Pinoy supermarket owners endorse new Senate term for 'hardworking' Hontiveros

Senator Risa Hontiveros on Wednesday said she will continue to help the cause of local retailers and retail workers after the Philippine Amalgamated Supermarkets' Association (PAGASA) endorsed her re-election in the May 2022 polls.

"Patuloy nating ipaglalaban sa Senado ang kabuhayan ng ating mga local retailers at retail workers, kasama ng kanilang mga pamilya. Nagpapasalamat ako sa suporta ng PAGASA sa ating adbokasiya na "Healthy Buhay at Hanapbuhay." Malaki ang naitutulong ng ating retail industry sa paglago ng ekonomiya at sa paghatid ng maraming trabaho, kaya dapat natin silang tulungan," Hontiveros said.

In a recent statement, PAGASA - which is composed of 414 member stores nationwide - said that the supermarket industry is convinced that the country "needs Hontiveros to be at the Senate for another term."

PAGASA president Steven Cua cited Hontiveros' remarkable track record as lawmaker, as well as her "unwavering support for the advancement of local retailers."

"Hontiveros emanates the values and determination that will aid us in realizing our visions of empowering our members towards global competitiveness - which will make the retail industry a significant contributor to, and a driving force of, Philippine economic development," Cua said.

The group pointed out that Hontiveros introduced an amendment to the Retail Trade Liberalization Act which raised the minimum paid-up capital imposed on foreign retail investors to up to USD 300,000, which they said "evened out the playing field for the local retail industry players."

Hontiveros and her efforts to promote the local retail industry, PAGASA said, ensured that Filipino retailers, their workers and their suppliers were not put at a disadvantage by the new law.

"We believe hardworking Senator Risa Hontiveros deserves another term to serve the Filipino people," the group stressed.