Know your rights, DTI, partner agencies remind consumers ahead of holiday season
By Niña Jonalyn B. Gambe-Diamante
BUTUAN CITY (PIA) — “As we now enter the ‘BER’ months, it is important for each one of us—consumers—to know our rights and how we can protect them, especially with the anticipated influx of economic activities in the coming holiday season,” said Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Caraga Regional Director Gay A. Tidalgo, during the Consumer Protection Network (Consumer Net) meeting on September 1 in Butuan City.
She also highlighted DTI’s dual function: empowering micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) while ensuring their compliance with fair trade laws to provide consumers with quality products and services they deserve. “In DTI, we welcome consumer complaints because it shows that consumers are becoming more aware of their rights and are exercising them,” she added.
The gathering provided an avenue for knowledge-sharing among DTI regional and provincial offices, and the different regional line agencies as they work together in their shared commitment toward consumer protection.
To further reinforce Consumer Net’s advocacy, DTI Caraga invited resource speakers from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Butuan and Philippine National Police Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit (PNP-RACU) Caraga to share relevant, timely information to help safeguard consumer welfare.
Regie G. Lopez, currency operations specialist of BSP Butuan, conducted an orientation entitled ‘Know Your Money,’ which provided participants with advanced knowledge in identifying Philippine Bank Notes’ security features and methods for detecting counterfeit money.
“With the upcoming holidays, trading activities are at their peak. Hence, consumers become more susceptible to counterfeit money. This is why we conduct information caravans like this to government agencies, public markets, and transport drivers, to name a few, to raise awareness among consumers so they will not fall prey to counterfeiters,” shared Lopez.
Also present at the meeting was Patrolman Elmer Bañas Jr. of PNP-RACU to share their Cyber Consumer Protection Initiatives.
Bañas presented existing cybercrime laws to the plenary, outlining the various types of offenses and prevention measures. Among the salient points emphasized were the common cyberthreats currently confronting consumers, particularly as the majority of the population is now deeply engaged in digital platforms.
“If product or service offerings seem too good to be true, that should already be a red flag to us, consumers,” reminded Bañas.
Consumer Net Caraga reaffirms its commitment to safeguarding consumer welfare by strengthening inter-agency coordination and ensuring timely resolution of complaints. With the surge in commercial activity and digital transactions during the holiday period, the network serves as a vital mechanism to protect consumers from unfair practices, promote awareness of their rights, and uphold confidence in the marketplace. (NJGD, PIA Caraga)
