THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)-Davao City saw a surge of online sellers securing registration from their office during this time of Covid-19 pandemic.

DTI-Davao City Director Rachel Remitio said from May to July this year, 4,611 online sellers secured a Business Name Registration from their office.

Remetio said this is a huge increase compared to only 34 online sellers securing registration from their office in January to April this year.

"Sa nahitabong pandemic starting April, kung asa tanan naa sa balay due to quarantine, daghan ang na-entice nga mag-go into online selling (Since the pandemic occurred starting April, where almost everyone is at their own houses due to quarantine, many people were enticed to go into online selling)," the DTI official said.

Business name registration, she said in a previous virtual presser, is a document that authorizes a seller to own a particular business name.

However, she explained that it is the business permit that authorizes online sellers to conduct business as opposed to the Business Name Registration that the Trade department provides.

“The business name registration is just an authority that you own that particular business name. It is not an authority to operate a business because the authority to operate a business is given by the local government unit,” Remetio said in a previous interview.

Aside from DTI, online sellers must secure business permits from Davao City Business Bureau and Bureau of Internal Revenue.

In the absence of a physical store, which is misconceived as a requirement to get a business permit, Remitio said the residential address of the online seller is considered as the business address.

Nonetheless, she said they are happy that online sellers heed to their call to have their names and businesses registered.

Remitio said there is a need to regulate online sellers to give them and their customers the confidence in business transactions, aside from giving protection to the consumers.

The official said they already forwarded their list to the local Business Bureau which will be their basis in granting permits on their level.