The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said its Fair Trade Enforcement Bureau (FTEB) received 495 online renewal applications from service and repair enterprises (SREs) in January.
In total, the FTEB approved 118 renewals, a 23% increase from the 94 approved last year, the DTI said in a statement on Feb. 16.
Presidential Decree No. 1572 and Republic Act No. 7394 or the Consumer Act of the Philippines require all SREs to obtain accreditation from the DTI.
“Timely renewal enables SREs to maintain compliance with regulatory requirements, keep business information up to date and maintain valid authority to operate,” the DTI said.
Of the new SRE registrations, the bureau approved six out of 51 applications in January.
Applications for renewal were submitted through its Integrated Registration and Information System portal.
Recognitions are valid until December 31, and they must be renewed by January 31 each year to avoid late fees.
Businesses covered by the accreditation requirement include businesses engaged in the servicing and repair of motor vehicles, machinery, electronics, electrical systems, refrigeration and air conditioning systems, office machines and data processing equipment, medical and dental equipment and heavy equipment.
Last year, the DTI inspected 408 SREs and issued 201 show cause orders to entities operating without DTI certification. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz