by Rutchie Cabahug-Aguhob

Cagayan de Oro City (4 October) -- The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has launched the DTI-Certified Business Establishment/Store (CE) Program in Northern Mindanao.

"The DTI-CE program aims to give due recognition to establishments that uphold the rights of consumers and practice responsible business where consumers indeed get the value for their money," Regional Director Alicia V. Euseña of DTI, region 10, said.

Euseña said the program encourages the setting up of a sustainable Consumer Welfare Desk (CWD) or a DTI-recognized customer service counter that provides information to consumers and serves as mechanism for speedy resolution of consumer complaints.

"Setting up of a CWD in an establishment gives customers the assurance that their complaints will be acted upon immediately," she said.

Among others, the objective of the DTI-CE program is to promote and foster the highest level of business ethics and uphold a fair and honest marketplace through voluntary self-regulation and service excellence.

Target participants of the program are all business establishments nationwide which falls under the following categories: I - supermarkets, II - department stores, III - appliance centers, IV - hardware stores and V - DTI accredited service and repair shops.

Meanwhile, Elvira A. Cajigas, Chief of DTI-10 Consumer Welfare Division said the DTI-CE level of awards include the following:

Gold - for establishments which have achieved the silver requirements plus some elements aligned to the International Standards Organization (ISO) 9000.

Silver - for those which have achieved the bronze requirements plus social responsibility.

Bronze - for their compliance of the Fair Trade Law, i.e., Consumer Act, Price Act, Price Tag Law, Products Standards (PS)/Import Commodity Clearance Law plus the CWD.

On the other hand, Cajigas said the ISO 9000 family of standards represent an international consensus on good management practices with the aim of ensuring that the organization can time and again deliver the product of services that meet the client's quality requirements.