“Tatak Pinoy.”
Yes, we need to come up with a Filipino brand that we must be proud of — something that is at par or can even surpass global standards. Producing our own quality product is the only way we can compete in this very competitive global market. It will also help shield the country from supply disruptions as we will be less dependent on imported products.
And the recent passage of the proposed Tatak Pinoy Act, which mandates the formulation, financing, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of comprehensive and multi-year Tatak Pinoy Strategy (TPS), in the Senate is a step in the right direction.
“With the Tatak Pinoy bill, we are confident that we will be able to help our industries in expanding their reach in the world market, provide a significant boost to our economy, and provide our people with greater opportunities to earn more,” Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara said after his pet bill was passed on third and final reading in the Senate. “Tatak Pinoy will strengthen the partnership between the government and the private sector. With better coordination between the two sides, the government will be able to implement more projects that will benefit the private sector—be it infrastructure or other initiatives such as those that will improve the skills and capabilities of our workforce.”
President Marcos’ certification of the bill as an urgent measure is a testament of how vital the proposed Tatak Pinoy Act is to the country.
Just to underscore the potential of putting the Philippines among the ranks of the world’s most vibrant and strongest economies through the Tatak Pinoy program, Taiwan was cited as an example during the period of interpellation. Angara had pointed out that Taiwan had transformed itself as one of the world’s biggest manufacturers of high-tech goods and has positioned itself firmly in the global supply chain.
If Taiwan made it to the global stage, there is no reason why the Philippines would not make it. Filipinos have the necessary skills and the country has the needed resources. We have the potential to make it big.
A couple of years ago, the Swiss Import Promotion Programme (SIPPO) conducted studies on Philippine products and its potential in the global market.
Based on the studies, it identified three products with great potential in the global market, particularly in Europe. These are value-added textiles — silk, abaca, banana, and pineapple fibers; natural ingredients — desiccated coconut and coconut oil, calamansi extract, carrageenan, and moringa; and processed food — dried fruits, frozen fruit and vegetables, fruit purees, muscovado sugar, coconut palm sugar, coconut palm syrup, stevia, pili nuts, jams, jellies, and marmalades. These are some of the Filipino products that have the potential.
All that Filipino companies and entrepreneurs need is unequivocal support from the government — financial, ease of doing business policies, technical assistance, among others.
A collaboration between the government and the private sector is necessary to attain the goal of making it to the global stage.
We look forward to Tatak Pinoy products making it big in the global market.
Yes, the Philippines can!
