THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has cited the Valenzuela City government under the stewardship of Mayor Weslie ‘Wes’ Gatchalian for its ‘exemplary efforts’ in implementing innovative and consumer-centered programs.
Gratified by the recognition, Gatchalian credited the success of the programs to the concerned city departments and personnel for their commitment and dedication to safeguarding the welfare and empowerment of consumers while upholding the rights, interests, and responsibilities of various stakeholders.
“There is no doubt, Valenzuela City has been in a league of its own—establishing significant programs that cater to the interests of the ‘Valenzuelano’ consumers,” Gatchalian said.
Some of these programs, which were cited by the DTI, include the ‘Bantay Presyo’: Wet Markets and Retail Stores, Konsyumer Assembly sa Barangay, and Operation ‘Timbangan.’
‘Bantay Presyo’ is the price monitoring program of the city government that ensures all the products in the market and retail stores are sold with fair, reasonable, and government-prescribed prices.
“This program guarantees fair pricing of essential goods such as rice, meat, vegetables, fish, canned goods, and other basic commodities.”
“The initiative is to protect the consumers from unfair pricing and profiteering—particularly during national emergencies like inflation, disaster, or pandemic,” the city chief executive added.
Meanwhile, the Konsyumer Assembly sa Barangay is a series of community-based events or conferences organized at the barangay level, where residents are able to learn about their rights as consumers.
These assemblies focus on educating people about consumer protection laws, fair trade practices, and how to address grievances with businesses.
The city government passed an ordinance known as the New Market Code of Valenzuela City which obliges public market vendors to make sure that their weighing scales are calibrated, properly sealed, and untampered.
“In this regard, consumers are allowed to verify the weight/scale. However, some markets have a designated ‘Timbangan ng Bayan’ where they can double-check the goods they have purchased,” the Valenzuela mayor said.
These efforts, in partnership with DTI, aimed at prioritizing the betterment of the local consumers as well as magnifying the significance of the roles that they play in the city’s economy, he stressed.
Let’s see if other top local government officials can emulate the Valenzuela mayor’s initiatives, after all, it’s all for the interest of their constituents in the first place.
