Signed into law by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on February 26, 2024, the Republic Act (R.A.) 11981, or the Tatak Pinoy (Proudly Filipino) Act (TPA), underscores the country’s commitment to enhancing diversity, sophistication, and complexity of Philippine products and services to foster global competitiveness. The law highlights the importance of government collaboration with the private sector and market-driven approaches to encourage industries, both large and small, to innovate and produce higher-value products that appeal to larger markets.
The TPA aims to strengthen the local economy by making Filipino businesses more globally competitive, and promoting locally made products as symbols of quality, innovation, and sustainability. It supports local domestic industries and encourages them to develop a domestic market base and expand into exports to discourage talent migration.
Under the law, the Tatak Pinoy Council has been established as the highest governing body overseeing the implementation of the TPA. The Council is tasked
with formulating the multi-year Tatak Pinoy Strategy (TPS). Its functions include developing metrics for prioritizing Philippine products and services, providing technical assistance in reviewing proposed national or local legislation, regulations, or procedures; and coordinating with stakeholders across government to harmonize development programs and policies toward promoting the diversification and sophistication of Philippine products and services.
Aligned with the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028, the TPS is a multi-year strategy being formulated by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), in partnership with the PricewaterhouseCoopers Philippines (PwC Philippines) and the World Bank. Institutionalized through the TPA, the TPS provides a structured framework to systematically expand and diversify the productive capabilities of local enterprises, empowering them to produce increasingly sophisticated products and services, and compete in the global market.
5 PILLARS OF THE TPS
The Strategy is structured around five (5) key pillars: i) human resources; ii) infrastructure; iii) technology and innovation; iv) investments; and v) sound financial management.
The human resources pillar focuses on the development of a roadmap, aligned with the Trabaho Para sa Bayan (TPB) Act, to ensure the availability of skilled human resources through collaboration with the academe and industry. The infrastructure pillar involves identification of infrastructure programs and requirements, including innovation infrastructure and facilities for advanced research and incubation, and national and regional innovation hubs. Likewise, technology and innovation entails the identification and advancement of strategic, market-driven, and customer-centric research and development activities and technology transfer initiatives.
The investments pillar encompasses the incorporation of Tatak Pinoy investment activities and projects into the Strategic Investment Priority Plan (SIPP) and ensures the integration of the TPS within the country’s investment promotion and facilitation efforts. Lastly, the TPS, through sound financial management, ensures the funding for programs and projects that will enhance the capabilities of domestic enterprises to produce and offer increasingly sophisticated products and services, while taking into consideration the environmental, sustainability, and intergenerational responsibility concerns in industrialization.
TATAK PINOY INDUSTRY CONSULTATIONS AND REGIONAL FORA
To support the formulation of the TPS, industry consultations, focus group discussions (FGDs), and workshops were conducted to gather insights on the TPA, identify constraints, and collect region-specific recommendations for priority sectors. These TPA Regional Fora and Industry Consultations were held across the country: Manila (15 July 2024); Cebu (August 8-9, 2024); Davao (August 28-29, 2024); Baguio (September 19-20, 2024); NCR, Regions 3 and 4A; (November 8, 2024); and Caraga (November 18-19, 2024). Additionally, a TPS Visioning Workshop was conducted on September 26, 2024, as part of the first phase of formulating the TPS.
These efforts culminated in the Tatak Pinoy Summit on December 4, 2024, where the recommended measures were presented, including, among others: i) regular curriculum matching to align with industry needs; ii) skills development training such as processing techniques and new product farming skills; iii) streamlining government processes and requirements; iv) providing regular funding allocations and loan programs for MSMEs; and v) strengthening export channels.
Trade Secretary Cristina A. Roque underscored the Summit’s pivotal role in implementing the TPA. “The Tatak Pinoy Summit is a crucial platform to guide and accelerate the implementation of our industrial transformation agenda as outlined in the Tatak Pinoy Act. It showcases Filipino innovation and provides a space for stakeholders to collaborate and share knowledge. This is how we build a ‘Bagong Pilipinas’ – where dynamic and strategic industries thrive domestically and internationally,” Roque said.
Former Trade Undersecretary Rafaelita M. Aldaba added, “This summit will provide valuable insights to further elevate our industrial policy, particularly with the ongoing formulation and implementation of the Tatak Pinoy Strategy. As we continue to consolidate and intensify our efforts towards industrial transformation, the summit is a vital step in realizing our vision for a more prosperous and globally competitive Philippines.”
TATAK PINOY MARKET ACCESS COMPONENT
Various DTI offices actively participated in numerous international trade events to showcase Filipino- made products and services, advancing the country’s presence in the global markets and supporting the Tatak Pinoy initiative. Such events included the Abu Dhabi International Food Exhibition (ADIFE) 2024, led by the DTI – Halal Development and Trade Office; the HIMSS Global Conference by the Export Marketing Bureau (EMB), held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida; the Tech Synergy: Elevating Philippines-Canada Collaboration in Technology and Innovation business mission, led by the DTI Foreign Trade Service Corps (FTSC); Taiwan’s Integrated Investment Campaign, participated in by the DTI Philippine Trade and Investment Center (PTIC) in Taipei; and a showcase of Laguna’s homegrown and heirloom products in San Francisco, New Jersey, and New York, USA, by the DTI Laguna Provincial Office.
Local Tatak Pinoy activities also played a significant role in advancing the TPS objectives. These include the Tatak Pinoy: Obra MIMAROPA trade show by DTI MIMAROPA Regional Office; Halal Certification by DTI Marinduque Provincial Office; enhanced capability training-workshop by DTI Zamboanga Sibugay Provincial Office and Nueva Vizcaya Provincial Office; an engineered bamboo and homestyle design exhibit by DTI Lanao del Norte Provincial Office; the Rimat ti Amianan Tatak Pinoy Trade Fair 2024 in the Ilocos Region; Tatak Pinoy pop-up stall in Zamboanga City; and the brand development project by DTI Bukidnon Provincial Office.
These collective efforts demonstrate DTI’s unwavering commitment to promoting Filipino products and services on both international and local stages, driving economic growth and advancing the objectives of the Tatak Pinoy initiative.
