The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is ramping up its efforts to protect consumers from fraudulent goods by increasing monitoring of the unauthorized sale of products from direct-selling companies.

The DTI, through the E-Commerce Bureau (ECB), formalized this push through a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Direct Selling Association of the Philippines (DSAP).

Under this partnership, the ECB and DSAP will work toward establishing a collaborative framework to address the illegal online sale of direct-selling products.

It will also pave the way for joint initiatives on information sharing, consumer education, and capacity building to strengthen trust in the digital marketplace.

“The goal of this partnership is not only to address unauthorized online selling of direct selling companies’ products, more importantly, this is about building trust in the digital marketplace”, said DTI-ECB Director Eryl Royce Nagtalon.

“This partnership with DSAP is a recognition that effective e-commerce governance requires collaboration. The government cannot do this alone,” he added.

Direct selling is the practice of selling products or services directly to consumers or businesses without a middleman, such as retailers or distributors.

DSAP counts among its members the country’s top direct-selling companies, such as Avon Cosmetics Inc., DXN International Private Ltd., Herbalife International Philippines Inc., Mary Kay Philippines Inc., and Personal Collection Direct Selling Inc.

As these companies continue to embrace digital platforms, DSAP chairman Joey Sarmiento said building a partnership with the government is essential to protecting legitimate businesses.

He added that upholding ethical and responsible business practices would help provide stronger safeguards for consumers.

“This partnership between DSAP and the DTI [ECB] reflects a shared vision of a digital marketplace built on trust, accountability, and responsible innovation,” said Sarmiento.