Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development

Recent OECD Observer articles by civil society authors

Progress, what progress?
By Joseph Stiglitz, Professor, Columbia University
The global economic crisis has focused minds on restoring growth. But does growth necessarily mean progress?
http://www.oecdobserver.org/news/fullstory.php/aid/2793/Progress,_what_progress_.html

A stress test for the OECD?
By John Sweeney, President of the AFL-CIO and Trade Union Advisory Committee to the OECD
To be useful in helping countries to move out of the crisis, it is necessary for the OECD to look at its own history as an organisation and draw the right lessons for the future.
http://www.oecdobserver.org/news/fullstory.php/aid/2977/A_stress_test_for_the_OECD_.html

Water and the economic crisis   
Back to Basics
By Jack Moss, Chair of BIAC Water Group & Senior Water Advisor, AquaFed
Water, is as essential to human activity as air. When cities or societies neglect water, they face collapse.
http://www.oecdobserver.org/news/fullstory.php/aid/2845/Water_and_the_economic_crisis.html

A transparent roadmap to recovery
By Huguette Labelle, Chair, Transparency International
Governments must put transparency and accountability at the heart of all rescue and reform measures if they are to regain public trust and investor confidence.
http://www.oecdobserver.org/news/fullstory.php/aid/2959/A_transparent_roadmap_to_recovery.html


Source:  OECD Civil Society Newsletter No. 14 - 06/09/2009  / OECD Website
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) brings together the governments of countries committed to democracy and the market economy from around the world to:
 - Support sustainable economic growth
 - Boost employment
 - Raise living standards
 - Maintain financial stability
 - Assist other countries' economic development
 - Contribute to growth in world trade

For more than 40 years, OECD has been one of the world's largest and most reliable sources of comparable statistics and economic and social data. As well as collecting data, OECD monitors trends, analyses and forecasts economic developments and researches social changes or evolving patterns in trade, environment, agriculture, technology, taxation and more.


The Batangas Province Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (BPCCI) subscribes to the OECD newsletter for updates and materials.
Batangas Action for Services and Development (BASeD).

Philippine Travel Mart in its 20th year

The Philippine Travel Mart is currently ongoing (Sept. 4-6, 2009) at the SM Megatrade Halls, MegaMall in Mandaluyong City.

The event is organized by the Philippine Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA) in cooperation with DOT, PAGCOR and Philippine Airlines.  The Travel Mart is supported by the Department of Tourism, Philippine Tourism Authority, Philippine Gaming Corporation, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, Clark Development Corporation, Philippine Airlines, Primer, Chase Technologies, Hop On-Hop Off. Media Partners are Manila Bulletin, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Philippine Star, Travel Update, Foreign Post, Homestyle, Travel Plus, Travelife, Expat Publications, Market Square, GoodNewsPilipinas and ANC.

I paid the regular entrance fee of P50.00 and then went to the Press entrance for the Press kit - as the Batangas Satellite Office Representative of BuyandSell Magazine and the Finders Group (Car Finder, Property Finder, Job Finder, Bike Finder) and of course our very own BPCCI Chonicle.  I also submit event pictures and articles to Batangas local newspapers - which could have saved me the Fifty Pesos entrance fee if I asked sooner.

Batangas Province has a booth in the Philippine Travel Mart where you can have a free taste of  Cafe de Lipa's Kapeng Barako.  Manning the booth was none other than our good friend Teody Aguila of Merlo Commodities.  There are also products handmade by the Batangas City Jail inmates, the products of the SMEs assisted by the Office of the (Batangas) City Veterinarian and Agriculture Services (OCVAS) and other producsts like Bagoong Balayan, Batangas Honey from Lipa City, Atchara from Calaca and other foodstuffs.

Some of our Batangas travel-related companies we saw participating in the exhibit are:  Hotel PonteFino, Hotel La Corona, Atrium Hotel - Microtel Batangas.

The event press release is entitled:  Beyond the usual... experience at the 20th Philippine Travel Mart"
     " A ferry cruise on the Pasig River, a walking culinary tour of Binondo, vegetable picking in an organic farm in Batangas, a bacchanalian feast in Pampanga ... beyond the usual tour and travel packages...

Indeed, the travel organizers are coming up with exciting and out-of-the-usual iteneraries.  I have been receiving regular e-mail messages from the Environmental Leaders which features two-to-three day trekking tours, tree planting tours, learn-scuba-diving packages and even madcap tours for the adventurous - all for just cost-plus.  They designate a meeting place and time for those who booked the tours and voila ! you're on your way with a group of people you're bound-to and will share meals with  for the next 2-3 days.  A good way of finding new friends with the same interests.

What we really need in Batangas are regular land tours which we can offer to the travel agencies, resort visitors and hotel guests in packages.  Something like:  Diving Lessons Saturdays, Heritage Tour Mondays, Religious Tours Tuesdays, Industrial Plants Wednesdays, Volcano Trekking Thursdays,  where the tour leaves at a specified time and place on a permanent basis, whether there are 50 bookings, 10 or none at all. 

But then again, this project does not seem a highly profitable venture for a businessman.  With all the hassles the businessmen have been getting with registering companies, complying with regulations and the amount of taxes they have to pay - it is no wonder for the higly skilled and talented Batanguenos to just go work abroad and for those left behind to just sit on their verandahs and terraces "kukuya-kuyakoy" and wait for remittances.

Batangas Action for Services and Development - CSR Initiatives

The following are some of the Professional and Business Groups already existing in Batangas which we are aware of: 1. The Batangas Province Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (BPCCI) is an organization of businessmen and company official representatives. Membership is open only to those whose businesses are duly registered with the appropriate regulatory body and has a permit to operate. (www.batangaschamber.com) 2. The Philippine Marketing Association (PMA), Batangas Chapter is an organization of marketing, promotion and advertising professionals who either represents their company, or are employed by a company with a Marketing or Promotions Department. 3. The Batangas Industrial Security Alliance (BISA) is a group of Security Professionals and Security Officers representing the Industrial and Manufacturing Firms which are mostly situated along the coastal areas of Batangas Province. They are now trying to attract more members from the Industrial Estate locators and inland towns. 4. The People's Management Association of the Philippines (PMAP) Calabarzon Chapter is an organization of companies and their management executives engaged or interested in human resource management (HRM) and industrial relations (IR) work. With the above groups: trade and commerce / investments ; marketing and promotions / advertisements ; peace and order and industrial peace / security ; human resources management and industrial relations / labor and employment -- are properly addressed. Most of the ordinary / rank-and-file personnel cannot gain entry into these groups. Some micro-small-medium enterprises (MSMEs) cannot also gain entry into these groups,. The membership fees and dues may also be beyond their means. The Batangas Action for Services and Development - CSR (BASeD) is now being organized to admit members from the rank-and-file or from Batangas OFWs who want to contribute their time and effort to address CSR Initiatives and concerns of the small-and-medium enterprises in Batangas Province. We have received pledges from companies for some of their employees to join BASeD as soon as it is registered. If you have a group, non-profit organization which is related to industry, business, enterprise, trade and commerce, and other economic activities and you want to network with us, please feel free to get in touch. We have been organizing a database since 2004 and we would appreciate your help and feedback. We have four e-mails which are batangascham and batangaschamber with yahoo.com and gmail.com extensions.