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                (
                    [ArticleID] => 243615
                    [Title] => RP mulls retaliatory action vs Australia on banana issue
                    [Summary] => The Philippine government could take retaliatory measures against Australia for reversing  its earlier decision to lift the ban on imports of  bananas from the Philippines.


"We are reviewing to what extent we should retaliate against Australia. We’ve been very patient and accommodating in asking for more trade reciprocity but obviously there is intent to again delay our bid to have our products enter the Australian market," Agriculture Secretary Luis Lorenzo Jr. said.


                    [DatePublished] => 2004-03-23 00:00:00
                    [ColumnID] => 133272
                    [Focus] => 0
                    [AuthorID] => 1704647
                    [AuthorName] => Rocel Felix
                    [SectionName] => Business
                    [SectionUrl] => business
                    [URL] => 
                )

            [1] => Array
                (
                    [ArticleID] => 232921
                    [Title] => DA backs use of CARP lands as collateral
                    [Summary] => The Department of Agriculture (DA) is supporting a bill that legalizes the use of   lands acquired under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) as collateral for bank loans. 


DA Assistant Secretary Segfredo Serrano said current bills pending in both the House of Representatives and the Senate calling for the  amendment of  CARP should enable beneficiaries of  the law to have greater access to formal credit such as commercial banks. 


                    [DatePublished] => 2003-12-26 00:00:00
                    [ColumnID] => 133272
                    [Focus] => 0
                    [AuthorID] => 1704647
                    [AuthorName] => Rocel Felix
                    [SectionName] => Business
                    [SectionUrl] => business
                    [URL] => 
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            [2] => Array
                (
                    [ArticleID] => 211835
                    [Title] => Protecting local industries from the influx of imported goods
                    [Summary] => To guard against excessive importation, Agriculture Secretary Luis P. Lorenzo Jr. said he prefers the use of trigger prices and trigger volumes. According to Lorenzo, trigger price computations are special safeguard measures designed to protect local industries from the influx of imported goods. He explained that "additional tariff will be levied on imports should the products come in at prices lower than the trigger prices."


                    [DatePublished] => 2003-06-29 00:00:00
                    [ColumnID] => 133272
                    [Focus] => 0
                    [AuthorID] => 1665308
                    [AuthorName] => Ramon Ma. Epino
                    [SectionName] => Agriculture
                    [SectionUrl] => agriculture
                    [URL] => 
                )

            [3] => Array
                (
                    [ArticleID] => 193545
                    [Title] => RP, Thailand to sign sugar pact
                    [Summary] => The Philippines is set to sign a bilateral agreement with Thailand which will allow the former to retain higher tariff rates on imported sugar.


Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) head James Ledesma said the signing is likely to take place next month when both governments have firmed up their respective positions.


                    [DatePublished] => 2003-01-31 00:00:00
                    [ColumnID] => 133272
                    [Focus] => 0
                    [AuthorID] => 1704647
                    [AuthorName] => Rocel Felix
                    [SectionName] => Business
                    [SectionUrl] => business
                    [URL] => 
                )

            [4] => Array
                (
                    [ArticleID] => 190875
                    [Title] => RP may file unfair trade practice suit vs Australia
                    [Summary] => Agriculture Secretary Luis Lorenzo Jr. said yesterday the government is likely to pursue unfair trade practices against Australia before the World Trade Organization (WTO).


"We want to take a stronger stand on this and going to the WTO may just be the way to do it because we don’t think they (Australian government) are going to offer anything reasonable," said Lorenzo.


                    [DatePublished] => 2003-01-09 00:00:00
                    [ColumnID] => 133272
                    [Focus] => 0
                    [AuthorID] => 1704647
                    [AuthorName] => Rocel Felix
                    [SectionName] => Business
                    [SectionUrl] => business
                    [URL] => 
                )

            [5] => Array
                (
                    [ArticleID] => 184561
                    [Title] => RP won’t buy Thai rice at unfavorable terms
                    [Summary] => The Department of Agriculture (DA) said it will not agree to the proposal for the Philippines to import rice from Thailand next year in exchange for the postponement of a cut in sugar tariff to start in January.


"Government right now does not have enough resources for the buffer stockpiling of rice and the proposed agreement will clip the flexibility of government to stretch its budget," said DA Assistant Secretary Segfredo Serrano. He added government is inclined to junk an arrangement where the country is forced to buy imported rice at very unfavorable terms.


                    [DatePublished] => 2002-11-19 00:00:00
                    [ColumnID] => 133272
                    [Focus] => 0
                    [AuthorID] => 1704647
                    [AuthorName] => Rocel Felix
                    [SectionName] => Business
                    [SectionUrl] => business
                    [URL] => 
                )

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)

ASSISTANT SECRETARY SEGFREDO SERRANO

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                    [ArticleID] => 243615
                    [Title] => RP mulls retaliatory action vs Australia on banana issue
                    [Summary] => The Philippine government could take retaliatory measures against Australia for reversing  its earlier decision to lift the ban on imports of  bananas from the Philippines.


"We are reviewing to what extent we should retaliate against Australia. We’ve been very patient and accommodating in asking for more trade reciprocity but obviously there is intent to again delay our bid to have our products enter the Australian market," Agriculture Secretary Luis Lorenzo Jr. said.


                    [DatePublished] => 2004-03-23 00:00:00
                    [ColumnID] => 133272
                    [Focus] => 0
                    [AuthorID] => 1704647
                    [AuthorName] => Rocel Felix
                    [SectionName] => Business
                    [SectionUrl] => business
                    [URL] => 
                )

            [1] => Array
                (
                    [ArticleID] => 232921
                    [Title] => DA backs use of CARP lands as collateral
                    [Summary] => The Department of Agriculture (DA) is supporting a bill that legalizes the use of   lands acquired under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) as collateral for bank loans. 


DA Assistant Secretary Segfredo Serrano said current bills pending in both the House of Representatives and the Senate calling for the  amendment of  CARP should enable beneficiaries of  the law to have greater access to formal credit such as commercial banks. 


                    [DatePublished] => 2003-12-26 00:00:00
                    [ColumnID] => 133272
                    [Focus] => 0
                    [AuthorID] => 1704647
                    [AuthorName] => Rocel Felix
                    [SectionName] => Business
                    [SectionUrl] => business
                    [URL] => 
                )

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                (
                    [ArticleID] => 211835
                    [Title] => Protecting local industries from the influx of imported goods
                    [Summary] => To guard against excessive importation, Agriculture Secretary Luis P. Lorenzo Jr. said he prefers the use of trigger prices and trigger volumes. According to Lorenzo, trigger price computations are special safeguard measures designed to protect local industries from the influx of imported goods. He explained that "additional tariff will be levied on imports should the products come in at prices lower than the trigger prices."


                    [DatePublished] => 2003-06-29 00:00:00
                    [ColumnID] => 133272
                    [Focus] => 0
                    [AuthorID] => 1665308
                    [AuthorName] => Ramon Ma. Epino
                    [SectionName] => Agriculture
                    [SectionUrl] => agriculture
                    [URL] => 
                )

            [3] => Array
                (
                    [ArticleID] => 193545
                    [Title] => RP, Thailand to sign sugar pact
                    [Summary] => The Philippines is set to sign a bilateral agreement with Thailand which will allow the former to retain higher tariff rates on imported sugar.


Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) head James Ledesma said the signing is likely to take place next month when both governments have firmed up their respective positions.


                    [DatePublished] => 2003-01-31 00:00:00
                    [ColumnID] => 133272
                    [Focus] => 0
                    [AuthorID] => 1704647
                    [AuthorName] => Rocel Felix
                    [SectionName] => Business
                    [SectionUrl] => business
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                (
                    [ArticleID] => 190875
                    [Title] => RP may file unfair trade practice suit vs Australia
                    [Summary] => Agriculture Secretary Luis Lorenzo Jr. said yesterday the government is likely to pursue unfair trade practices against Australia before the World Trade Organization (WTO).


"We want to take a stronger stand on this and going to the WTO may just be the way to do it because we don’t think they (Australian government) are going to offer anything reasonable," said Lorenzo.


                    [DatePublished] => 2003-01-09 00:00:00
                    [ColumnID] => 133272
                    [Focus] => 0
                    [AuthorID] => 1704647
                    [AuthorName] => Rocel Felix
                    [SectionName] => Business
                    [SectionUrl] => business
                    [URL] => 
                )

            [5] => Array
                (
                    [ArticleID] => 184561
                    [Title] => RP won’t buy Thai rice at unfavorable terms
                    [Summary] => The Department of Agriculture (DA) said it will not agree to the proposal for the Philippines to import rice from Thailand next year in exchange for the postponement of a cut in sugar tariff to start in January.


"Government right now does not have enough resources for the buffer stockpiling of rice and the proposed agreement will clip the flexibility of government to stretch its budget," said DA Assistant Secretary Segfredo Serrano. He added government is inclined to junk an arrangement where the country is forced to buy imported rice at very unfavorable terms.


                    [DatePublished] => 2002-11-19 00:00:00
                    [ColumnID] => 133272
                    [Focus] => 0
                    [AuthorID] => 1704647
                    [AuthorName] => Rocel Felix
                    [SectionName] => Business
                    [SectionUrl] => business
                    [URL] => 
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abtest

RP mulls retaliatory action vs Australia on banana issue

By Rocel Felix | March 23, 2004 - 12:00am

The Philippine government could take retaliatory measures against Australia for reversing its earlier decision to lift the ban on imports of bananas from the Philippines. "We are reviewing to what extent...

Business

DA backs use of CARP lands as collateral

By Rocel Felix | December 26, 2003 - 12:00am

The Department of Agriculture (DA) is supporting a bill that legalizes the use of lands acquired under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) as collateral for bank loans. DA Assistant Secretary Segfredo...

Business

Protecting local industries from the influx of imported goods

By Ramon Ma. Epino | June 29, 2003 - 12:00am

To guard against excessive importation, Agriculture Secretary Luis P. Lorenzo Jr. said he prefers the use of trigger prices and trigger volumes. According to Lorenzo, trigger price computations are special safeguard...

Agriculture

RP, Thailand to sign sugar pact

By Rocel Felix | January 31, 2003 - 12:00am

The Philippines is set to sign a bilateral agreement with Thailand which will allow the former to retain higher tariff rates on imported sugar. Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) head James Ledesma said the signing...

Business

RP may file unfair trade practice suit vs Australia

By Rocel Felix | January 9, 2003 - 12:00am

Agriculture Secretary Luis Lorenzo Jr. said yesterday the government is likely to pursue unfair trade practices against Australia before the World Trade Organization (WTO). "We want to take a stronger stand...

Business

RP won’t buy Thai rice at unfavorable terms

By Rocel Felix | November 19, 2002 - 12:00am

The Department of Agriculture (DA) said it will not agree to the proposal for the Philippines to import rice from Thailand next year in exchange for the postponement of a cut in sugar tariff to start in January. "Government...

Business