Subic Bay Freeport – The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Zambales concluded the 2025 Consumer Welfare Month celebration with a culminating activity held at Harbor Point Ayala Mall on 23 October 2025.

According to OIC-DC Neil John Fabay of the Consumer Protection Division, this year’s Consumer Welfare Month carried the theme “Bida ang Konsyumer sa Bagong Pilipinas,” which highlights the indispensable role of every Filipino consumer in shaping a progressive economy and fair marketplace.

“The CWM aligns with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s vision to empower and protect consumers. The celebration underscores the government’s united commitment to strengthening consumer rights, promoting informed choices, and fostering a culture of accountability and shared prosperity,” he said.

The culminating activity featured a Spoken Poetry Contest, followed by the awarding of winners for both the Spoken Poetry and Creative Digital Poster Challenge in the afternoon.

The DTI Zambales Consumer Protection Division also launched several initiatives, including the digital module Consumer Advocacy in the Digital World, Trade Talks titled Kasangga, Ka-Negosyo, Ka-Konsyumer, and the CashCycled Project called Turn Your Plastics into Projects.

Fabay reported that the Consumer Protection Division has achieved numerous accomplishments, including Fair Trade Laws Monitoring and Enforcement covering 128 firms — with five firms charged or issued notices of violation, four penalized, one ongoing case, and P147,500 in total administrative fines imposed.

He added that under the Ikot Palengke monitoring and enforcement program, 36 activities were conducted, 4,376 stalls monitored, and a total of 154 defective and 138 unregistered weighing scales confiscated.

For consumer complaints handling, the division received and acted upon 62 complaints — 22 resolved, seven issued certificates to file action, 19 withdrawn, and 13 endorsed to other agencies. The nature of complaints included five cases of breach of product or service warranty, 45 deceptive sales acts and practices, 10 liabilities for product or service imperfection, and two unfair or unconscionable sales acts.

Meanwhile, the DTI Zambales Business Development Division (BDD) reported the successful hosting of Likha ng Central Luzon at SM Megamall in Mandaluyong from 15 to 19 October 2025, which generated P2,571,095 in sales revenue.

Under the One Town, One Product (OTOP) program, 23 MSMEs are currently enrolled. Two capability training sessions were also conducted — Product Packaging and Labelling, and Effective Negotiation and Selling Techniques Seminar for 50 participants in Castillejos, Zambales on 29 September, and an IPO Orientation and Visual Merchandising Seminar for 45 participants in Botolan on 6 October 2025.

The BDD also held the Young Entrepreneurship Program for 18 participants in Botolan, Zambales from 4 to 8 August 2025.