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EAT, SHOP, TRAVEL LOCAL

DTI urges Pinoys to ‘buy local’ to help economy recover amid pandemic


The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on Thursday urged Filipinos to support local products to help the country’s economy recover from the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Tangkilikin natin ang locally produced products. If we patronize locally produced products, ang nabubuhay po diyan ay ‘yung mga companies na may local employment,” Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said during the Laging Handa public briefing.

“In other words, pagbumili sila ng local ang nake-create na trabaho ay para sa ating mga kababayan,” Lopez said.

The DTI is ramping up its “Buy Local, Go Lokal” nationwide campaign in time for the gradual opening of businesses under more lenient general community quarantine and modified general community quarantine after most of the country was placed under strict enhanced community quarantine for more than two months.

The ECQ hit the economy hard as the Philippine gross domestic product shrank by 0.2% in the first quarter, the first time since 1998.

Lopez said encouraging consumers to “shop local, eat local, and travel local” will stimulate demand and bring back confidence to the domestic industries.

“Only with this support ng ating mga kababayan [that] we can really reopen and restart our economy," the Trade chief said.

“Bumili muna dito para ma-stimulate ang demand ng mga produkto, mga serbisyo especially ng micro, SMEs (small and medium enterprises),” he said.

While the DTI is pushing for the patronage of local products and services, Lopez said there is no need to temporarily ban importation.

“Hindi naman natin minumungkahi ‘yun, we follow pa rin yung free market,” he said.

“In the end, this will redound to creating the environment of competition. Free market pa rin tayo pero ang hinihingi natin on the demand side ay mas tangkilikin ang locally produced,” he added. -MDM, GMA News

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