School supply makers urged to keep prices low
By Ma. Elisa P. Osorio
The Philippine Star Business Column
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) yesterday called on manufacturers of school supplies to keep prices reasonable for the coming school year.
“DTI is set to meet with the manufacturers, importers and retailers of school supplies to assure quality, reasonable price and sufficient supply of school materials for the coming school year. It will look into the prices of raw materials such as paper to assess the prevailing retail prices of notebook, school pads and other school materials,” Trade Secretary Gregory L. Domingo said.
“The start of summer school break prompts the Department to prepare for the upcoming peak sale season of school supplies in order to avert unfair trade practices jacking up prices with the surge in demand of said goods and proliferation of substandard and unsafe school supplies,” he added.
For her part, Consumer Welfare Undersecretary Zenaida Maglaya said the DTI will also step up its monitoring activities for school supplies not only to check on the prices but also to ensure compliance of manufacturers and importers with specific quality standards and labeling requirements.
There are existing Philippine National Standards (PNS) for school supplies and paper products such as crayons, pencils, erasers, ball point pens, marker pens, notebook, pad papers, etc., that specify the classification, physical and chemical properties, performance and labeling of a product.
For instance, crayons should be classified as regular or jumbo, should not easily break or bend on certain pressure and temperature, and should be labeled as “non-toxic” to signify that its chemical contents meet the allowed toxicity level of the standard.
Product labels are important to guide consumers in choosing affordable, safe and reliable school supplies that is worth their money. Required markings include name and address of manufacturer, trade or brand name, type or size, country of manufacture, quantity, toxicity warning and instruction for use. Other specific markings are grammage and number of leaves for notebooks and school pads, hardness symbol for lead pencils, and tip classification for ball point pens.
Non-conformance of manufacturers, importers and retailers to the standard and labeling requirements is a violation of the Republic Act 7394 or Consumer Act of the Philippines and the Standards Law. Those found not complying with the said standards shall face administrative charges, which includes a maximum fine of P300,000 per violation.
REACTION
Everything in the economy and even in this world needs balance. Yes, it is very important for the law of supply and demand, for the quantity and the price of each product and the side of the consumers in buying or purchasing a certain product, but if there is also poorness in the quality of a product then there could be no balance.
As I have also experienced of becoming a customer, I make sure to it that the item I buy has the best quality regardless of the price or shall I say how expensive it may be. For me, I do not mind the price of the product as long as it gives satisfaction in terms of its quality but if the product is very expensive and yet has poor quality then it is not worth the money.
We are aware that summer is about to end and another school year would start on June. Many consumers, most especially parents, would line up on malls and school supply stores of course to buy school supplies for the kids. In relation to the article above, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) sees to it that each school supply is worth buying. Because of the market condition of the fast approaching school year, demand for school supplies would increase therefore, the supply should also be sufficient for the buyers.
The disadvantage of this is that retailers, sellers or school supplies manufacturers would take advantage with the peak season. They would probably make the prices higher than the standard price of the item so that they could have more earnings. DTI watches the manufacturers and importers not to over price their products since the consumers would also want low prices due to the peak season. In line with this, DTI also made regulations and requirements for manufacturers and consumers to assure quality products for the consumers to enjoy. These are obliged by the DTI not only to assure the consumers the quality but also the safeness of the products since majority is to be used by the children.
See how important balance is in the society? The manufacturers should not just make concerns or themselves but to the consumers above all, because without the consumers, the produces could not also have earnings. I could really say that both players are really important in the economy, that without the other, one would not survive.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Japanese Bizniz!
Gov't should invite Japan
firms to relocate here- Ty
By JESS DIAZ
The Phillipine Star Thursday, March 17, 2011
A party-list representative urged the Aquino administration
yesterday to invite disaster-stricken Japanese companies to
relocate their facilities here.
"Many Japanese multinational firms that make cars and
electronic products already operate here. We should persuade
them to expand their manufacturing activities here," Rep. Arnel
Ty of the party-list group LPG Marketers Association said.
The temporary or permanent relocation here of these companies'
operations would enable them to restore their production for the
global market, while providing badly needed jobs to thousands of
Filipinos who remain jobless, he said.
The National Statistics Office earlier reported that the more than
10 million able-bodied Filipinos are now either totally without jobs
(2.91 million), or underemployed and desperately looking for more
work (7.1 million).
Large Japanese manufacturers such Sony Corp., Toyota Motor Corp.,
Honda Motor Corp., Nissan Motor Corp., Toshiba Corp., and Canon Inc.
have closed many plants throughout Japan, which is reeling from the
devastation caused by the massive March 11 earthquake and tsunami.
Many parts of Japan also continue to stagger from three-hour daily
rotating brownouts, with the continued shutdown of a number of nuclear
power plants.
Up to one-third of Japan's electricity is generated by nuclear power plants,
some of which have been severely damaged and have pushed Japan on
the brink of a nuclear catastrophe.
Citing Securities and Exchange Commission data, Ty said a total of 110
Japanese firms are among the 1,000 largest corporations in the Philippines
in terms of annual gross revenues.
REACTION
"Many Japanese multinational firms that make cars and electronic products already operate here. We should persuade them to expand their manufacturing activities here." This statement that was said by Rep. Arnel Ty of the party-list group LPG Marketers Association would strongly describe how an economy, whether how rich or how poor it may be, could be moved because of a certain calamity. Even though Japan, as observed by many, is prepared by any massive calamity that would strike them, I could still say that an economy could be still damaged especially by any natural calamities just like the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that had struck Japan.
Personally I agree with Rep. Tan’s statement that Japan would invest and put up business firms in our country since many of large companies were closed due to the shutting down of a number of nuclear power plants which is the somehow the source of their electric energy. If Japan would put up business firms in our country, there could be a possibility that they could recover their losses of capitals and investments; not only these, they could also help many Filipino people who remain jobless.
Japanese business men could temporarily locate their corporations in our place so that somehow they could cope up on what the calamity had negatively brought them. I also agree that building permanently their business in our country could also contribute more to their business firms since there are also many Filipinos who patronize their products such as cars and cameras. I also believe it would also help our country boost its economic stability since other countries would hear that Japan, a country know of its economic strength and technological influence, would make business and place more large multinational companies in the Philippines. Because of Japan’s permanent or assumingly temporary relocation of business firms in our country, many Filipinos would be thankful to them since many jobs could be opened.
Therefore, if I were Japanese, I would choose to place companies in the Philippines. As a businessman, it would help my company to gain the losses that I had and I could certainly give jobs to Filipinos. In addition, because of my investments, I could help the Philippines boost their economic stability by also inviting business firms from other countries.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Economic Cancer
ARTICLE
REACTION
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 04/05/2011 9:55 PM
Source URL: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/metro-manila/04/05/11/decision-metro-manila-wage-hike-out-soon
MANILA, Philippines – Workers in Metro Manila will know on or before May 1 if they will get a wage increase, Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said on Tuesday.
Speaking to ANC, Baldoz said the new figures on inflation will be one of the factors to consider before the regional wage board convenes and issues a decision.
She also said that more than 1,000 repatriated overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from Libya have secured jobs in other countries.
Baldoz, however, said there are still jobs in the Philippines for OFWs who decide to remain in the country.
“We are talking about more than 3,000 OFWs out of total of 8,000 deployed by recruitment agencies who have job orders outside libya,” she said.
“We have 1,200 on the table for processing and for redeployment, the rest we still qualify them for other jobs. We expect them, those who desire to stay here they can, [to find jobs]. We have a mining industry that needs engineers,” Baldoz added.
Truly, everything is connected in the economy! Products, jobs, wages and even life could be affected by any change in the economic flow. It is not just all about money, money, money! But most importantly how money could affect lives most importantly people who are under the pressure of having jobs.
The article above (especially the first line) demonstrates how people, more importantly, the workers need money. For me, it could be interpreted in two ways: First, the statement “Workers in Metro Manila will know on or before May 1 if they will get a wage increase…” would somehow arouse the spirit of despair or shall I say hopelessness for the workers that on the Labor Day, a day to give gratitude to our workers, there ‘could’ be no increase on wages. What if there is no still news before May 1 or the day itself? Will there still be a hope for the workers that the government would grant the increase of wages on the coming days? The second idea for the statement is giving the workers the virtue of patience, faith and even the financial security that on their very day (Labor Day) or before, there would be an announcement that wages would be increased. If this would happen, the workers would somehow enjoy financial security.
Furthermore, this statement awakens the society, the ‘world’ of labor or shall I say the whole economy that because of the uncontrollable increase of prices, especially the important commodities, inflation would take place in the economy. When prices increase, the demands increase, production of goods and services would increase, wages would increase, and if these would happen, there is a tendency that businesses and companies would terminate workers or their employees due to the increase of the demand of wages of the workers since all prices are rising. Higher demand for wages could be asked to balance and sustain the need of the workers to cope up with the increase of the prices of the products.
The article also shows how hard it is to work abroad or to be an OFW (Oversees Filipino Worker). The war in Libya had caused many Filipinos to come back in the country and because of that many had left their jobs. On the other hand it is still relieving to know that more than 1,000 Filipinos had secured work in other countries. Because of what happened in Libya, the rage of the citizens against the government, the whole world was affected because they are also a big source of our products like the oil. Prices had been increasing because of this conflict, that is why inflation had taken place in our country and I believe for other places as well.
How frustrating it is to think deeply of our economy’s status. A single change would be a change for all may it be in the positive or negative aspect. An economic problem such as the word “inflation” is like the disease of cancer. Slowly it eats up your cells killing you every single day. Increase of prices and demands slowly puts away the healthy parts of an economy which is balance or equality. It may not be seen but its pain could be felt at the highest stage. If I am the economy right now who is experiencing inflation, waiting for wage increase grants and other related economic problems, I would definitely shout at the top of my lungs so as to let all the burdens go and to be heard by the humanity.
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