Officials of the Federation of Philippine Industries Inc. (FPI) personally sought the help of Trade Secretary Cristina Roque on Monday on the growing concerns over the proliferation of substandard products in the local market.

The FPI, headed by its president, Jesus Arranza, identified the substandard products and imports as steel, batteries, cement and even glass.

The meeting on 9 June at the DTI office in Makati City was held to discuss alignment between DTI and FPI, focusing on the possible increase in penalties on erring importers and sellers.

“The FPI provided valuable guidance on DTI’s priority programs and vowed commitment to continued partnership and collaboration. In response, the DTI shared updates on regulating industries through the E-Kalasag project, which is now being implemented nationwide in both online and offline markets,” the Trade Department said in a Viber message.

In April 2024, the DTI-Fair Trade Enforcement Bureau launched “E-Kalasag” (Expanded/Electronic Kalasag), formerly Task Force Kalasag, to bolster consumer protection and ensure fair trade compliance across digital and physical markets.

In the first two months of 2025, E-Kalasag has registered a compliance rate of 88.34 percent for the 489 retail firms monitored.

This led to the issuance of 57 notices of violation and the seizure of over P8.3 million worth of non-compliant products, totaling 60,020 confiscated units.

Further, the dialogue focused on strengthening product standards enforcement and fostering closer collaboration between the government and industry stakeholders to ensure consumer safety and fair competition.

“DTI reaffirmed its commitment to upholding quality standards and working hand in hand with industry leaders to protect Filipino consumers and promote industrial integrity,” the DTI said.