In an office order dated 1 July 2022, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Region 2, through Regional Director Angel B. Encarnacion, manifested its official adoption of DTI R2’s Buy Local Advocacy and was marked as the first Regional Government Agency to adopt in the Cagayan Valley.

The Buy Local advocacy, the first in the country, was initiated by DTI Region 2 in 2019 and aims to support MSMEs’ growth by optimizing the government’s potential as an alternative market and the single biggest buyer of local products and services.

As stated in the office order, BFAR R2 commits to setting aside at least 10% of BFAR R2’s budget for the procurement of goods and services from local enterprises in the region.

Additionally, snacks, meals, and even tokens distributed at the agency’s events and programs shall also be sourced from local MSMEs.

The order, entitled “Institutionalizing the Buy Local Advocacy of Region 2 in the Procurement Activities of DA-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources,” also mandates all the Provincial Offices of the bureau to adopt and implement the advocacy.

⬥ Release of date: 25 August 2022