DTI tells MSMEs to join Asean online sale from Aug. 8 to 22

By Andrea E. San Juan @andreasanjuan

THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said the upcoming Asean Online Sale Day (AOSD) 2023, an e-commerce initiative which will bring together businesses, marketplaces, and platforms selling goods and services online from across Southeast Asia (SEA), presents a “unique” opportunity for Filipino businesses, including small merchants.

In a statement released on Monday, DTI said the Asean Online Sale Day will run from August 8 to 22, 2023, adding this regional e-commerce initiative will gather platforms selling goods and services online from across SEA to promote “crossborder” trade and economic collaboration.

“This event presents a unique opportunity for Filipino businesses, including MSMEs [micro, small, and medium enterprises], to tap into the vast Asean market for consumers to access exciting deals from across the region,” DTI said.

According to the trade department, the AOSD is an annual Asean-wide event that started in 2020, participated by all the Asean member states, which are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines that aims to strengthen economic ties among Asean countries, boost consumer trust in e-commerce, and provide valuable sales opportunities for MSMEs.

In its fourth year, DTI said the e-commerce initiative aims to connect the Asean community and “overcome” barriers in implementing cross-border e-commerce by providing consumers a safe space to shop online and provide opportunities for Asean businesses to expand their markets through cross-border e-commerce.

As of July 27, 2023, DTI said 54 Filipino businesses will be joining the AOSD and will receive “extensive” promotional support from regional marketing campaigns, reaching over 600 million Asean consumers.

DTI said its official publicity channels will “further enhance” the visibility of participating

Hefty fuel pump price hike today

MOTORISTS should brace for a hefty price increase in petroleum products today.

Oil firms announced Monday an increase of P3.50 per liter in diesel, P3.25 per liter in kerosene, and P2.10 per liter in gasoline.

P rices of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) will also increase starting today, Tuesday.

Petron Corporation said it will implement a P4.55/kilogram (kg) increase in LPG prices effective August 1. Auto LPG prices will likewise increase by P2.54 per liter.

These reflect the international contract price of LPG for the month of August,