The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region 2 joined yesterday in the simultaneous monitoring to market and business establishments in Tuguegarao City as part of Consumer Welfare Month celebration this October.

 

Spearheaded by the Department of Trade and Industry headed by its Regional Director Romleah Juliet Pulido-Ocampo, the activity aims to ensure the compliance of business owners and market vendors with the different regulatory programs mandated by government agencies.

 

Earlier in her message, Regional Executive Director Gwendolyn Bambalan of DENR encouraged the public to be an advocate of sustainable consumerism.

 

"I enjoined everyone to heighten our advocacy to no to single use plastic," she said with emphasis to reduce environmental threats and hazards.

 

In a briefing conducted, Mayor Maila Rosario Ting-Que of Tuguegarao City underscored shared responsibility to uphold public welfare by undertaking government interventions for the rights of both consumers and producers or online sellers.

 

"It takes all of us to attain development and sustainability," Mayor Ting said.

 

Director Bambalan also plead to give preference in the procurement of materials and supplies produced, made and manufactured in the Philippines in support of Administrative Order No. 227 s. 2008. "Let us promote buying locally-made products which could stimulate national economy, create more jobs, and support the livelihood and culture of families living in the community," Dir. Bambalan underlined.

 

The composite team represented by national government agencies held its monitoring activity at the macapagal avenue wet market to check prices of basic commodities and test accuracy of the vendor's weighing scale.

 

Almost 20 unsealed and defective weighing scales were confiscated.

 

Other areas monitored included shopping malls, lumber and wood panel shops, and other enterprises.

 

The celebration, with the theme, "Sustainable Consumerism in the Digital Age," will be highlighted with a Memorandum of Understanding among regional agency heads to reactivate the Regional Consumer Network Council, a policy-making body to implement mechanism for consumer welfare and protection.#