On product safety

Last Sunday, we echoed a challenge to the local soy sauce manufacturing sector in the wake of growing concerns over the safety of their product. The worries were triggered by increasing awareness regarding the possible presence of a carcinogenic substance in soy sauce products called 3-monochloropropane or 3-MCPD.

We said this food safety issue has important business implications and that the row may have pushed a Japanese soy sauce brand into the limelight because it is “safe”. This is not good for the local soy sauce industry. Keep in mind, Filipinos today are more than willing to pay the extra cost of quality – and more important, of food safety.

Related to this, local soy sauce manufacturer Nutriasia, which produces the Datu Puti brand called attention to the apparent “unfairness” triggered by the attention given to the Japanese brand.

According to Nutriasia, independent laboratory tests have shown that Datu Puti is safe like the Japanese brand and that its safety levels are compliant with international standards.

Nutriasia may have missed the earlier media articles on this issue. These articles said that Datu Puti was shown safe by independent laboratory tests. It is admittedly in the same league as the Japanese brand in terms of product safety.

Media may have created impressions that it is batting for the Japanese brand. We wish to assure Nutriasia that this is not so. Media simply acknowledges a good thing when it sees one. And safe food products fall in that category.

Local manufacturers who sincerely believe that their soy sauce products meet the same standards should speak out the same way Nutriasia is doing. This initiative is good for the local business community and the country as a whole.

In fact, media is baffled by the long silence of local manufacturers after the 3-MCPD issue cropped up. They should have spoken up to defend their products.

That is, if their products are truly safe.

We repeat our strong suggestion that the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) order local manufacturers to do so. And right away.

LRay in the spotlight anew

Camarines Sur Gov. LRay Villafuerte should know better than to put a fellow politician on the spot.

We don’t know for sure who is telling the truth or who is lying.

The story all started when LRay, in an interview with Bicol radio broadcasters Ed Ventura and Al Obana, said in Bicolano that House Rep. Golez, without specifying which one, apologized to him for supporting the bill (HB 4820) creating the province of Nueva Camarines and that Golez withdrew his signature from the bill which was passed unanimously by the House of Representatives 229-1.

Obana and Ventura then contacted Reps. Roilo and Anthony Golez to verify the veracity of LRay’s assertions, or lack thereof. 

Roilo told the two that he had not talked to LRay, much more to apologize and to say to the governor that he was withdrawing his vote for HB 4820.

Roilo stressed that his experience with his home province Romblon was that it progressed when it was detached from Capiz, something which he sees also happening to Nueva Camarines with its separation from Camarines Sur.  

Obana and Ventura then put LRay on air anew and confronted him regarding Roilo’s outright denial. He then said he was referring to the other Golez, Anthony.

The two then rang up Rep. Anthony who said he did not withdraw his vote.

Is LRay being careless with his statements?

Along with lone dissenter Rep. Salvio Fortuno, LRay earlier claimed that HB 4820 creating the new province was not subjected to public hearings and debates. But House local government committee chair Rep. George Arnaiz reminded LRay and Fortuno that they even brought busloads of their supporters to the May 31 and June 7 hearings.

LRay and Fortuno also asserted that HB 4820 has no support from local executives of Camarines Sur, despite the fact that 24 of the 35 mayors of the province said at the June 7 hearing that they support the bill.

And there’s that claim of LRay that 2.3 million tourists visited CamSur in 2010, higher than his earlier claim that a total of 1.8  million tourists visited the province last year.

Gov’t printing saga continues

The APO Production Unit is facing another controversy, this time involving the award of a multi-million peso contract to a neophyte printer.

APO reportedly accredited firm E.P. based in Valenzuela which in turn allegedly used a dummy corporation, HFP, a neophyte company from Laguna.

It was learned that the E.P. cannot be directly used for the multi-million contact because it is also allegedly negotiating with the National Printing Office (NPO).

Earlier, APO alleged that the NPO subcontracts several printing jobs to private printers and yet it also uses the said method for their operation.

APO incurred about P1.1 billion losses in 2008 and P1.2 billion in 2009. And despite assurances that there will be no merger with NPO, employees of the latter are worried that there will be.

And by the way, since APO Production is now a government-owned and controlled corporation, shouldn’t their officials and employees be subjected to government eligibility requirements as well as COA rules and regulations?

Not so hidden agenda

Global energy brand Caltex celebrated its 75th birthday recently with elderly residents of Hospicio de San Jose. More than 75 former and current Caltex employees and business partners volunteered their time to have fun and hang-out for half a day with the elderly Hospicio residents, almost half of whom are 75 years old and above. The event is just one of the many activities Chevron Philippines Inc. (CPI), owner and marketer of the Caltex brand, has lined up for the communities it cares for in connection with Caltex’s 75th anniversary. According to CPI policy, government, and public affairs manager Raissa Bautista, this celebration fosters the spirit of volunteerism among Caltex employees, past and present.

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