PASIG CITY, July 3 (PIA) – The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is encouraging Filipinos to help micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) that were affected by the pandemic to bounce back into business.
Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon Lopez on Thursday during Laging Handa Public Briefing encouraged the public to patronize local shops and travel in the various tourists spots in the country to support local businesses.
Lopez said the DTI is relaunching the ‘Buy Local! Go Lokal!’ campaign to stimulate the market for locally-produced products.
“Dito muna sa ating bayan, mag shop local, eat local and travel local. Mas marami ho sa ating mga kababayan to bring back yung confidence na bumili po dito para matulungan po ang pag stimulate ng demand ng mga produkto, mga serbisyo being provided especially by the MSMEs,” said Lopez.
The DTI chief cited that the public's support in this kind of camapign is a big help in jumpstarting the economic acitivities of the MSMEs.
“Right now, we have started to re-open the economy a few weeks ago, ‘nung nagbukas tayo ng mga pagbabalik trabaho sa mga manufacturing operations, services.”
However, Lopez mentioned that despite this they noticed a slow sale in the market.
“But as we re-open itong economy, napansin natin na matumal. Kaunti pa lang din ang nagiging bentahan ng mga produkto, serbisyo. Kaya importante ho na mapaalalahanan natin ang ating mga kababayan kung pwede tangkilikin natin yung mga locally-produced products.”
Lopez explained that patronizing locally-produced products is also helping local companies with local employment.
“Pag bumili sila ng local, anything local, ang natutulungan po ay pag create ng trabaho para sa ating mga kababayang Pilipino na nagtatrabaho dito sa Pilipinas,” Lopez said.
He said that while DTI provides working capital loans to MSMEs he explained that business operations should be demand-driven.
“Sa working capital loans na pinapahiram po natin ay may kasabay na demand-driven yung kanilang operations. Ang kanilang pag-manufacture ay may demand na sasalubong. Kesa mag produce tapos walang demand, kawawa rin, malulugi rin. At baka ang worry natin ay matuluyang bitawan ang mga workers nila. In other words, pahintuin na sa trabaho. ‘Yun ho ang ating kinatatakutan, kaya kailangan masuportahan po sila.”
The DTI chief explained that the Philippines follow the free market system that in the end will redound to creating an environment of competition.
“Free market po tayo. Subalit ang hinihingi natin on the demand side sa mga consumers ay mas tangkilikin yung locally-produced.” (PIA-NCR)
Source: Philippines Information Agency (pia.gov.ph)
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