The signing of the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act (Bayanihan 2) is expected to give a boost to the government’s “buy local” campaign––an initiative that urges Filipino consumers to patronize locally-produced products in order to help local industries and aid in efforts to fuel economic recovery efforts.
This according to Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, who in a Facebook Live session over the weekend stressed the importance of supporting Filipino businesses, particularly Micro, Medium and Small Enterprises (MSMEs).
Bayanihan 2 includes procurement provisions that give preference to locally-made products, including construction materials.
Speaking in Filipino, Nograles said: “At this point we are talking about how to get our economy back on its feet; one of the best ways is to buy Filipino.”
The Palace official pointed out that Bayanihan 2, signed on Friday by President Rodrigo Duterte, includes procurement provisions that give preference to locally-made products, including construction materials for government infrastructure projects.
“Our call is buy local, buy Filipino––suportahan natin ang sariling atin.”
Asked by netizens about what actions can be taken against manufacturers taking advantage of the campaign by mislabeling their products and passing them off as Philippine-made, Nograles advised the public to report such incidents to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
“Pwede yan ireklamo sa DTI; DTI knows what it has to do. It is unfortunate that there are those who do this, pero di dapat sila makalusot. Bawal ang mislabeling, there are laws against that,” said the Davao native.
Nograles was receptive to suggestions to properly identify and label Philippine-made products, including agricultural produce.
Nograles was receptive to suggestions to properly identify and label Philippine-made products, including agricultural produce, and revealed that there have even been discussions in the government’s Zero Hunger Task Force to label produce so that buyers are informed what regions they come from.
“When it comes to agricultural products, fresh produce, there has to be a way for us to know which region it is from, paraan na rin yan para ipagmalaki ng mga rehiyon ang mga produkto nila.”