A SENATOR is seeking a policy that will direct government agencies to prioritize locally manufactured products for their office requirements.
Sen. Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara issued the statement after the second hearing on Senate Bill 2218 or the proposed Tatak Pinoy Act, which provides preference to domestically produced and manufactured goods, supplies and materials in the procurement activities of the government.
“Government should set an example; they should buy local. We need to have a policy in place wherein priority is given to local manufacturers in the procurement process,” Angara said.
“What we want to establish, as part of our Tatak Pinoy advocacy, is a design identity for the Philippines. We want to create a Philippine brand that will be even more renowned than it already is right now. We can do this by scaling up industries and making them more competitive, particularly in the global marketplace,” he added.
Angara said that the Government Procurement Reform Act allows for the procurement award to go to the lowest domestic bid, provided that it is not more than 15 percent of the lowest foreign bid.
But the lawmaker said this is not enough to make an impact on the effort to support local industries.
Angara brought up renowned furniture designer Kenneth Cobonpue, who lamented during Tuesday’s hearing that even the private sector is not supporting locally manufactured products.
Cobonpue stressed the need for a stronger ecosystem which will allow local manufacturers to create products that are cheaper and more accessible to a wide market.
The lawmaker also welcomed President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s recent statement stressing the need for the Philippines to elevate its export game in order to compete with foreign markets. (GMA Integrated News)
