CEBU - Filipino Melanie Fernandez sources nearly half the merchandise in her fashion accessories shop from China these days, because it makes good business sense.

"Lipsticks, stockings, combs...these are all made in China and they are much cheaper than goods we stocked previously from Japan, which were quite expensive," Fernandez said at her shop in a trendy downtown shopping centre.

"We want more cheap goods. They satisfy our customer demand." Shopping centers in this resort island of Cebu stock Chinese products ranging from toys to televisions and clothes to calculators after a surge in trade between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in recent years.

Samie Lim elected
new PCCI president

Samie Lim, considered "Father of Franchising in the Philippines," has been elected the new president of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, a press release from PCCI said.

Lim, the founding president and chairman emeritus of the Philippine Franchise Association, succeeded Ambassador Donald Dee, who is now chairman of the Board of Directors.

Also the chairman emeritus of the Philippine Retailers Association, Lim is currently the president of Automatic Center and chairman of both Colins International Trading Corp., and Fiber City, Inc., the press release said.

2 energy sector
meetings for Visayas set

Two energy-sector related meetings will be conducted for Visayas consumers and stakeholders in Cebu City this week.

The National Transmission Corp. will hold a roadshow on its Customer Advocacy Program to disseminate information on the revised Open Access Transmission Service Rules on January 17 while the Energy Regulatory Commission will hold a public consultation on the first draft of the "Issues Paper on Proposed Alternative Regulatory Framework for the Electric Cooperatives" on January 18, at the Eduardo Aboitiz Development Studies Center, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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