The eMagazine of Philippine Information Agency 10
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2016
DTI-Camiguin releases price guide for Christmas shoppers
MAMBAJAO, Camiguin – The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Camiguin Provincial Office has released the results of the December 2016 price monitoring for Noche Buena (Christmas Eve) products, the average prices of said products in the province plus the suggested retail prices (SRPs).
The list involves 11 types of products with various sizes usually purchased during the Noche Buena. These are ham, fruit cocktail, cheese, mayonnaise, keso de bola, pasta/ spaghetti, elbow and salad macaroni, spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce and creamer. Ham is within the price range of P153 to PP361 depending on the size and brand, usual sizes are from half a kilo, 800 grams and one kilograms (kg). Fruit cocktail on the other hand ranges from P45.75 to P217, with sizes from 432 grams to 3.06 kg. Salad cream prices meanwhile ranges from P41.50 to P69.50 with sizes from 250 ml to 410 ml. Cheese, which is the mainstay in the dinner table costs from P46.40 to P120 depending on the brand. Sandwich spread prices likewise ranges from P 29.00 to P170.00 with sizes from 80 ml to 470 ml. Mayonnaise, usual product paired with pasta or macaroni for a salad, price ranges from P 28.75 to P 173, sizes from 80 ml to 470 ml. Elbow and salad macaroni from P 29.50 to P 140 with sizes from 200 grams to one kg. Another mainstay in the dinner table, which children love to eat, is spaghetti. Pasta/spaghetti prices ranges from P 33 to P99 depending on the size and brand, from 400 grams to a kilo. Spaghetti is never complete without its sauce with prices ranging from P20.50 top P65.75 with size from 250 grams to a kilo. Another sauce needed is the tomato sauce
with prices ranging from P13.00 to P 80.50 with sizes from 115 grams to a kilo. DTI said Noche Buena products in the province are within the range of the SRPs set by manufacturers. It is however expected that some products are above the SRP due to the transportation costs and other factors affecting the local economy. As Noche Buena has become a traditional family dinner and feast in the country, DTI for its part wanted to ensure that the buying public would be able to get the best value for money, thus urging the people to fully utilized the price guide and benefit from it. For the complete guide visit DTI-Camiguin Provincial Office, Ground Floor, DBP Building, B. Aranas corner J.P. Rizal Streets, Poblacion, Mambajao, Camiguin or reach them at numbers (088) 3870036-37 or email at r10.camiguin.dti.gov.ph. (Varry Labial/ZMAbellare/DTI-Camiguin)
BSP launches voluntary retirement account CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) launched the Personal Equity Retirement Account (PERA) on 16 December 2016, culminating several years of preparations among government agencies and market players. As a voluntary retirement account, PERA provides an organizing framework to help Filipinos 18 years old and above prepare for their eventual retirement. The PERA law, crafted in 2008 as Republic Act 9505, provides tax benefits while instilling the saving discipline of making annual contributions to their own account. “We have been working with various government agencies and we are happy to see PERA come into fruition. PERA is certainly a major step towards improving the financial wellbeing of Filipinos,” according to BSP Governor Amando M. Tetangco Jr. Unlike existing national or corporate pension schemes, PERA does not require a deduction from one’s salary to accumulate funds. Instead, PERA relies on an individual’s decision to invest up to Php100,000 annually to prepare for retirement. The PERA law allows individuals to open up to five PERA accounts and these can be invested in specific PERAaccredited product lines. Overseas Filipino Workers are provided the additional benefit of
being able to invest up to Php200,000 annually which is twice the normal limit. “Since we have a very young population and typically strong family ties, we tend to overlook preparing for our own retirement. PERA addresses this by providing all the essential elements – from governance to products to financial literacy to incentives – so that we can properly get started,” Governor Tetangco added. Individuals who like to open their PERA will do so thru accredited PERA administrators. Upon their own choice, they can engage a PERA investment manager who can help them with investment advise. The BSP and the BIR had so far accredited Banco de Oro and Bank of the Philippine Islands as PERA institutional administrators, in addition to the 61 professionals who have passed the individual PERA accreditation examination. (BSP/APB/ PIA-10)
ARMM okays P10.1B worth of infra projects in 2017 MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur – A total of P10.1 billion worth of infrastructure projects are expected to be implemented in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) in 2017. ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman and regional legislators signed Public Works Act of 2017 on December 15, authorizing the appropriation of P10.1 billion for infrastructure projects in ARMM. The region’s Public Works and Highways department (DPWH-ARMM), through its district engineering offices, will implement the approved projects. These cover construction of major roads and bridges, water supply, seaports, shores, drainage canal, flood control, strategic infrastructure projects in support of tourism, agriculture, peace and security, public health or sanitation, and other socioeconomic development activities and those in conflict- or calamity-affected areas. The appropriation will be effective even beyond Fiscal Year 2017 until fully released, obligated, and disbursed for the purpose. The infrastructure funds will be properly distributed to the five provinces and two cities in the region. “We will make sure that all the provinces will receive development
projects from the regional government,” Gov. Hataman said. DPWH-ARMM Secretary Engr. Don Mustapha Loong noted that the implementation of the projects will be undertaken through competitive public bidding. To effectively oversee the projects, the Regional Project Monitoring Committee, inclusive of the legislative assembly members or representatives, will conduct periodic checking and validation of the status of project implementation based on the approved program of work, project specifications, and time frame of completion. (BPI/PIA-10)