The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) recently conducted a public consultation/ on the “Draft Department Administrative Order (DAO) on the “Implementing Guidelines on the grant of BAGWIS AWARD to business establishments that uphold consumers’ rights“ at the Bayfront Hotel in Cebu City.
The public hearing was participated by retailers and representatives of business establishments in the Visayas (Regions 6, 7, 8 and 9).
Bagwis Award is a recognition program for business establishments that engage in fair trade business ethics and uphold consumers’ interest by embedding consumer protection at the core of their business operations.
The award covers business establishments under the following categories: Supermarkets, Department Stores, Appliance Centers and DTI Accredited Service and Repair Shops.
With the Bagwis program, DTI aims to foster balance between engaging in business and safeguarding the welfare of consumers and promotes a healthy competition among establishments to ensure that the welfare of consumers is constantly safeguarded.
DTI has placed considerable effort to campaign for more establishments to be accredited in this program to apply as this promotes business while protecting the welfare of consumers.
Business establishments have been encouraged by the department to improve their services to clients and consumers each year. DTI has encouraged the Bronze awardees to upgrade to silver or gold awards and urged more establishments to strictly comply with consumer laws and improve on their customer care to qualify for the awards.
A draft of the DAO can be downloaded at the DTI website, www.dti.gov.ph.
Written endorsement/ position/ comments on the DAO may be submitted to the Consumer Protection and Advocacy Bureau (CPAB) c/o Assistant Director Lilian G. Salonga at the Trade and Industry Building, 361 Sen. Gil J. Puyat Avenue, 1200 Makati City or through email address CPAB@dti.gov.ph at any time before the date of hearing indicated.
For more information on the services of the DTI, log-on to http://www.dti.gov.ph
