Jobs blueprint for wholesale, retail out Monday

THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said its Supply Chain and Logistics Group and private sector partners will be launching a jobs blueprint for the wholesale and retail industry on Monday.

In a statement, the DTI said that it will officially launch the Section G: Job Blueprint for Wholesale & Retail Trade on June 16, together with the Philippine Retailers Association and the Supply Chain Management Association of the Philippines.

“Our wholesale and retail sector is the backbone of countless Filipino families — from sari-sari store owners to hardworking retail workers,” Trade Secretary Ma. Cristina A. Roque said.

“This blueprint ensures no Filipino is left behind as we modernize and grow,” she added.

According to the DTI, the blueprint aims to provide a “comprehensive framework aimed at enhancing competitiveness and generating employment in the sector.”

It was developed through consultations with stakeholders, including dialogues, surveys, focus group discussions, and inputs gathered from the 2024 Wholesale and Retail Trade Forum.

In 2024, the wholesale and retail industry accounted for P4.9 trillion of the Philippine economy and 10.2 million jobs.

Meanwhile, the DTI said that it is set to endorse the final version of the Tatak Pinoy Strategy to President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. this month.

The Tatak Pinoy Council convened its second meeting last week to discuss the draft multi-year Tatak Pinoy Strategy.

“The TPS introduces a strategic framework for economic transformation anchored on five core pillars: human resources, infrastructure, technology and innovation, investments, and sound financial management,” the DTI said.

Aside from the draft strategy, the council also reported Tatak Pinoy Act milestones last year, including market access assistance to 38 projects, which generated P6.09 billion in actual sales and P4.91 billion and P5.24 billion in potential revenue and investments.

Two key projects were also initiated last year, which are the feasibility study on establishing a wafer fabrication facility and the update of the Semiconductor and Electronics Industry Roadmap. — Justine Irish D. Tabile