DTI-ARMM launches ‘e-presyo’; holds training on trade regulation and consumer protection

COTABATO CITY – The Department of Trade and Industry of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DTI-ARMM) conducted a two-day training and workshop on trade regulation and consumer protection for its employees.

The training and workshop – which ended recently – aim to enhance the technical know-how of employees, including those in the provincial offices, on the latest policies and laws on trade and industry.

One of the highlights during the opening day was the launching and orientation on the ARMM e-presyo, the DTI’S Online Price Monitoring System that allows consumers to check the suggested retail prices and prevailing prices of basic necessities and prime commodities.

DTI-ARMM Assistant Secretary Abubacar M. Datumanong said “the launching of e-presyo is very important because it will enable the consumers to have an access on the information about existing products especially in ARMM.”

Datumanong said the e-presyo does not include the monitoring of prices of agricultural and energy products such as rice and gasoline, which are under the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF), the National Food Authority and the Department of Energy. But through the epresyo, he said, the consumers will be protected against unreasonable increases in prices, thus ensuring “value for money.”

Project e-presyo is in accordance with Section 29 of RA No. 8792, otherwise known as the E-commerce Act, which states that the DTI is empowered to promulgate rules and regulation in the area of electronic commerce to include the installation of online public information and price monitoring system aimed at protecting the interests of the consumers.

With e-presyo, the collection and encoding of price data is done electronically. The system also automatically processes raw price data and generates price reports and graphs. These can be accessed through laptop, desktop, tablet, and mobile phone via DTI’S website (www.dti.gov.ph), direct URL (www.epresyo.dti.gov.ph), or via mobile application (installed as ‘DTI e-presyo’).

On the last day of the training, participants underwent an orientation and seminar on Intellectual Property Rights and Trademark and Brand Development. Representatives from the ARMM’S economic cluster – such as DAF, Department of Agrarian Reform and Regional Board of Investments – as well as from the private sector participated in the training workshop.