Gearing up for the difficult times

Two of the country’s biggest and most powerful umbrella associations recently held their general membership meetings to discuss their plans for 2009.

The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) met en banc to discuss, not only their plans for 2009 but to assess the current global situation which has caused a formidable neighbor in the region, Japan, to slide into recession.

The PCCI has always maintained that the Philippines has luckily been spared the brunt of this phenomenal economic problem. So far, anyway. Moody and Fitch of London seems to bear this out with their latest ratings of the Philippines. Fitch, for one, is not known to be very generous with their ratings, so this is speaking volumes for us at this point. Bloomberg has also cited the Philippines along with China as the most resilient economies in Asia.

But the signs are very troubling indeed. The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) issues very safe numbers insofar as the unemployment rates are concerned, but the dailies report more and more lays-off in significant numbers everyday.

The smaller call centers have folded up. Though the BPOs are still widely considered as our biggest revenue generators, business opportunities for many of these companies have dried up. Still, if you talk with the learned fellows at the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the BPOs and the rest of the e-services sector have caused us to be resilient amid the global crisis. BPO providers and ICT global companies still look at the Philippines as a viable destination for new business and expansion. With a shifting economic landscape, I hope we can seize the opportunity. With properly harnessed human resources, the right business can even move beyond your current borders. Even in these times, global off-shoring can still be lucrative. The Philippines is still competitive in the ITO sector.

The recent e-Services Global Sourcing conference and exhibit served as a fountainhead of ideas in the information technology arena. They discussed the trends and opportunities for the country’s BPO sector for 2009, new ideas in software delivery services, export trade development for software development, embedded systems development and IC design, video game production and development, animation, transcription services and health information management in the light of the US recession.

Back to PCCI. The association is working hand in hand with TESDA and other entities to push for programs that will help our laid-off kababayans, especially the OFWs. Many of these OFWs come from Taiwan who has reacted very quickly to the global threat and promptly dismissed their household help as the first measure of belt-tightening.

The programs are aimed to help us be more competitive as workers, teaching skills even to college graduates who are unable to find work even with their diplomas.

The PCCI is also looking at educating our young people on the benefits of going entrepreneurial. Come April, our diploma mills will be busy churning out more and more diplomas which will end up framed and useless. They will mostly add to the growing number of the unemployed, unless we change our mindset.

Incidentally, the PCCI’s role in the disposition of the P100-billion stimulus package was also touched on. Actually, with an additional P200 billion in budget pump-priming, the total package comes out to P300 billion. A staggering amount, by any measure. This is supposed to address the significant lays-off in the labor force, and fund the infrastructure for vital projects this year. The multiplier effect which the ordinary layman does not see will work wonders for the economy, if handled efficiently. With the hawkish eyes of our business leaders on the direct application of this humongous fund, I sure hope the long sticky arms of corruption do not find their way into the system.

The other association that held its first general membership meeting for 2009 was the Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA).

Under its new president, Ms. Paz Alberto, PTAA has plans of unifying the association with other associations worldwide. They are also policing their ranks by certifying their travel agents through strict accreditation, so it would be wise to look for the PTAA accreditation before dealing with any travel agency.

The industry is feeling the pinch. In a recent meeting in Hanoi, the travel agents discussed how leisure travel has dropped significantly. Thailand was badly hit as a result of that airport-closing incident last year, and they are still reeling like Vietnam and India.        

But the one factor that they maintain is hurting them is the fuel surcharge added on by airlines.  This surcharge has not budged despite the big drop in global oil prices. Why?

Congratulations on the PTAA’s travel tour expo at the Mall of Asia scheduled for Feb. 6 to 8. Catch it while you can because they promise to give fantastic bargains.

Gun buffs haven in Davao

Congratulations too to NASHE ENTERPRISES for the opening of their 5th Guns and Ammo store at the 3rd level A, Gaisano Mall, J.P. Laurel Ave., Bajada, Davao City. Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte himself graced the opening, together with Nashe’s valued and loyal customers who relished viewing the top-of- the-line imported firearms. I know how it feels. Gun enthusiasts, collectors and sportsmen feel like they’re kids in Disneyland.

Incidentally, Nashe also processes licenses to own firearms including renewals and permits to carry firearms. For any assistance, just look Ms. Jane Roxas, the lovely, very amiable and accommodating lady who owns and runs the Nashe Enterprises. Firearms either for self-defense or sports are indeed Nashe’s forte. 

Mabuhay!!! Be proud to be Filipino.

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