MANILA – Go Lokal!, a concept store initiated by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), launched on Friday its work-from-home collection called Silid (room).
“The Silid Collection’s overall tone of positivity creates an enduring balance between work and rest, transforming the home into a sanctuary with the flexibility to be converted into a functional space for working and learning,” DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez said at the virtual launching.
Curated by CommonRoom PH, Silid Collection offers products that will help those in work-from-home arrangement convert even their small spaces as a work station, helping them to be productive while still maintaining work-life balance in their own sanctuary.
Lopez said this new Go Lokal! collection also supports local young artists and entrepreneurs creating innovative products amid the “new normal”
He added that the Covid-19 pandemic, like any other stores, pushed Go Lokal! to strengthen its digital presence.
“The reinvention of the Go Lokal! concept store now carries a broader selection of well-curated products but in an inspired, newly-designed space that enhances the buying experience for customers,” the trade chief said.
Lopez said the DTI has ramped up its digitalization efforts and sought an alternative market for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) amid the pandemic.
He said 81 MSMEs under the Go Lokal! Program have migrated online.
Since its introduction in 2016, Go Lokal! has mainstreamed 275 MSMEs with retail partners and put 786 MSMEs to concept stores and retail.
The program also generated sales of PHP361.97 million as of November 2020.
Under the Go Lokal! Program, the DTI partners with private stock retailers, mall operators, and vendors to bring quality products of MSMEs to the mainstream market.
“Moving forward, we hope that our ‘Buy Local, Go Lokal’ advocacy will intensify the awareness and preference of the local market to purchase Filipino-made products. Remember: when we buy local, we create local jobs—not foreign jobs,” Lopez said.
He also urged Filipinos to buy products made in the Philippines.
“We call on everyone to continue supporting our local entrepreneurs, big and small. Let us build a build back better for our country and give all our countrymen a more comfortable and better quality of life,” he added. (PNA)
