DTI teams up with NGOs, businesses for vape law compliance

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Trade and Industry said on Wednesday that immersive training programs have been conducted in parts of northern Luzon and Muslim Mindanao to ensure awareness of the vape law, along with its technical regulations and fair-trade practices.

The DTI has actively imposed a nationwide implementation of the vape law, also known as Republic Act 11900, through various programs and activities with its regional offices, non-governmental organizations and businesses.

“Through proactive measures such as stringent nationwide enforcement and comprehensive trainings, the DTI remains unwavering in its commitment to consumer welfare and fair trade,” DTI Secretary Fred Pascual said.

“These training sessions were conducted in coordination with the Trade Regulation and Consumer Protection Division (TRCP) of the Ministry of Trade, Investment and Tourism (MTIT). They included participants from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and DTI Region 2 (Cagayan Valley Region), aiming to enhance their enforcement capabilities and foster collaboration between DTI offices,” the trade industry stated.

Joint enforcement targeting vape stores and retail outlets were also held in the cities of Makati and Taguig, led by the DTI-Fair Trade Enforcement Bureau (FTEB).

Last month, the TRCP joined FTEB in the “Training on Enforcement & Familiarization on Sales Promotion, Accreditation of Service Repair Shops and Private Emission Testing Centers.”

The DTI R2 also hosted a regional monitoring and enforcement study tour visit alongside FTEB to monitor vape retail stores last June 5.

According to the DTI-Fair Trade Group (DTI-FTG), these stakeholder meetings are necessary in order to bring awareness to businesses and regional offices.

“As we intensify efforts to enforce the Vape Law, it is imperative that our enforcement teams are equipped with the necessary skills and updated knowledge,” said Agaton Uvero, DTI-FTG’s supervising head and assistant secretary.

“We strive not only to ensure compliance with fair trade regulations, but also to prioritize the capability of our monitors and enforcers to carry out our mandate.”

According to DTI-FTEB Director Fhillip Sawali, the training reinforces the active engagement of regional counterparts through a nationwide sweep of retail markets by Task Force Kalasag and its accompanying capability-enhancement programs.

Cracking down on illicit vape sales

Aside from regional offices, the DTI has explored possibilities to tackle illegal vape products through the help of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the online shopping platforms Lazada, TikTok and Shopee.

“Violators are becoming increasingly cunning, infiltrating the market with illegal vape products. We can combat their proliferation through a whole-of-nation approach by collaborating with other government agencies and the private sector,” the DTI chief said.

PDEA’s intelligence officers Laila Abad and Lester Urmanza presented the growing domestic and global trends in addictive substances. This includes the infusion of psilocybin or magic mushrooms, cannabis or marijuana, into foods, drinks and vape products, which are listed on the list of scheduled controlled substances of the Dangerous Drugs Board.

The drug agency has also suggested e-commerce platforms to renew and update their memorandum of agreement to combat the growing number of illegal substances in their market.

Other collaborations in the trade sector include the Department of the Interior and Local Government, the Philippine National Police and the National Bureau of Investigation.

Aside from this, the DTI signed a memorandum of agreement with the NBI to improve consumer welfare initiatives.