ILOILO City – Thousands of commuters across Western Visayas will soon receive daily lessons on consumer rights while traveling.
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) have launched an innovative campaign that will transform public utility vehicles into mobile consumer education platforms.
The two agencies formally sealed their partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding signed on June 26 for the “Mausisaon nga Manugbakal” project, which will initially install consumer rights information materials in 300 public utility vehicles before expanding across the region’s nearly 10,000 PUVs.
The initiative, scheduled for rollout in the second half of the year, seeks to make consumer education more accessible by displaying high-visibility posters inside buses, modernized jeepneys, taxis, and at transport terminals, ensuring that essential information reaches thousands of commuters every day.
DTI Region 6 was represented during the signing by Acting Regional Director Mutya Eusores, while LTFRB Region 6 was represented by Chief Transportation Development Officer Atty. Ma. Joscet Abellar on behalf of Regional Director Richard Osmeña.
The campaign is designed to empower consumers by increasing public awareness of their basic rights and responsibilities.
“This is a milestone in our shared efforts to make government services more visible and relevant in the daily lives of the Ilonggos. Through this initiative, we aim to strengthen awareness of consumer rights and responsibilities across the region. More than just an advocacy campaign, this is a shift in approach..so we see this as an innovative strategy,” Eusores stated.
She said the project was also driven by findings from a recent Pulse Asia Consumer Awareness Survey, which underscored the need for sustained consumer education.
Abellar noted that Western Visayas has nearly 10,000 public utility vehicles — including taxis, modernized jeepneys, and PUV express services — making the transport sector an effective platform for reaching the public.
“The responsibility of the LTFRB is to make sure that our public utility vehicles are on board with this initiative. We will support the DTI in coordinating with our operators,” Abellar said.
The first phase of the campaign will equip 300 PUVs with educational materials covering consumer rights, responsibilities, product standards, and other consumer protection topics.
DTI-6 said it is finalizing the campaign materials, with installation expected to begin next month or in August./PN
