Amid the request of Senator Bam Aquino for the review and reconsideration of the mandatory “TrustMark Seal” imposed on online sellers, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Cristina Roque said the regulation will stay, as it aims to protect both consumers and traders from fraud in the e-commerce industry.

“I feel there’s really no problem with the trust mark because it’s really for both the seller and the consumer. The trust mark is something that will show that online sellers are legitimate sellers, which is beneficial to the consumers,” Secretary Roque said in a media interview on the sidelines of the 2025 Business Summit of the Federation of Philippine Industries on Wednesday at the Manila Polo Club in Makati City.

DTI’s Department Administrative Order (DAO) 25-12 mandates that online merchants and platforms secure the Philippine Trustmark — a digital badge signifying compliance with government standards for trustworthiness, safety, and fair e-commerce practices.

The application period for securing the trust mark was extended until 31 December.

Further, Roque stressed that the application for the trust mark is free for micro online sellers, though they will still pay an administration fee of P100 and P30 for the documentary stamp.

“So, I don’t see anything wrong with this, to be honest. Because remember, a lot of goods will be dumped here because of the US tariff and all those things. The Philippines is one of the strongest e-commerce platforms. So how do we protect both legitimate sellers and consumers so that they use their hard-earned money to buy items on the online platform or in the e-commerce platform?” Roque stressed.

The Trade Secretary added that the measure is also being implemented by other ASEAN countries and in other parts of the world.

“In fact, we are the cheapest, and we are the only country that gives it free to micro enterprises. So, I don’t see any reason to stop this, and I don’t know what the issue is here, actually,” she noted.

Registered small businesses with total assets of more than P3 million to P15 million will be given a 50-percent discount on their initial registration fee, plus P500 (application fee), P100 (web administration fee), and P30 (documentary stamp) — for a total of P630.

For medium enterprises with total assets of more than P15 million, they are required to pay the full fee: P1,000 (application fee), P100 (web administration fee), and P30 (documentary stamp) — for a total of P1,130.

On Tuesday, Senator Aquino described the mandatory TrustMark policy as “an added burden” to MSMEs, saying it contradicts existing laws that aim to streamline processes and promote ease of doing business.

Aquino also said that the trust mark will make it harder for MSMEs to grow and succeed.