consumer welfare month celebration highlights basic rights of consumers

by: flor jackson

Naval, Biliran (October 29) – As the entire province of Biliran together with the rest of the provinces all over Eastern Visayas and the entire country is about to close the celebration of the Consumer Welfare Month, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Biliran Provincial Office still continues to educate the consumers of the province of their rights and privileges.
Engr. Celerina Barrot, DTI Provincial Director in Biliran bared that one of the highlights in the monthlong celebration of the occasion was the conduct of the Cosumer Group Orientation cum organization.
The activity which was attended by participants who were identified to be people who are committed and proactive consumers in the community was aimed to finally organize the Naval Consumers Group and the Biliran Consumers Group.
Mrs. Agustina Caliao, the newly elected president of the Naval Consumers Group informed that organizing the consumers group in Naval, the capital town of Biliran province is a big help to the consuming public as it helps consumers who have complaints against business establishments and manufacturers that sell defective goods and merchandise. The consumer group will stand behind the consumers when they go through with their complaints..
The consumers group in Naval, she said, will work hand in hand with DTI to protect the rights of consumers.
The discussions during the one day consumer group orientation held recently were focused on the consumer rights, responsibilities and priviliges.
Likewise, the behavior of an intelligent consumer was discussed during the said forum.
The basic needs the consumer such as enough food, clothing, shelter, health needs, education and clean environment form part of the discusiions during the orientation.
Lecturers from DTI regional office were invited to discus topics pertaining to the rights, and responsibilities of the consumers.
Mr. Felix Cinco, OIC of the Consumer Welfare Division of the DTI-Regional Office discussed about the rights of the consumers which include the right to safety, information, choice, representation, redress, consumer education and healthy environment.
He informed that the consumers have the right to safety against goods that can cause harm to their health as he said that the consumers have the right to information and it is their right to get all the information needed in order to be able to buy the right goods. It is also the right of the consumers to be protected against deceptive advertisements and labels, he said.
Furthermore, he said that the consumers have the right to be given choices of quality products and services they want to have.
“It is the right of the consumer to live and work in a safe and clean environment that would contribute to a dignified and clean way of enjoying life”, he added.
If the consumer has rights, he also has some responsibilities and foremost among these is that the consumer has the duty to become part and member of the organization so that he will have enough strength to uphold his rights as a consumer”, he said further.
As the consumer welfare month celebration this year comes to a close on October 31 with the theme “Consumer Education and Information: Key to Consumer Empowerment”, DTI is reminding the consumers in Naval and the entire province of Biliran to be always vigilant of their rights, privileges and responsibilities. (PIA-Biliran)