Ben Madilynn
THE Tatak Pinoy Act (TPA) is expected to provide significant support to Mindanao’s business sector by reducing the costs of utilities and labor.
Belinda Torres, president of the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (DCCCII), highlighted that three major challenges currently facing the business sector in Mindanao could be addressed by the TPA.
She emphasized that the act has the potential to enhance productivity and competitiveness in Mindanao, especially if industrial policies are strategically lobbied for specific sectors.
“Mindanao identifying this concern would be able to achieve a certain level of productivity and competitiveness provided that the industrial policies that have been mentioned should be lobbied intentionally for a specific sector for the improvement of not only Davao Region but also Mindanao as a whole,” Torres said during the TPA Regional Forum and Industry Consultation held at the Pinnacle Hotel and Suites in Davao City on Wednesday morning, August 28, 2024.
Dante Muyco Jr., chairperson of the Davao Region Cacao Industry Development Council Institutions, said that while the region produces a substantial amount of agricultural products, it lacks effective branding. He emphasized that this initiative is crucial for the entire country and urged the region to position itself as a producer of high-quality products.
“If we want the agricultural sector to be really progressive for Mindanao, then we have to act as one,” Muyco said.
He noted that the cacao sector has been exporting for nearly 15 years, yet the Philippines’ reputation in cacao lags behind countries like Ghana and Madagascar.
Muyco added that the branding initiative under the TPA could greatly enhance the importation of goods if all sectors collaborate effectively.
However, Noel Provido, chief admin of finance at the Department of Agriculture-Davao Region (DA-Davao), observed that while there is a market for agricultural goods, the region lacks sufficient produce. He stressed the need for transformative agriculture to help farmers enter the sector and succeed.
Provido also said the challenges farmers face in forming clusters or groups, which is often required by government departments to receive assistance, such as irrigation for their farms.
“There is still a long way to go but we are trying to go there, we are inviting the local government units especially, now, even the private sector to help us co-invest in the PRDP [Philippine Rural Development Project],” he said.
Republic Act 11981, known as the Tatak Pinoy Act, was enacted on February 26, 2024. The act aims to enhance the productivity and competitiveness of Philippine industries in the global market. It established the Tatak Pinoy Strategy Program (TPSP) to strengthen the country’s industry. RGP
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