Question & AnswerQ&A (DTI ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 1 s. 1993)
The Order provides policies, rules, and procedures for registering export-related trade complaints and facilitating their resolution as received by the Bureau of Export Trade Promotion (BETP) from exporters, suppliers, and foreign buyers.
The Bureau of Export Trade Promotion (BETP) is responsible as the primary export assistance and information arm of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) mandated to oversee export trade programs including handling related complaints.
Trade Complaints are all complaints arising from actual export/export-related transactions.
EXPONET is the unit within BETP tasked to attend to all export trade-related complaints, including familiarizing with the case, coordinating with relevant entities, informing respondents, and facilitating meetings to resolve complaints.
The Committee is composed of the Director of the BETP, the President of the Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc. (Philexport), the President of the Credit Information Bureau, Inc. (CIBI), and the Director of the DTI Office of Legal Affairs, or their designated representatives.
Respondents are informed through telephone and registered letter within 3 days from receipt of complaint; Filipino respondents have 15 working days to reply while foreign respondents have 30 working days to reply.
The complaint is elevated to the DTI Legal Department for appropriate action.
Inclusion in the Watchlist applies if the respondent has two or more complaints, the complaint affects the Philippines' export image, admits guilt, or the complaint is already under court jurisdiction.
They cannot avail of services like recommendations for loans, referrals to buyers, participation in DTI-sponsored events, inclusion in supplier listings, or other DTI export promotion and financing activities.
Complaints must be submitted in writing and duly subscribed by the complainant; otherwise, the complaint will not be processed.