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Government

PHILIPPINES NOW MAKING 25-M FACE MASKS A MONTH – DTI

The Philippines has ramped up its capacity to locally produce face masks amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, an official from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said. “In fact, our local supply now reaches 25 million, from about 7 million to 8 million combined capacity of MedTecs and Yokoisada,” DTI Undersecretary Ceferino […]

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Government

URGENT PASSAGE OF STIMULUS PACKAGE VS COVID-19 CRISIS NEEDED – LOPEZ

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is seeking the urgent passage of the proposed Philippine Economic Stimulus Act of 2020 (PESA), which aims to provide immediate assistance to workers and businesses and help the economy recover from the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. “We affirm the need to help sustain the […]

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Government

GOV’T TO OFFER MSMES ZERO-INTEREST LOANS – LOPEZ

Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) will be offered zero-interest loans under the Philippine Economic Stimulus Act (PESA) bill, government officials said. “If we’re able to get zero-cost funding, that’s the fund that we can lend at zero percent also. And then out of that funding, we will just ask for administration fee. So that’s […]

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Politics

DTI, BOI MUST WORK DOUBLE TIME IN ATTRACTING INVESTORS SET TO EXIT CHINA – VILLAFUERTE

Deputy Speaker Lray Villafuerte is calling on the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Board of Investments (BOI) to work double-time in conducting roadshows abroad to attract foreign investors set on leaving China to relocate to the Philippines. Villafuerte at the same time called on the Senate to approve the state economic team’s modified version of the […]

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Government

ALCOHOL, FACE MASK SUPPLIES STABLE – LOPEZ

Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez said the supply and demand situation for alcohol and face masks has already stabilized. In an interview on ANC recently, Lopez said there are now available supplies of alcohol in drugstores and supermarkets while retailers can already increase the number of face masks that can be […]

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Government

PRICES OF GOODS REVERT TO SRP AFTER END OF 60-DAY NATIONWIDE PRICE FREEZE – LOPEZ

Prices of basic items have reverted to their suggested retail prices (SRPs) effective Saturday with the end of the 60-day nationwide price freeze, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said. For SRPs of manufactured basic goods, these will be based on the DTI SRP bulletin dated 30 September 2019.  “The lifting of the price […]

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Government

UP TO 78% OF EMPLOYEES ALLOWED TO WORK UNDER MECQ – LOPEZ

Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said more employees can go back to their jobs under a modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ). “So, total around 75 to 78 percent [are] allowed to work under MECQ,” Lopez stressed. “There will be new quarantine status of regions, provinces, and cities starting May 16.” President Rodrigo Duterte announced the new […]

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Government

DA LAUNCHES ‘SEAFOOD KADIWA’ – DAR

To bring quality and affordable fish and aquatic products to residents in Metro Manila and other urban areas in the country amid the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) being enforced to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the Department of Agriculture (DA) has launched “isDA On-the-Go” and the “Seafood Kadiwa” to complement its […]

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Government

PH EXCLUDED FROM IPR PIRACY WATCHLIST FOR 7TH YEAR – LOPEZ

Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez commended the 12-member National Committee on Intellectual Property Rights (NCIPR), which he leads, for the seven-year exclusion of the Philippines from the counterfeiting and piracy watchlist of the United States Trade Representative (USTR). This, according to Lopez, is a positive positioning that helps ensure the country’s […]

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Government

94% OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES TO OPEN UNDER GCQ – LOPEZ

About 94 percent of economic activities will resume under a general community quarantine (GCQ), Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez has assured. But Lopez said companies are still encouraged to implement work-from-home arrangements even when most of the economic activities has returned under GCQ.  The trade chief said the remaining 6 percent of economic activities that are not […]