THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is reviving the “Buy Lokal” campaign to help micro, small and medium enterprises bounce back from the negative impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
It urged consumers to patronize locally made products and services to bring local businesses back to life.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has pushed many economies on the brink. It has changed the way of life and has plummeted a lot of businesses,” the DTI Central Visayas said in a Facebook post.
It noted that more industries have shifted their operations to produce essential products that can help frontliners and households fight the spread of the virus. Beverage companies, for example, have started producing ethyl alcohol while garment companies ventured into manufacturing personal protective equipment (PPE).
“By simply supporting and buying from local businesses, we don’t only help them bounce back but our beloved country as well. Let us help each other and leave no one behind,” the DTI 7 said.
Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez, in a national report, said reviving the “buy local” campaign will stimulate buying of Filipino products, which is a big help to Filipino entrepreneurs.
MSMEs have repurposed their facilities and diversified their business to cope with the challenging times by producing washable face masks, face shields and other forms of PPE to recover from the lockdown losses. Such initiatives, the DTI said, showcase Filipinos’ creativity and resiliency.
Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Steven Yu said the “buy lokal’ campaign will help increase sales of local products which eventually will lead to employment generation and sustainability of MSMEs.
“Self-sufficiency was given more importance when other countries shut out their exports in the middle of the pandemic. It made us realize that we have to grow our capabilities to produce basic essentials,” Yu said.
From the borderless global economy, the Covid-19 pandemic erected borders, he added.
“Buy Lokal is a self-sustaining survival strategy which is urgently needed during periods of uncertainty related to pandemics,” the MCCI official added.