The President’s Speech
Atty. Dominador Buhain
Philippine Printing Technical Foundation, Inc.
1st General Membership Meeting
April 28, 2011
A pleasant good evening to all of you. To our guest speaker, the Honorable Metro Manila Governor Francis Tolentino, whom I am proud to announce as my fraternity brod at the Aquila Legis Fraternity at the Ateneo Law School. He shall be formally introduced before delivering the keynote speech; to the Presidents of the Associations; to the Members of the Council of PPTF immediate Past Presidents; to the present Board of Trustees and members of the different committees of PPTF, to the members of PPTF; to the Secretariat and to all of you present here tonight, good evening.
Allow me to start my speech tonight, by telling you the newly-formulated Corporate Mission and Vision of PPTF, which is “To develop the Philippine printing industry’s level of professionalism so it may be at par with the rest of the world by providing technical services and manpower training.”
One of our objectives is to improve the financial capability of our Foundation. While it is normal in other associations for the members of the Board to be paid honorarium or other forms of remuneration for attending meetings, the current members of the Board reversely are donating ascertained amounts to defray at least the cost of meals and that any surplus, would go to the PPTF treasury.
Likewise, as part of the Resolution, if a trustee would fail to attend meetings whether it be for a valid reason or not the trustee concerned would donate a fixed amount for the treasury. This noble sacrifice of providing intellectual and monetary inputs by the trustee for the moral and financial upliftment of the Foundation to better serve the printing industry (through better manpower training , being attuned to global developments, etc.) is the brainchild of incumbent Trustee and Vice –Chairman of the Legal Affairs Committee ,the Honorable Congressman Godofredo V. Arquiza to which the Board unanimously approved.
We are grateful to our major sponsor Norde International for sponsoring the First General Membership Meeting (GMM). We are also envisioning to hold the Second, Third and Fourth General Membership meetings to be similarly sponsored by highly reputable suppliers to provide you with technological, relevant industry and health updates with high government functionaries as keynote speakers for the upliftment of the industry.
Allow me to cite the names of other sponsors…….. and last but importantly our sacrificing and benevolent trustees who again have donated raffle prizes.
The incumbent board of trustees and the various committees have conducted to date four (4) regular board and committee meetings.
The Membership Committee headed by Mr. Manny Bersabe reported that we have two hundred seventy (279) bona-fide members, one hundred fifty (150) of which are from the provinces.
The Membership Committee is responsible for making these GMMs a reality through solicitation of sponsorship and donations.
The Research Committee headed by Mr. Feliciano Juarez Jr, and co-chaired by Mr. Jose Toh have plans of researching about the print industry as a whole, the free trade agreements and the present and new market trends that we can all benefit from.
Our 2nd Vice –President, Antonio Tanael, together with Ways and Means Committee Chairman Mr. Michael Yao have plans of conducting a Bowling Tournament this June and subsequently other noteworthy fund-raising programs to develop bonding and camaraderie in the association and industry.
The present board has come up with a new committee which will surely be of your interest which is the Health and Wellness Committee headed by Mr. Juarez as well. We will be coming up with wellness sessions wherein our members can participate.
If machines need maintenance and upkeep, with all the more reason that our bodies be given care and attention as they are irreplaceable
Our Grafika magazine is envisioned to come out during the first week of May under Publications Committee chaired by Mr. Dante Llarena, and co-chaired by Mr. Joey
Sitjar, Jr.
The Committee would be updating the website of PPTF to include the past, present and future activities of the present Board.
The Technical Committee has yet to come up with formal presentation of activities.
Human Resource Development, chaired by Ms. Arlene Tan-Besmonte and co-chaired by our First Vice-President Ms. Camila Kitane has already commenced with the vocational scholarship program sponsored by the Rotary Club of Makati with twenty (20) scholars with a donation of Eighty Thousand Pesos (80,000.00)
They have also finished the in-house training programs of our fellow printer Brown Madonna Inc. And now, if you may look at the ads section of Grafika magazine, PPTF is looking for more trainors who have the desired skills and experience to share to our fellow printers.
Our Auditor and concurrently Vice-Chairman of Special Projects Ms. Maritess Liwanag had just finished assisting thirty(30) travelers including two trustees including myself in the recent Print China, in Guanzhou China. Come this May, PPTF will be participating in FAGAT conference and seminars in Sydney, Australia. I hope our PPTF members will join us during this event.
The International Relations Committee is also trying to come up with a regular travel agency that would be very accommodating to our travels. So if you know someone, a travel agent that you can recommend, you are most welcome to do so. Thus this committee is coming up with new venues for us to see and experience, not just exhibits, but places to further widen our professional and leisurely horizons.
The Business Assistance Committee chaired by our Treasurer, Mr. James Chiu and co-chaired by recent past president of PPTF, Mr. Rolly Rocha are responsible for assistance when it comes to business matters. So for those printers who may have concerns, kindly coordinate with our office.
The Board has come up with a Finance Committee which will study the advantages and disadvantages of each project proposal. I am grateful to Mr. Sitjar for accepting the chairmanship.
The Makati lot which has been obtained from Dr. Suter is intended to be the site of the PPTF printing school as we hope to persuade the present informal occupants to peacefully and economically vacate the premises.
The PPTF recently signed up with the Print and Label Group for joint projects for better exposure and financial returns.
Allow me to provide an update from 2000 to 2010 which I obtained at the Office of the National Book Development Board wherein I used to be the Chairman, that the government waived the collection of around One Hundred Ninety Seven Million Five Hundred Eight Thousand Nine Hundred Four Pesos and 56/100 (Pl97, 508,904.56) due to the tax and duty free importation of raw materials for book publishing and printing by reason of RA 8047 or Book Publishing Industry Development Act. Are all the book printers and publishers knowledgeable of these tax free incentives?
So much has been said to you our dear members. For the Board had just so much dreams and plans for the printing industry. I know, the Board cannot do all of them alone. We need your full support, as you have been doing in the past. Let us all be united, in making the Philippines a globally competitive country in the printing industry!
Mabuhay ang Pilipinong manlilimbag! Mabuhay ang PPTF! Mabuhay tayong lahat!
