The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) intensified its strategic communication campaign on consumer protection and acceleration of local micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) by sealing a partnership with the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP) on 18 January 2024.
Aligned with the Department’s MSME development efforts, the signing of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) was led by DTI Undersecretary for Communications, Kim Bernado-Lokin, and ULAP National President and Quirino Governor, Dax Cua.
“It is a top priority of Secretary Fred E. Pascual to expand our network and explore potential partnerships with our different stakeholders, in fulfillment of the DTI’s mandate. Hence, we continue to boost our local industries to become globally competitive and support the current administration’s trade and investment promotion engagements that will benefit our economy,” said Undersecretary Bernardo-Lokin.
“Our joint campaign with ULAP signifies a crucial step towards broader national awareness and international reach for our country’s trade, industry, and investment programs. This collaborative partnership is one of the out-of-the-box strategies we are pursuing to realize the overall vision of the President,” she added.
The MOU between the two parties outlines a range of collaborations that will set into motion joint activities of the DTI with the LGUs.
Apart from cascading to the LGUs the Department’s consumer education advocacy and developmental opportunities for MSMEs, the two parties are also set to conduct joint webinars for stakeholders covering topics such as business name registration, product development, export marketing, and financial literacy, among other DTI initiatives.
These activities target to achieve faster and more efficient government transactions, which is in line with the Ease of Doing Business (EODB) Act.
“Our shared mission with the DTI attests to the commitment of the LGUs to ensure that our fellow Filipinos have access to affordable basic goods and commodities, and that our public markets are protected against abusive and deceptive sales practices,” said ULAP President Cua.
The governor of Quirino also noted that the LGUs should continue their consumer protection initiatives like the conduct of regular market monitoring, market price boards, and product quality and safety inspections.
