The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is backing the garment industry’s plea to secure preference on the purchase of locally produced personal protective equipment (PPE) during procurements.
Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said during a radio interview on Thursday that he wants a legislative measure that will prioritize the purchase of “critical products” made locally such as PPEs.
“May batas sana na kapag government project at saka mga critical products na ganyan, at ginawang local, sana talaga may preference [Hopefully there is a law that will give preference for the procurement of locally produced critical products like PPE under a government project],” Lopez said.
The Confederation of Philippine Manufacturers of PPE (CPMP), during a Senate hearing on Wednesday, pushed for a bill prioritizing the purchase of locally made PPEs as they are not able to secure the bulk of the government contracts for such items.
CPMP Executive Director Rosette Carrillo lamented that the “very low-cost and substandard” China-manufactured PPEs are flooding the local market instead.
Five garment manufacturers and exporters repurposed their factories and invested $35 million to locally produce medical-grade PPE last year, forming the CPMP. Carrillo said about 7,500 workers were able to keep their jobs following the transition.
While this is a project endorsed by DTI’s Board of Investment (BOI), Lopez said, their hands are tied when it comes to the bidding process.
“Unfortunately ho, wala pa hong batas na local po ang bibilin. Ang batas po natin ay bidding [Unfortunately, there is no law yet prioritizing the local purchase. Our law mandates bidding],” he explained, which is a responsibility of the Department of Budget and Management.
In the process of bidding, DTI Undersecretary Ruth B. Castelo explained during a Laging Handa briefing on Thursday that specifications and prices are among the criteria in choosing which products to procure.
“Kung medyo mas mataas yung [price ng] locally produced na PPEs, halimbawa, ipasok natin sa specifications na baka naman mas mataas yung specifications, baka pwedeng maconsider na ng DBM [If the locally produced PPE are more expensive but have better specifications, for example, the DBM may still consider them],” she added.
Confederation of Wearable Exports of the Philippines Executive Director Maritess Agoncillo supported the call of CPMP, which is covered in Senate Bill 1796.
The said bill orders government agencies to prioritize the procurement of locally produced and manufactured PPE, medicines, and other essential supplies during a pandemic.
In February, the Board of Investment (BOI) asked the Japan Hygiene Products Industry Association to make Philippines its Southeast Asian hub for PPE production given the demand and fiscal incentives awaiting their manufacturers.
The BOI noted there are at least 300 manufacturers in the textile and garment sector. The industry employs over 510,000 workers who can produce PPEs and face masks.
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