04 March 2020, WalterMart Macapagal

Happy Afternoon everyone!

First of all, I’d like to thank again our partners for the second time: the WalterMart group headed by President Jennilyn Lim Uy. Maraming salamat po for this collaboration again with the Department of Trade and Industry in another important project.

This is a meaningful partnership because once again WalterMart–a private sector—is tying up with the government in another local project. Why is it important? This Go Lokal! Project, which was conceived at the end of 2016 but started 2017, was really meant to give a better chance to our Micro SMEs.

‘Yung mga produkto po nila na magaganda na nag-level up and that can really compete with imported products, nabibigyan sila ng exposure. And the exposure we are giving is for free. Alam niyo naman po when your product is sold in a supermarket, mayroon pong tinatawag na listing fee. And sa WalterMart siguro mas reasonable ang listing fee but alam niyo naman sa mga ibang supermarket milyon yan para mapasok lang ang isang produkto. I think sa WalterMart baka milyon na rin lalo na kung malaki ‘yung brand.

But this time, WalterMart is giving MSME products free entry for listing. Palakpakan po natin. Millions po ang ang pinaguusapan ditong savings para sa MSME products and they’re given huge exposure to be discovered. Unang-una, ‘yung mga consumers—ang mga suki ng Waltermart. Pangalawa, kung may naliligaw dyan na buyer ng malalaking stores, most especially ng malalaking stores sa labas, madiscover sila dito. Can you imagine the kind of business that will give to the Micro, Small and Medium entrepreneurs na biglang malaki na ‘yung order? Kahon-kahon o container-container na and that will provide shift sa negosyo ng mga Micro SMEs. And that’s the kind of opportunity that we would like to give sa mga MSMEs. Again, for free.

Kahit umupa sila ng pwesto dito na isang kiosk. Easily, siguro nasa Php 25,000 to 30,000 a month. Papayag ba sila nun times 12 ‘yun sa isang taon? So, it’s a big help po. So maraming salamat po sa pamilya ng Waltermart, kay Mr. Lim, kindly extend our gratitude, Ms. Jennilyn, sa inyo pong father na talagang very supportive po sa mga DTI projects.

I must say that this is really aligned with the program po ng DTI—not only to promote SMEs but to give back ‘yung mindset sa ating consumers to love Philippine products. Maganda ‘tong inyong campaign, “I love Philippines, Go Lokal!”. It’s really a good call to our citizens.

Ako pag bumibili ngayon, tinatanong ko, “made in Philippines ba ‘yan?” Kasi pag imported ayoko na kaya kailangan made in the Philippines. O kaya ‘pag bumibili ako pati sa sapatos “Marikina ba yan?” So, tama na ang imported.

Kasi alam niyo naman ‘pag bumili tayo ng locally manufactured, ang nagkakaron ng trabaho ay Pilipino; ang lumalakas na negosyo ay ‘yung manufacturer na Pilipino. At sino

ang ini-employ ng manufacturer na ‘yun? Mga Pilipino rin. So, we’re creating more jobs. We’re creating a livelier and stronger business sector and manufacturing sector.

Every time we talk about strengthening the manufacturing sector, nakakatulong din tayo sa trade deficit na huwag lumaki. Huwag lumaki ‘yung imports at lumakas ‘yung locally produced. It is really very important. this is just one of the many projects but definitely isa po ito sa mga na-develop po ng DTI na project that promotes the local manufacturers and also MSMEs.

And the other objective to this is we’re not just promoting locally made products. Napansin niyo the products are more creative kaya nagkakaroon ng higher value. At kakaiba rin sila. Di na siya ‘yung usual na kakanin—nothing wrong with those, masarap pa rin ‘yun—pero mas maganda na ang packaging, mas matagal na ang shelf life, at mas marami na siyang nai-employ kasi ang production niya mas mabilis na. Mas marami na ang umo-order kasi presentable at lalaban na sa imported. Kaya ‘yung may mga okasyon ditto, ‘yun na ang bibilin natin pang regalo, hindi na imported. Maganda naman talaga—presentable.

So, it’s promoting also innovation and creativity. So that’s really important para po sa amin na nagpo-promote po sa DTI ng mga Philippine-made products.

So, it’s really an inclusive project, which follows the vision of our President Rodrigo Roa Duterte na mabigyan talaga ng opportunity di lang ‘yung malalaking negosyo pero ‘yung mga maliliit din—the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises.

Kaya po nagiisip po tayo ng mga programa. Ang maganda po sa program na ito: it’s not heavily funded by the government because it is precisely in collaboration with the private sector. And that’s the reason why marami tayong kinakausap na mga partners dahil ito po ‘yung programang ‘yung private sector is the one carrying the products in their stores by giving us free space. Eventually, magkakaroon ng 35 outlets. Mas pinaganda pa nila dahil may online outlet pa. Kaya po maraming, maraming salamat.

And to our DTI Team thank you very much again for pushing this program. Lalaki pa ito. More than 200 na ‘yung entrepreneurs na natulungan na ng Go Lokal!. Ibig sabihin, ang natutulungan po nito hindi ‘yung naging negosyo na. Mas maraming SMEs ang kasali dito over 220 SMEs are now supplying Go Lokal!.

And the reason why it is very convenient kasi ang ginawa ng DTI dito is the concept itself and then we let our SMEs supply directly the stores. So, di na magulo. Hindi na gumigitna si DTI. We really make a match that will hasten ‘yung implementation ng project, wala ng pasa pasa sa maraming trader. So, from manufacturer to retail. Kaya, maraming magandang features ‘yung program.

So, we’re very happy again naging partner po kayo. And we recognize your assistance also during the crisis in the rice prices in October 2018. So, we launched something early 2019 nagbenta tayo ng high quality rice called Presyong Resonable Dapat or PRD. ‘Yun na po ‘yung precursor ng Rice Tariffication Law.

If you remember pinayagan mag-supply ng imported rice muna habang mahal pa ‘yung mga ibang bigas at importante available na ang below Php 38 na bigas when the price of rice then was around Php 48 and up per kilo.

After one year, we are now seeing that kind of price range kasi liberalized na pero meron pa siyang quality check. Ganun din ‘yung situation ng PRD: it’s benefitting ‘yung 110M Filipino consumers. And thank you for being part of that. At sa mga susunod pa na projects marami pa tayong paguusapan.

Maraming Salamat at Mabuhay po ang Waltermart!

Mabuhay ang Pilipino!