The Department of Trade and Industry-Competitiveness Bureau (DTI-CB) held its second Prefer Lokal Talks: A DoBid Roadshow on 2 December 2021, via Zoom and Facebook Live.
Prefer Lokal Talks aims to encourage more local growers, producers, and manufacturers to claim their domestic advantage, hand-in-hand with the different government agencies and procuring entities to raise awareness and support for the DoBid Certificate of Preference Program.
DTI Undersecretary for Competitiveness and Innovation Group (CIG) Rafaelita M. Aldaba kick-started the event and emphasized, “In DTI, it is our goal to assist our local industries to work their way to recovering from this pandemic. Various projects and programs have been initiated as well as our existing services have already employed innovative practices.”
DTI-Bureau of Small and Medium Enterprise Development (BSMED) Assistant Director Emma Asusano comprehensively discussed the DTI business assistance initiatives, Go Lokal activities, and other related programs for the MSMEs, while DTI-CB Director Lilian Salonga presented the bureau’s programs and services and provided a rundown of other interventions related to competitiveness and innovation efforts of the Department.
The Domestic Preference program and its salient features were presented by DTI-CB DoBid Program Officers Cindy Falcutila and Powell De Guzman, highlighting how our local manufacturers and producers can avail of and maximize its benefits. More importantly, procuring entities were also guided on how to encourage more participation of MSMEs in their bidding activities.
Towards the end of the session, the DTI-CB Team also welcomed many interesting questions raised by the participants.
In closing, Director Salonga reiterated the pressing need for our economy to bounce back, “We would like to reiterate our call to Prefer Lokal, Buy Lokal, and Sulong Pilipinas.”
The Domestic Bidders Certificate of Preference is a document being issued to local growers, producers, and manufacturers. This document grants its holders with 15% margin of preference against foreign bidders during government biddings.
♦ Date of Release: 02 December 2021