To enhance consumer protection all over the country and accelerate the growth of local micro, small and medium enterprises, the Department of Trade and Industry and the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines sealed a partnership in line with the Department’s MSME development efforts.

A memorandum of understanding was signed on Thursday between DTI Undersecretary for Communications Kim Bernado-Lokin and ULAP national president and Quirino Governor Dax Cua.

“It is a top priority of Secretary Fred 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 Bernardo-Lokin.

“Our joint campaign with ULAP signifies a crucial step toward 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 in line with the Ease of Doing Business 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 Cua.

The governor of Quirino also noted that LGUs should continue their consumer protection initiatives like the conduct of regular market monitoring, market price boards and product quality and safety inspections.