Amid the news of El Nino’s damage to agriculture, preparations for La Niña, and a change in leadership in the Senate, many may have missed the signing of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the Tatak Pinoy (Proudly Filipino) Act or Republic Act No. 11981, on May 22, 2024.
The signing of the IRR, soon after the Tatak Pinoy (Proudly Filipino) Act was signed on Feb. 26, 2024, shows the government’s commitment to the development of local industries and products to make them world-class and competitive.
When the Tatak Pinoy Act was enacted into law, Senator Sonny Angara, the principal author, had welcomed it as complementing the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023-2028, and a “giant leap” for the Philippines toward its goal of becoming an industrialized country.
Senator Angara, in his column in the Manila Bulletin, puts the Act’s significance as “empowering domestic enterprises, making them become globally competitive, and assisting them so they produce more sophisticated products, more exceptional, world-class services.”
We can now look forward to a road map to attain the goals outlined in the law. This will be the Tatak Pinoy Strategy formulated by the Tatak Pinoy Council that will spearhead the development and implementation focusing on five key pillars: human resources, infrastructure, technology and innovation, investments, and sound financial management.
This is a very relevant law in the lives of Filipinos as it will start from the source of a product, inculcating in the young a mindfulness for quality craftsmanship, and thereafter, enhancing a culture of pride in Filipino products.
Sen. Angara describes it as: “This will be a very comprehensive program that will start from education where we will ensure our learners are equipped with the knowledge and skills they will need to cater to the requirements of employers; embracing innovation and technology transfer to allow businesses to come up with more sophisticated and higher value goods and services; and making strategic investments to address the gaps and strengthen the foundation of all industries and its workforce.”
There will be prestige in the “Made in the Philippines” brand, as highlighted by President Marcos during the signing ceremonies last February: “It is about creating products and services of the highest quality, because Tatak Pinoy is also about excellence, and as a seal of great workmanship, it must only be applied to those that meet this high standard. As such, we shall give preference and priority to our products.”
There is much potential for rapid growth in our products and industries, according to data cited by Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Alfredo Pascual, who led the signing of the IRR. “The Tatak Pinoy is a significant step in growing, diversifying, and sophisticating Filipino products and services, as this law addresses current challenges and aims to enhance the productivity and competitiveness of industries in the global market.”
He pointed out that an important provision of the law is the “mandate for the Philippine government to prioritize Filipino products and services in government procurement.” This will be an area where Filipino producers can feel the effect of the law soon, with large quantities of government supplies translating to big sales, therefore, more production and the need for more employees.
We eagerly look forward to the fast implementation of the Tatak Pinoy program which will again show how the whole-of-nation approach – and pride in what is Filipino-made – will contribute to the growth of the economy.
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