The Commission on Appointments (CA) has confirmed the ad interim appointment of Maria Cristina Roque as the new Secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
Before her appointment as DTI Secretary, Maria Cristina Roque served as DTI Undersecretary for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise (MSME) development. She was named acting DTI Secretary in August.
Prior to the Commission on Appointments’ confirmation, Senator Risa Hontiveros asked Roque about the Department’s plans to protect consumers from unsafe and substandard goods.
Roque acknowledged that the DTI takes the issue of substandard and unsafe products seriously, stating that they have already caught many violators of product standards.
She explained that the high number of complaints is not due to neglect but because of the large volume of products, both locally made and imported, that are constantly being monitored.
Nevertheless, Roque assured that the DTI is taking steps to address the problem. These include using AI to handle frequently asked questions, enhancing digital tools to track products more effectively, and strengthening manpower to ensure better enforcement of product standards.
Apart from Roque, the CA also approved the ad interim appointments of 21 officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), including Consul General Shirlene Mananquil, who helped prevent the execution of death row convict Mary Jane Veloso in Indonesia.
The CA also confirmed the ad interim appointments of 22 generals, flag officers, and a senior officer of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
