Purchase of Locally Manufactured Equipment, Parts, Accessories and Other Similar Articles or Products

January 28, 1977

LETTER OF INSTRUCTIONS NO. 501

DIRECTING ALL GOVERNMENT OFFICES, AND AGENCIES TO PATRONIZE AND PURCHASE LOCALLY MANUFACTURED EQUIPMENT, PARTS, ACCESSORIES, SUPPLIES, MATERIALS AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES OR PRODUCTS

WHEREAS, there is a need to encourage, develop, and protect small medium industries in order to accelerate economic development and bolster the overall economy of the country;

WHEREAS, it is to the national interest that locally-manufactured equipment, supplies and materials be supported and patronized in order to increase production and generate more employment and income opportunities for the people;

WHEREAS, to purchase and import foreign-manufactured and/or produced equipment, parts, accessories, supplies and materials will be detrimental to the industrial development program of the government;

WHEREAS, in order to attain the foregoing objectives and in view of the difficult situation besetting local producers and manufacturers, it is necessary to regulate, rationalize and control the purchase and importation of foreign-manufactured and/or produced equipment, parts, accessories, supplies, materials and other articles or products;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Republic of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution, do hereby order and direct all government bureaus, offices and agencies, government-owned or controlled corporations and instrumentalities thereof to fully support, patronize and purchase locally-manufactured or produced equipment, parts, accessories, supplies, materials and other similar articles or products needed in all their operations, under such guidelines, rules and regulations as shall be promulgated by the Department of Trade, in consultation of the Philippine Chamber of Industries, and with the approval of the President of the Philippines.

The Department of Trade shall be the one responsible for implementing these instructions. It shall perform the following functions:

1. To establish and operate an information system equipped with accurate and updated data on the list of local manufacturers or producers, their specific products, capacity and quantity of production, and other relevant information to serve prospective buyers;

2. To monitor and attend to all requests for direct marketing assistance from manufacturers and producers;

3. To provide linkages between manufacturers/producers and buyers and/or market outlets;

4. To coordinate the implementation of these instructions with other departments, bureaus and offices, agencies, government-owned or controlled corporations and instrumentalities concerned; and

5. To perform other functions which may be deemed necessary to attain the objectives of this Letter of Instructions.

This Letter of Instructions shall take effect immediately.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 28th day of January, in the year of Our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Seventy-Seven.