SENATOR Mark Villar revealed in a roundtable media discussion that the current status of the Internet Transaction Act (ITA) in the country is boosted by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to help Filipino consumers and merchants who are engaged in internet-based transactions.
Villar, the sponsor of the proposed bill, revealed this after the Senate approved Senate Bill No. (SBN) 1846 or ITA on its third and final reading earlier this year.
“ITA is ready for implementation. Malaking bagay ito na batas dahil ito ay para sa mga internet community. Magkakaroon ng monitoring ang DTI sa mga transactions at magkakaroon tayo ng enforcement para mabawasan tayo ng mga websites na di naman totoo that have been scamming buyers (ITA is ready for implementation. This law is a big deal because it is for the internet community. The DTI will have monitoring on transactions and we will have enforcement to reduce bogus websites that have been scamming buyers),” Villar said prior to his appearance as a guest speaker for the two-day National Cacao Congress 2023 (Cacao 2.0) from November 16 to 17 at SMX Convention Center, Davao City.
“Kailangan na kailangan na talaga ang ITA. Pag tayo ay bibili sa online, meron nang monitoring na makakatulong sa atin (ITA is very much needed. When we buy online, there will be a monitoring that will help us),” the senator said.
Despite being a key driver of economic growth, e-commerce in the Philippines has still been facing challenges. This involves cash-based payments, the accountability of different platforms for transactions and businesses, logistics problems due to the geographic diversities of the country, and the perception of insecurity commonly associated with e-commerce activities by members of the public.
On September 25, 2023, the Senate approved on third and final reading ITA, which means that Filipinos can now take advantage of the digital age without worrying about their security and privacy. It also provides a legal framework for the micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
The bill also provides for digital platforms or electronic marketplaces along with the online merchant or retailer if they fail to execute their strategies as laid down in the bill and cause damage to the consumer.
Currently, it remains one of the top 20 priority bills that the administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos aims to pass before 2023 ends. DEF