CALAMBA CITY,
Laguna (PIA) — The Department of Trade and
Industry (DTI) is reminding the public to remain
vigilant when purchasing
goods, especially during
the Christmas season, to
ensure that they are not
buying counterfeited or
unregulated products.
Monica Czarina
Abarca, a Senior Trade Industry Development Specialist at the DTI Laguna,
urged the public to refrain
from purchasing counterfeit products or items
that violate trademarks.
Instead, Abarca recommended supporting local
businesses by purchasing
locally-made products
which would contribute
to the growth of the local
economy.
“Let us buy local
products to help the economy, our local manufacturers and small businesses
so we could help their
families and boost our local economy,” Abarca said
during the Sulong Calabarzon online program of
the Philippine Information
Agency Region IV-A.
Teresita Tawingan, chief of DTI-Laguna’s Consumer Protection
Division emphasized the
need to regularly conduct
consumer education, even
for as young as elementary students, so everyone is well-aware of their
rights and obligations as
consumers in accordance
with RA 7394, or the Consumer Act of the Philippines.
“It is important as
part of our body of knowledge and it serves an opportunity for us become a
more informed consumer.
In that way, we are in a
good position to decide
on what products to buy
and services to avail,” she
added.
To ensure consumer safety, the DTI’s
consumer protection division reiterates some of the
consumers’ rights, which
include the right to attain
basic needs and the right
to safety
“ [ C o n s u m e r s ]
should have the right to
our basic needs or an
adequate supply of food,
clothing, shelter, healthcare, education, and sanitation. These should be
available to us as consumers and at affordable price
and of good quality,” she
said.
Tawingan adds:
“There is the right to
safety, ensuring that we
are protected against
the marketing of unsafe
goods. Products should
be safe and contribute to
our well-being and health.
It is necessary for [manufacturers] to have labels
containing proper information about the products,
instructions on usage, and
how to address issues or
defects if they arise. Additionally, there should be
precautions or warning
signs.”
DTI said that they
regularly inspect retail outlets and conduct market
surveillance to ensure that
establishments adhere to
the agency’s guidelines
and that products in the
market are safe.
In preparation for
Christmas, the department
has also worked with various manufacturers to establish the suggested retail price for popular Noche
Buena items. This ensures
that consumers can make
informed purchases based
on their needs and budget.
“In the monitoring activities that we have
conducted regarding our
Christmas preparations,
so far they have been
compliant. This monitoring
will continue throughout
the entirety of December,”
Abarca notes.
To get the best
value for their money, the
DTI advises consumers to
take advantage of available promotional deals,
discounts, and giveaways
in the market.
For more information,
consumers can visit the
official DTI website or
check their official Facebook pages. The Noche
Buena price guide is valid
until December 31, 2023.
(CO/PIA-4A) PR
