The Department of Trade & Industry held a Forum on April 29, 2019 at the Marble Hall of the  offices of the Bureau of National Treasury, Ayuntamiento de Manila in Intramuros.  Discussed were the guidelines meant for potential importers and traders of rice given Rep. Act 11203 and its IRR.  At the meeting aside from Sec. Lopez were NEDA Sec. Ernesto M. Pernia, DA Sec. Emmanuel F. Piñol, PITC Pres. Dave M. Almarinez as well as others from IRRI, DA-BPI, PCC and BOC.

On April 10, 2019, STC was joined by PAGASA Dir. and former Vice President Fred Gravador at the National Price Coordinating Council Meeting chaired by the Secretary of the Department of Trade & Industry Ramon Lopez at the Multi-Purpose Hall of the DTI.

STC attended the Vietnam-Phil. Business Forum held at the New World Manila Bay Hotel on 21 March 2019.  There was business matching organized by the Vietnamese Embassy. He was introduced to the new ambassador and was joined by the managers of All Day Supermarket, a member of PAGASA.

On the afternoon of 21 March 2019, STC met up with Rolly Pagaspas to discuss the revival of Shop.Talk.Asia in its new digital format at the coffee shop of the New World Manila Bay Hotel (now called the New Coast  Hotel Manila).

PAGASA’s STC was Interviewed by Vietnamese media at a Business Matching Event on 21 March 2019 at the New World Manila Bay Hotel.  He was asked to comment on the competitiveness of rice and other commodities/products from Vietnam in entering the Philippine market.

Mr. Sheng Xiaosong, Asia Area Manager for Adam Foods, Spanish maker of known biscuits like Cuetara, Bocaditos and Napolitanas made a return visit to PAGASA Offices on Mar. 20, 2019 to check on the interest of the region for their biscuits. The former Area Manager had left samples and the locals would find the biscuits agreeable but Adam Foods has to find a good distributor to sell their products and represent the company in this country.

On 4 March 2019, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) hosted a Forum on Irradiation of Food and Cosmetic Products at the DTI Office at the corner of Gil Puyat and Makati Avenue.PAGASA was introduced into this technology which keeps food as well as non-food products safe from bacteria.  Objection to this is the cost of laboratories which can do irradiation.