MikeLigalig.com

By Rey Anthony Chiu
Philippine Information Agency

Call for consumer vigilance and education rates high as hot topics this month.

The proliferation of sub-standard and defective products, stale food, lousy services, illegal surcharges, exorbitant rates and knowing the venues for complaint topped the lists of consumer related issues hauled unto key resource persons during the recent forum on consumer rights concerns.

A store that fails to give you receipt? Chances are when the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) knows about it, the store could get sanctions.

Or when the store’s guards confiscate your receipts when you get out of the establishment, it could be a violation of your rights. But where do you complain?

Putting it as one right a consumer should uphold, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) through Joe Hibaya says as long as complaints get to them, the office is assuring that such could be addressed.

The same view is shared by Rica Aumentado of the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) here who urged consumers to file their food and drug related complaints to their office if they feel that they have been cheated or shortchanged.

The assurances of immediate action to help consumers came as a statement from both government agencies who are in the forefronts of connecting consumers to manufacturers of food providers to ensure consumer satisfaction.

With the findings showing that consumers prefer to know about their rights through interpersonal means, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of Education (DepEd) joins efforts to focus their attention on such campaigns.

At the Kaphan sa PIA Thursday, Education Supervisor Dr. Erlinda Mahinay said this month’s activities include activities that showcase the school’s key participation in disseminating consumer rights.

Aside from the institutionalized Ugnayan sa Mga Nanay and the School Parents Teachers Association as their primary means of information dissemination, part of the aligned activities for the Consumer month Celebration in October include: a quiz bowl, jingle contests, talk show on consumerism, a school debate, she said. She also impressed that the country’s education department has incorporated in the curriculum, consumer rights.

The weekly forum at the Philippine Information Agency gathered in one-location representatives from the BFAD of the Department of Health, DTI, the DepEd and the Department of Agriculture to tackle on consumer related complaints in furtherance of consumer rights.


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