DAVAO CITY – The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has officially started the awarding of the Safety Seal to qualified local businesses here.
In a statement on Wednesday, the DTI said the initiative aims to recognize establishments that consistently comply with the minimum public health standards and use/integrate their contact tracing mechanism with StaySafe.ph.
DTI-Davao City Director Rachel S. Remitio said the business sector’s efforts to keep up with the challenging times should not be discounted but instead supported.
“More than a year has already passed in this global pandemic, and we can observe that the Davaoeños have been trying their best to adapt and live according to the so-called new normal. It is not easy for all of us to be in this situation, but we should keep moving forward and do whatever we can to help each other,” she said.
The DTI issues the Safety Seal for supermarkets, groceries, convenience stores, membership shopping clubs, construction supply/hardware stores, logistics service providers, barbershops and salons, and service and repair shops.
Through the DTI, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), the Department of Health (DOH), the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and the Department of Tourism (DOT) created the Safety Seal Certification Program.
“The Safety Seal Certification program is voluntary in nature. We do not oblige establishments to get certified with us. However, if they have this Safety Seal, their customers will be more confident to visit them,” Remitio said.
She added that the different sectors, particularly those engaged in business, have unwittingly shown their resourcefulness and innovativeness in creating a safe and healthy environment for its customers, especially in restarting their operations despite several setbacks and innumerable lockdowns.
To date, DTI-Davao City has already inspected 24 establishments that applied for a Safety Seal Certification, apart from the ongoing validation and inspection of incoming applications.
“When we asked the applicants why they were convinced to apply for a Safety Seal, most of them talked about the confidence and assurance that they could give their customers once they have the certificate displayed inside their stores or buildings,” Remitio said.
DTI-Davao City said a certain customer, who refused to be named, lauded the Safety Seal Certification issuance to establishments.
“We are assured that supermarkets were checked by the DTI and they have this seal, meaning, they were approved or their system complied with the imposed health protocols,” the customer said. (PNA)
