DAVAO CITY – The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Region 11 is encouraging all establishments to apply for a safety seal to entice more consumers to visit then.
Amid the year-long battle against COVID-19, the government has been consistent with its campaign to protect the public. It has also launched several programs to help mitigate the pandemic’s impact. One of the latest interventions is the launching of the Safety Seal Certification Program, a joint undertaking of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Tourism (DOT), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and Department of Health (DOH) under the Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) No. 21-01 series of 2021.
The following agencies shall be the issuing authority of the Safety Seal:
| Issuing Authority | Establishment |
| Department of Tourism | 1. Primary tourism enterprises 2. Accommodation establishments (hotels, resorts, apartment hotels, and other accredited accommodation establishments) 3. Travel and tour services 4. Meetings, incentives, conferences & events (MICE) venues/facilities 5. Restaurants inside hotels/resorts |
| Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) | 1. Manufacturing 2. Construction sites utilities (electric, water, gas, air conditioning, supply, sewerage, waste management) 3. Information and communication companies (private publication, news, movie production, TV and radio companies) 4. Warehouses |
| Department of Trade and Industry | 1. Groceries, supermarkets, membership shopping clubs 2. Convenience stores 3. Construction supply/hardware stores 4. Logistic service providers (outlets) 5. Barbershops and salons 6. Service and repair shops |
| Local Government Unit (City or Municipality) | 1. Malls 2. Wet markets 3. Other retail stores 4. Restaurant outside hotels/resorts 5. Fast food, eateries, coffeeshops, etc. 6. Banks, money changers, pawnshops, remittance centers 7. Car wash 8. Laundry service centers 9. Art galleries, libraries, museums, zoo 10. Sports centers 11. Tutorial, testing, and review centers 12. Gyms 13. Spas 14. Cinemas 15. Arcades 16. All other private establishments |
| Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)/Philippine National Police (PNP) | 1. City Halls, municipal halls, provincial capitols 2. All other local government unit facilities and buildings 3. Police camps and stations 4. Bureau of Fire Protection offices and fire stations 5. Provincial/district/city jails 6. Barangay halls and other barangay facilities 7. All other public establishments not covered by the other issuing agencies |
This program is seen to benefit both the consumers and establishments. With the Safety Seal, the consumers are assured that the shops or stores they are visiting are compliant with the government’s guidelines. As a result, the establishments carrying such a certification would gain the public’s confidence.
When applying, the certifying bodies will be looking at two major qualifications. First, the establishments must have complied with the minimum public health standards set by the government and have adopted the StaySafe.ph digital contact tracing application. The latter is crucial as this will strengthen the contact tracing initiative of the government. Hence, the business sector can help to effectively contain the spread of the deadly virus for the economy to safely reopen. These guidelines shall apply to all private business establishments, selected public places, and government offices.
The Safety Seal has a validity of six months from the date of issuance, except for those awarded to tourism enterprises, which carry a validity of one year. After the said period, the concerned establishments may apply for a renewal, which shall be granted based on their continued compliance with the eligibility requirements.
“The registration to the Safety Seal Certification Program is voluntary,which means that this is not a requirement for the business establishments to operate continuously. However, we highly encourage them to enroll to boost the confidence of their target consumers. They don’t have to pay anything to avail of this program,” DTI-Region 11 Regional Director (RD) Maria Belenda Q. Ambi said.
DTI is in-charge of the Safety Seal issuance to businesses, such as groceries, supermarkets, membership shopping clubs, convenience stores, construction supply and hardware stores, logistics service providers (outlets), barbershops, salons, and service and repair shops.
To register, interested business establishments may log on to the Safety Seal Certification microsite of the issuing authorities or visit the nearest DTI office.
DTI-Davao may be reached through this number (082) 224-0511 local 417 or via DTI-Region 11’s official Facebook page. ♦
Date of Release: 22 July 2021