Iligan City – Eight Associationsof Barangay Captains or ABC have been empowered as consumers by the Departmentof Trade and Industry – Lanao del Norte Provincial Office for the periodFebruary to August this year, or an equivalent of more than a hundred empoweredBarangay Captains in Iligan, Kauswagan, Bacolod, Maigo, Kolambugan, Baroy, Lalaand Kapatagan. The series of BarangayAwareness-Raising Campaign for Consumer Empowerment (BARCCE), which was held incollaboration with the above-mentioned local government units (LGUs), is inresponse to the statement of DTI Secretary Ramon M. Lopez with regard to thelatest Pulse Asia Survey reflecting a 78% level of consumer awareness in 2016.Secretary Lopez said, “The result should not be a source of complacency, butinstead a motivation to improve even more our service to our consumers.” Aside from augmenting the levelof awareness on consumerism and empowering consumers in asserting their rights,BARCCE hopes to eliminate the traditional perception that when it comes to theprice and supply of all basic necessities and prime commodities, and inprotecting consumers as a whole, DTI is the only government agency to lean onto. As one Barangay Captain hasdeclared after the campaign, “Sir, I have a new meaning for DTI – Dili TananInyoha.” BARCCE likewise provides a venue to enjoin and mobilize LGUs inestablishing consumer protection mechanism especially in the barangays. Topics in BARCCE include theeight basic Consumer Rights and five Consumer Responsibilities, the salientfeatures of the Consumer Act of the Philippines, the Price Act, Expanded SeniorCitizens Act and the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons. Insights on HandlingComplaints are taken as well.
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