House lawmakers refile bill creating e-commerce bureau under DTI
MANILA, Philippines — A bill seeking to create an e-Commerce Bureau under the Department of Trade and Industry was refiled for the 19th congress in an effort to make the growing online industry safe for both consumers and merchants.
Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez (Leyte), Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez (Tingog Sinirangan Party-list), Rep Ferdinand Alexander Marcos (Ilocos Norte), and Rep. Jude Acidre (Tingog Sinirangan Party-list) have refiled the proposed Internet Transactions Act.
The bill, which was authored by former Deputy Speaker Weslie Gatchalian, has already been approved on third reading in the previous congress.
“This bill seeks to promote an environment founded on trust among consumers and merchants as a means to increase the number of e-commerce participants, and ultimately achieve sustainable growth,” the bill’s explanatory note read.
They cited an outdated 2019 study by Google and Temasek, which provides that the internet economy in the country has a gross merchandise value (GMV) or estimated amount of products worth $7 billion. The Philippines, in a more recent study done by Google and Temasek, has already grown to see a $17-billion worth of GMV and it is still expected to see 24% increase to $40 billion by 2025.
Comparing the Philippines to its Southeast Asian neighbors, the lawmakers then lamented that the Philippines has to catch up in terms of having their growing GMVs.
The lawmakers also mentioned that the country has yet to produce a “unicorn,” a term used to call tech start-up companies valued at $1 billion.
“Philippine MSMEs (micro, small, and medium enterprises) lag behind the adoption of e-commerce because enterprises either find using digital technology platforms and tools tooo difficult, or are unaware of the benefits they offer,” the lawmakers noted.
The lawmakers also note that one of the top concerns of both consumers and merchants is the “lack of trust” when it comes to online transactions.
They also pointed to the slow internet connection in the Philippines, logistics issues, payment options, and difficult return policies as some of the concerns the proposed bureau will address.
Among the responsibilities of the e-Commerce Bureau would be to monitor the industry as well as create rules and regulations to ensure the protection of its stakeholders. One of the ways would be to require merchants to register their businesses through the bureau if they have an e-commerce platform or if they operate solely online.
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