DTI asks FDA to help bakers register their products

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has asked the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to help bakers speed up their application for Certificate of Product Registration (CPR), a document necessary for flour importation.

In a letter to FDA director Suzette Lazo, DTI director and head of the National Price Coordinating Council (NPCC) Secretariat Victorio Mario A. Dimagiba said that the NPCC has already requested FDA to cut short the processing time for CPR to 30 days from the original three months.

“We are respectfully endorsing to you the request of Simplicio Umali President and General Manager of Gardenia Bakeries Philippines Inc. to speed up the issuance of a CPR for their flour importation,” Dimagiba’s letter stated.

Likewise, the letter said that Umali has already notified FDA last Oct. 3 regarding their planned importation from Indonesia but they still have not yet received their CPR.

In a separate interview, Umali said that during the last NPCC meeting the DTI has promised to coordinate with the FDA for faster CPR issuance especially for basic items.

Umali said that initially, their plan is to import only what they need from Indonesia. However, he clarified that this does not mean that they will no longer buy flour from local millers. If the importation is successful, Umali said Gardenia may offer to help out other members of the Philippine Baking Group (Philbaking).

Today, only 10 percent of flour in the market is imported while 90 percent is being supplied by the local millers.