STC addresses the General Membership Meeting of the Caterers Association of the Philippines which was held at the World Trade Center’s Main Function Room on 6 September 2018. STC invites this HORECA market to try out buying from PAGASA Members which do wholesale in operations.

 

Food & Drinks Asia 2018 took place at the World Trade Center from 6-9 Sept. 2018. Key note speaker was Sen. Cynthia Villar and PAGASA Pres. Steven Cua was among the VIPs at the Opening Ceremonies as it was in the previous years. This Show is back-to-back with the show AsiaFood which takes place just a week after it. 

 

On 26 August 2018, PAGASA’s Directors Robert Go of the Prince Retail Group and Mykel Teodoro of Velamart guested in the weekly tele-radyo program Talk.Shop.Asia at the studios of Inquirer in Makati. They shared the latest developments in food retail with Program Host Rolly Pagaspas and the other guests.

 

STC is interviewed on national television on 24 Aug. 2018 regarding consumer reaction on the constant price increase in alcoholic beverages as sanctioned by law.

PAGASA Pres. Steven T. Cua was invited to join a Seminar on the Phil. Competition Act for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the Phils. on 23 August 2018 at the Lecture Room of the Bocobo Hall of the U.P. Law Center inside its campus. This was organized in cooperation with the Australian National Univ.  Phil. Proj. Team. Hosted by Nicholas Felix L. Ty/Dir.-Institute Of Gov’t. and Law Reform of U.P. and Gwen G. de Vera-Team Leader of ANU-PPT.

 

Day 2 of NRCE 2018 on 10 Aug. 2018 showed some creative speakers from Spain on retailing as well as Amazon’s take on retail of the future. Among PAGASA Officers/Members attending NRCE ’18 are Prince Retail Group’s Robert Go, Candice Megamart’s Edna Ontiveros, Velamart’s Myke Teodoro, San Roque Supermarket’s Dustin Uy and Country Gaisano’s Alexis Gaisano.

 

On 10 August 2018, PAGASA held its 3/Q General Dinner Meeting at Epilogue Japanese/European Cuisine inside S’Maison, Conrad Hotel Complex. Host was i-ripple’s Victor Javier. We invited A.C. Nielsen’s Patrick Cua and Mr. Chi Lam of Bingo Box Beijing to join us at this Affair.

 

 

The annual National Retailers Conference and Exhibition (NRCE) held at the SMX on 9-10 Aug. 2018 was well attended. Keynote Speaker for this year is Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat who spoke on retail sales gained via tourists. STC had his photo-op with Wilcon Depot’s Chairman William Bello w/his daughter & Wilcon Pres./CEO Lorainne Bello-Cincochan who gave a talk at said Conference. Mr. Bello was recently awarded the Retailer of the Year Award. STC also visited the exhibits and said hello to the Mutya ng Pilipinas Winners for 2018.

 

At the Supermarket Break-Out Session of NRCE 2018 on Day 1, PAGASA was the organizer for the Session with A.C. Nielsen’s Dir. Patrick Cua packing the crowds in. The other speakers were James Cruz for systems and Mr. Chi Lam of Bingo Box, Beijing for operations of the unmanned supermarkets. STC hosted said affair on the afternoon of 9 Aug. 2018.

 

On 8 August 2018, the National Price Coordinating Council called for another Meeting to check on supply and prices of basic necessities and prime commodities. Year-to-date inflation up to July 2018 is 4.5%; a bit higher than targeted by the BSP due to a slight devaluation of the Peso, increased cost of raw materials by manufacturers, Inclement weather,  increase in electricity and water rates and increase in jeepney fares.