STC attended on 8 March 2023 at the DTI Ofc in Mkti the High Level Dialogue for Retailers/Mall Operators on the new Law RA 11900 on Vaporized Nicotine & Non-Nicotine Products Regulation Act & its IRR.  Presided by Usec. Ruth Castelo, explanations were provided by the new Bureau of Product Standards (BPS) Dir. Neil Catajay.

PAGASA is a member of the Int'l. Council for Small Business (Phils.) or ICSB which is on its 2nd year of activity in the Philippines. ICSB's head office is located in Washington, DC. On the eve of 3 March 2023, it inducts its Honorary Members & celebrates Women's Month. Done at the Stephen Fuller Hall of the Asian Institute of Mgt. Campus, women of significance were awarded. Guest of Honor was Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, Chair of the Ways & Means Committee, who was himself inducted as an Honorary Member. Others were Joey Concepcion, Coca Cola Phils. Pres. Antonio del Rosario, AIM Family Business Expert Prof. Enrique Soriano, former President of TV5 & Cignal TV Roberto Galang, newly-retired PAF Chief Lt. Gen. Connor Anthony Canlas, et.al.

Met at PAGASA Office on 16 February 2023 with a team from United Neon Media Group. Headed by Alex Revilla/Chief Mktg. Officer & Rey Larong (4th from left & rightmost), UNMG wanted to partner with PAGASA as they are not only into signboards these days but into integrated marketing.

On the eve of 15 February 2023 at Conrad Manila, HKETC Dir.-Gen. Sheung-yuen Lee gave the Opening Remarks even as he arrived with the Chinese Ambassador. DTI Sec. Alfredo Pascual gave his response at this Affair. Group shot (L-R) Barbie Atienza/Manila Bulletin VP for External Affairs, Pierre Curay/Pres.-Supply Chain Management Association of the Philippines, PRA's Atty. Paul Santos, PAGASA Pres. Steven T. Cua & Cora Curay (mother of Pierre & former Pres.-SCMAP). The HKETC is based in Singapore.

On 8 February 2023, the DTI finally approved the request of manufacturers whose products are included in the former's List of SRPs for price increaes. DTI was notified of some of these 70+ requests from as early as two-three months ago. But still, the DTI did not give full consent to all requests.

This resulted in a barage of media interviews for PAGASA. From Ted Failon and DJ Chacha of Failon Ngayon to DWIZ Ronda Pilipinas' Judith Laraño and Mara Villa to Angel Lagunzad of ONENews, Shyla Francisco over TV5 News to Lakay Rolly Gonzalo of the Liga ng Brodkasters ng Pilipinas Forum, DZBB's Henry Atuelan and finally to veteran newscaster Alvin Elchico who just had to catch PAGASA's STC in person even while he was home at their garden.

In the afternoon of 8 February 2023, STC joined the Conference Organizing Committee online Meeting of PRA for 2023's edition of the National Retail Conference and Exhibition. NRCE is scheduled again for August this year. NRCE Chair is still Donnie Tantoco of Rustans while Conference Chair is Gregory Lim of BLIMS (atop). Ten members of this Committee included owners & officers of Bayo, Ayala Malls, Alfamart, etc. Brainstorming on the theme, topics and potential speakers took place.

PAGASA was represented by William Villanueva and STC on 8 February 2023 to the online presentation by the National Ecology Center on the Internal Rules and Regulations of the Extended Producers Responsibilty. A series of meetings attended by PAGASA led to this output.

This Law was passed on 12 Aug. 2022. Obliged Enterprises (entities with at least P100M in sales per year & voluntarily for those smaller than these which have plastic parts/packaging of their manufactured goods to recover after use by consumers) are required to submit their EPR Programs by 12 Feb. 2023 to the National Ecological Center (i.e., 6 mos. after the bill was enacted into law). They also have to submit EPR Compliance & Audit Reports (ECAR) regularly to the National Ecology Center after registration. Close to 1,000 members joined this Zoom Meet.

The Packaging Institute of the Phils. (PiP) initiated a Luncheon Meeting on 2 February 2023 for stakeholders to hold an FGD on the recently passed bill on Extended Producers Responsibility (EPR) regarding relegation of the collection of used plastic containers/packaging/sachet packs to brand owners. At this Meeting held in Richmonde Hotel Ortigas Center were the officers-elect of PiP, Philippine Plastic Industries Assn. (PPIA), Philippine Association of Food Technologists (PAFT), Global Systems 1 (GS1), Chamber of Cosmetics Industries of the Philippines (CCIP) & PAGASA.

PAGASA held its 1st quarter General Meeting on 1 February 2023 at Magdamag Cafè along Sgt. Esguerra Avenue in Quezon City. Discussed were the trends and new developments in the food retail industry. The newly-passed Expanded Producers Responsibility (EPR) Law where manufacturers are supposed to collect their used packaging (especially for sachets and plastics) was also heavily discussed. Amendments to the Consumer Act of the Philippines was another current concern of the Association. PAGASA is part of the two Technical Working Groups (TWGs) as set up by the House of Representatives currently working on the Internal Rules and Regulations (IRR) on the last two issues. Special thanks go to Diana Ang/AllDay who brought with her their COO Ms. Jacqueline B. Cano. The same goes to Maricel F./Raymond Escuadro & Melanie Fadul-Lucido of M&W Town Stores who attended and whom members have  missed all these years!

PAGASA was invited late afternoon of 27 January 2023 to the Studio Center of TV5 in Mandaluyong to tape for an episode of "The Chiefs" with former TV5 VP, Editor-in-Chief of Businessworld & anchor of the Program Roby Alampay and Philstar's Ana Marie "Amy" Pamintuan.