In order to save local jobs in the Philippines, Filipinos encouraged to buy local products.
During the Laging Handa public briefing Thursday, July 2, Department of Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon Lopez said that buying locally made products will help stimulate demand for Filipino micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
“Only with this support from our fellow Filipinos, we will reopen our economy,” he said.
Lopez said that despite some businesses resuming operations, consumer demand still remains weak amid the ongoing pandemic.
“We continue to remind the consumers to patronize local products. In this way, our local companies, which create local employment, will survive. If we buy imported, what we are helping are those companies and jobs abroad,” the DTI chief added.
However, restricting the entry of imported products in the country just to stimulate demand for local products is not under consideration said Lopez.
“We follow the free market and in the end, we will create the environment of competition. If we ban the import, we might spoil the local manufacturing and that’s what we are avoiding. Free market but what we are asking on the demand side from our consumers, is to prioritize the local produce,” he added.
The DTI launched the Buy Local, Go Lokal campaign to showcase Filipino products and services.
“Let us shop local, eat local, and travel local particularly in areas where the quarantine level allowed local travel. Our objective here is to really bring back confidence, to stimulate demand for products and services provided by our MSMEs,” Lopez said.
