 131 economies on an annual list that measures their performance in innovation, becoming one of four Asian countries with the most significant progress.

The Global Innovation Index 2020, which is prepared by Cornell University, INSEAD, and the World Intellectual Property Organization, said the Philippines joined China, Vietnam, and India as countries that have shown the biggest improvement in ranking.

The Philippines reached its highest rank so far as it breaks into the top 50, after ranking 100th as recently as 2014. In 2019, the Philippines jumped 19 spots to 54th.

Philippines improves in global innovation index ranking

The country’s innovation input jumped six places to 70th, while its innovation output climbed one spot to 41st. The former measures institutions, human capital and research, infrastructure, as well as market and business sophistication. The latter measures knowledge, technology, and creative output.

The Philippines according to the report improved the most in market sophistication, ranking 86th. It placed higher in investments (85th), mostly due to improved ease of protecting minority investors (71st).

“At the sub-pillar level, strengths for the Philippines are in trade, competition, and market scale (20th), knowledge absorption (7th), and knowledge diffusion (8th),” it said.

“Other relative strengths include indicators utility models by origin (8th), productivity growth (6th), high-tech net exports (3rd), ICT services exports (8th), firms offering formal training (7th), creative goods exports (10th), e-participation (19th), and high-tech imports (1st).”

In terms of weaknesses, the Philippines ranked 104th in regulatory environment as the cost of redundancy dismissal puts the country at 113th.

Under market sophistication, the country’s credit was at 118th, with ease of getting credit at 113th.

Science and Technology Secretary Fortunato T. dela Peña, writing a chapter in the report, said the Philippines has been working to fund more projects outside Metro Manila.

He supported the Philippine Innovation Act, which will scale up education and research, as well as the Innovative Startup Act, which incentivizes businesses working on innovative entrepreneurship.

“The need to integrate policies and programs to propel innovation initiatives in the country should follow a whole-of-government approach,” he said.

The Department of Science and Technology (DoST) in February said it planned to improve the country’s ranking through research in  key agricultural sectors like coconut and livestock.

Mr. Dela Peña had said that the department would continue to provide research support for start-ups at the development stage.

The top 10 countries in the Global Innovation Index were: Switzerland, Sweden, the United States, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, Singapore, Germany and South Korea.

Other Southeast Asian countries on the list include Malaysia (33rd), Vietnam (42nd), Thailand (44th), Brunei (71st), Indonesia (85th) and Cambodia (110th).

Philippines improves in global innovation index ranking

THE Philippines moved up four spots to 50th out of 131 economies on an annual list that measures their performance in innovation, becoming one of four Asian countries with the most significant progress. Read the full story.

Philippines improves in global innovation index ranking

NG debt swells to P9.2 T

NATIONAL GOVERNMENT (NG) debt rose by 1.2% to P9.16 trillion as of end-July, as it borrowed more to finance its coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) response and offset weak revenues amid the economic slowdown.

Data from the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) on Wednesday showed the debt portfolio was 18.5% higher than its end-December 2019 level of P7.73 trillion.

About two-thirds of the debt was sourced domestically, while 32% came from external sources.

Outstanding domestic debt edged up 1.1% to P6.25 trillion from the end-June level of P6.19 trillion, as the government availed itself of more loans and issued more local government securities.

To date, domestic debt has risen by 22% or P1.1 trillion higher since the start of 2020.

Outstanding government securities issued inched up 1.1% to P5.955 trillion from July and 13.4% up year on year.

The external debt stock hit P2.908 trillion as of end-July, up 1.5% from P2.864 trillion in June and higher by 14% from a year ago.

The increase was largely due to more loans that month worth P64 billion, pushing the outstanding foreign loans by 4.9% to P1.226 trillion. The total was 26% higher year on year.

The BTr said the debt stock rose by P18.75 billion due to the appreciation of third-currency denominated external loans, which more than offset the P38.88 billion net effect of a stronger local currency.

The Treasury said the peso appreciated to P49.114 against the greenback at the end July from P49.79 a dollar in end June.

Between January and July, the government got P280 billion ($5.7 billion) in program loans from foreign lenders and P15.05 billion ($310 million) in project loans. Proceeds from these loans will be used for the government’s pandemic response and infrastructure program.

Offshore bond issuances have reached P1.682 trillion so far, down 0.8% from a month ago but still 6.3% higher year on year.

“The total NG guaranteed obligations decreased by P1.18 billion or 0.3% month-on-month to P458.83 billion in July.,” BTr said.

The lower level of guarantees was due to the net redemption of both local and external guarantees amounting to P0.33 billion and P0.42 billion, respectively,” it added.

The government plans to borrow P3 trillion this year to plug its budget deficit, seen to hit 9.6% of gross domestic product.

It plans to maintain a 74:26 borrowing mix in favor of domestic sources to mitigate external volatilities and shocks. — B.M.Laforga

BoC beats collection goal in August

THE Bureau of Customs (BoC) on Wednesday said it surpassed its reduced collection target by nearly a third in August, although year-to-date revenues were still down as import volume continued to be affected by strict lockdown measures.

Citing preliminary data, BoC said in a statement it collected P44.631 billion last month, exceeding its P33.675-billion target by P10.96 billion. This marked the third straight month the bureau exceeded its revenue goal, which was slashed amid an economic slowdown.

“The BoC’s positive revenue collection performance (against the monthly target) is attributed to the improved valuation and intensified collection efforts of all the ports,” it said.

However, the August collection was still 16.7% lower than the P53.59 billion posted in August 2019, based on separate data from the Bureau of the Treasury.

The decline was largely due to lower import volume, Vincent Philip C. Maronilla, assistant commissioner heading the Post Clearance Audit Group and the BoC’s spokesman, said in a Viber message.

“Although the volume is starting to increase, it’s still down compared with the same period last year,” he added, without providing details.

Customs said nine of the 17 collection districts — Tacloban, Zamboanga, Aparri, Limay, Clark, Cebu, Subic, Cagayan De Oro and Davao — exceeded their targets last month.

In the eight months to August, the bureau generated P347.636 billion, 3.95% higher than its P334.44-billion target for the period but still lower by 15.5% year on year.

The impact of the strict lockdown from mid-March to May on trade volume continued to hurt the bureau’s collections, according to Mr. Maronilla.

Official data showed merchandise imports dropped by 29% from a year ago to $39.03 billion in the first half.

“We are, however, confident we can recover the deficit in the next few months,” he added.

Customs must collect P506.15 billion for the full year 2020, 6.6% less than the previous goal of P542 billion and nearly a third lower than its pre-pandemic target of P730 billion.

Much of the country was placed under a strict lockdown from mid-March to May before quarantine rules were slowly eased starting June.

Metro Manila is now under a general community quarantine until Sept. 30. — Beatrice M. Laforga

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