THE Department of Trade and Industry is urging Filipinos to buy and eat local products to support micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) through its last two “Bagsakan” trade fairs for the year and by ordering local goods online.
Marievic Bonoan, DTI director for Bureau of Domestic Trade Promotion, told the ANC Market Edge on Monday that the DTI’s 28 Bagsakan events sold over P14 million of goods.
Some of the best-selling products in these fairs were Guimaras and Bataan mangoes, food and essential products, and handcrafted accessories such as shoes and bags, she said.
However, these sales were just a fraction of the P80-million worth of goods being sold by 130 farmers and MSMEs included in the fairs.
The DTI has also launched an e-commerce platform called DELIVER-e where customers may buy fresh fruits, vegetables, and other agricultural products online from farmers.
Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said the DTI aims to tap e-commerce to support farmers and MSMEs.
The platform, which was built through a partnership with the Department of Agriculture (DA) and USAID, was able to sell 260 metric tons of vegetables and fruits since its proof-of-concept stage, totaling to P7.15 million worth of sales, Lopez said.
By connecting farmers directly to buyers, DELIVER-e is seen to cut inefficiencies from traditional selling, which in turn “would double the income of farmers as it lowers the prices of fresh produce,” the DTI chief added. (with ABS-CBN News/PN)
