Manila: Online merchants are encouraged to apply for a digital badge that will help boost their credibility as businesses. Lawyer Marcus Valdez II, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) assistant secretary for the e-commerce bureau, said during the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon program on Friday that registration with the E-Commerce Philippines Trustmark is currently voluntary. The establishment of the E-Commerce Philippines Trustmark is mandated under Republic Act 11967, otherwise known as the Internet Transactions Act of 2023.

According to Philippines News Agency, Valdez mentioned that the badge assures online shoppers that the businesses' operations are legitimate, which, in turn, assures income for businesses. He emphasized the importance of online merchants submitting the necessary requirements, such as business registration with the DTI and the Bureau of Internal Revenue, and import commodity clearance.

He advised merchants to visit trustmark.dti.gov.ph for additional requirements and the registration process. Currently, the registration process is available only through the website, but Valdez shared plans for a mobile application that will be integrated with eGov PH, the government's mobile application aimed at simplifying transactions between the government and the public.

Valdez concluded by encouraging online merchants to cooperate with regulators, stating, "We encourage our merchants to cooperate with the regulators because this is for the improvement of our e-commerce industry."