BAGUIO CITY (PIA) - - The Department of Trade and Industry reminds the public anew to be responsible consumers and to  help in a whole – of nation – approach in upholding the  rights and welfare of the Filipino people as consumers  especially during this booming digital age where online trading, selling and payments  are the trend.

As the country moves towards the new normal, the people as consumers must also adopt to the challenges and together with the government work together towards sustainable consumerism, DTI – Cordillera OIC Regional Director Juliet Lucas stated during the Oct. 19 program and Kapihan forum for the observance of Consumer Welfare Month (CWM) with the theme, “Sustainable Consumerism in the Digital Age.”

“As we commemorate this year’s CWM celebration, we have to educate ourselves to a consistent lifestyle of sustainable consumption and production while upholding the rights and responsibilities of consumers in the physical and digital world. With the efforts of the government to ensure inclusivity, we urge all stakeholders to embrace the said much needed shift,” Lucas said.

The DTI e – commerce data shows that the Philippines is the fastest   growing market in the Southeast Asia region  as far as the  digital market is concerned. In 2020, there were 500,000 e -commerce businesses registered with revenue reaching around P599 billion.

In 2021, the number of registered e – commerce businesses reached the two million mark contributing around P1.1 trillion to the country’s gross domestic product.

DTI – CAR OIC Assistant Regional Director Samuel Gallardo said the e – commerce is here to stay and will continue to evolve, and as consumers, we  have no choice but to be ready and to be well informed on how to deal or appropriately adopt to such challenges in this digital age.

 E– commerce, he said, is encouraging to consumers because it is easier to access products or services anywhere you are and even in the comfort of homes. It also offers ease in payment through digital platforms.

He reminded the importance of responsible and sustainable consumerism wherein people must prioritize what they need rather that what they want, whether it is goods, product or service.

Cordillera  Consumer Network members  Securities  and Exchange Commission Director  Regina De Guzman, National Telecommunications  Commission  Director Mildado Lee, Department of Information and Communication Technology  Director Rey Parnacio, Police Regional Office – Cordillera Director BGen. Mafelino Bazar, and Food and Drug Administration FDRO III Saturnina Pandosen also shared their consumer welfare–related programs and updates. (JDP/CCD-PIA CAR)