When President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed the Tatak Pinoy Act, or Republic Act 11981, which aims to provide financing and incentives to local producers of quality goods, he said the new law “is about investing in Filipino competence and talent,” and aims to promote excellence and “great workmanship.”
Among other things, RA 11981 gives Tatak Pinoy enterprises access to low interest or flexible loans, credit guarantees, venture capital, lease agreements and other forms of financing from government financial institutions. “Green lanes” will be provided to spare such enterprises from red tape. Value added tax refunds will be expedited. A multi-agency advisory Tatak Pinoy Council will assist the enterprises in marketing their products, both domestically and internationally.
If the Tatak Pinoy Act, which is truly laudable on paper, can be implemented properly and fairly, it could be a boon for Filipino entrepreneurs. The first hurdle would be ensuring how a Pinoy enterprise qualifies for the benefits, which could be a problem if politicians and other influential groups have a hand in the selection process. After all, quantifying quality can prove difficult as it could be a highly subjective affair.
However, the need for such a law also exposes the need for government to support local business enterprises and promote quality products, which should be among the duties of local and national government. In an ideal world, there would be no distinction that gives certain “quality” enterprises additional benefits and advantages if everyone were given a level playing field where the best products and services are naturally allowed to rise to the top.
Tatak Pinoy should be a mark of proud workmanship and quality work produced by all Filipinos, whether or not a law says they are good enough to qualify for the label. However, if that is not the norm because our skills and competencies are not up to scratch, then having a law that rewards those business enterprises that somehow meet government’s standards for quality should help, at least for now. Maybe if those businesses that churn out low quality products see how those incentives can benefit them, they might strive harder to improve their quality enough to earn the label of ‘Tatak Pinoy’, which could benefit everyone in the end, making the new law a catalyst for making quality part of Filipino ideals and identity.*
