The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has decided to postpone the requirement for online sellers to register for a trustmark, making registration voluntary until the end of the year.
In a statement, Trade Secretary Cristina Roque said the decision was made after considering feedback from various sectors.
The announcement was made during a town hall meeting, where online business operators, consumer groups and digital trade advocates shared insights and suggestions on the program’s implementation.
‘We used this discussion to hear straight from our stakeholders and learn about their daily concerns. Taking their feedback into account means we can improve the trustmark system to be more useful, fair and helpful for both businesses and consumers,’ Roque said.
Through the trustmark, she said the goal is to make e-commerce in the Philippines safer and more trustworthy for everyone.
The trustmark is a digital badge issued by the DTI to online sellers who demonstrate good e-commerce practices and comply with Philippine laws.
While the DTI has deferred the mandatory registration for the trustmark until the end of the year, the agency will review it by early next year to determine if it should remain voluntary.
Initially voluntary, the DTI announced in September that it would make registration for the trustmark mandatory for online sellers, following numerous complaints related to online transactions.
The DTI received over 13,000 complaints related to online transactions from January to August of this year.
At present, the DTI is finalizing the program’s supplemental guidelines for voluntary registration.
The guidelines include the fees that would apply depending on the size or type of business.
While the guidelines are being finalized, online businesses can still proceed with their trustmark application through https://trustmark.dti.gov.ph/.