Trade and Industry Secretary Alfredo E. Pascual signed the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the Tatak Pinoy (Proudly Filipino) Act and Internet Transactions Act (ITA).
Republic Act No. 11981 or the Tatak Pinoy Act (TPA), signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Feb. 26 this year, aims to institutionalize the industrial sector by providing a framework for the development of the business ecosystem in the country, rooted in technology and innovation.
"Tatak Pinoy is an essential step to grow and expand Filipino products and services. Using this law, we aim to address the current challenges, improve productivity and capacity, and make industries more competitive," said DTI Secretary Alfredo Pascual in a speech before the signing the IRRs on Tuesday, May 22.
"We aim to make higher quality and more sophisticated products and services. We will integrate our industries here and their products into the global value chain," he added.
The IRR was drafted with the assistance of various government agencies and United States Agency for International Development (USAID)'s Regulatory Reform Support Program for National Development (RESPONSE) team.
The IRR lays out the ways in which the government will formulate and implement a Multi-Year Tatak Pinoy Strategy (TPS), focusing on five main pillars: human resources, infrastructure, technology and innovation, investments, and sound financial management.
In a press conference after the signing, Pascual said P350 million have been allocated for the implementation of the TPA this year.
Senator Juan Edgardo Angara, a proponent of the Tatak Pinoy Bill in the Senate, explained that the budget was meant to assist the creation of the TPA Secretariat, the Center for Artificial Intelligence Research (CAIR), and Industry 4.0 Pilot Factory.
Aside from the TPA, the DTI also signed the IRR for RA No. 11967 or the Internet Transactions Act (ITA) of 2023, in order to establish a regulatory policy for commercial electronic transactions or those made online.
"The ITA is a landmark measure that comes at a time when online buying and selling have become integral to our daily lives. It reflects our need to balance regulation and development within the e-commerce landscape," said Pascual.
According to the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028, the ITA will define the scope and coverage of internet transactions, and formalize a code of conduct and qualifications for businesses engaging in e-commerce.
A highlight of the ITA is the creation of an E-Commerce Bureau, which Pascual explained "will provide the DTI with the resources necessary to fulfill our mandate to guide the orderly development of ecommerce in the Philippines."
The Bureau will enable greater collaboration with government agencies to address large online consumer issues affecting the public.
However, Pascual emphasized that the ITA's regulations will not "impede the free development of e-commerce," which is driven by the private sector.