The Bureau of Philippine Standards' Consumer Protection Group recently hosted the 58th ASEAN Consultative Committee on Standards and Quality meeting and its related meetings in Boracay, Malay, Aklan.
The meeting was attended by ACCSQ leaders from ASEAN member states Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam with the ASEAN Secretariat.
The assembly was chaired by Nou Thara, Deputy Director General, Institute of Standards Cambodia and vice-chaired by Konny Sagala, Director, Directorate of Standard Implementation System and Conformity Assessment, National Standardization Agency of Indonesia.
Multiagency team
During the opening ceremony, DTI -CPG Undersecretary Ruth Castelo said "the ASEAN has shown resilience and perseverance amid the pandemic. It has created purposeful measures to allow the region to recover from the effects of the pandemic."
"While we are on our way to recovery, it is still an uphill battle and would require an enormous effort from all stakeholders. Aside from the post-pandemic effects, we are also witnessing new heights of development in the area of digital trade, and the fourth industrial revolution which presents opportunities and challenges in the area of online consumer protection and product safety," Castelo underscored.
The Philippine delegation was led by BPS Director Neil Catajay, Director Jesusa Joyce Cirunay from the Department of Health – Food and Drug Administration, Director Romulo Aggangan from the Department of Science and Technology — Forest Products Research and Development Institute together with representatives from the DTI-Philippine Accreditation Bureau, DTI-Fair Trade Enforcement Bureau, DTI-Aklan, DoST-Industrial Technology Development Institute and other BPS partners.