Negros oriental: The Negros Oriental provincial government, in collaboration with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), has launched an online platform designed to streamline the management of consumer complaints.

According to Philippines News Agency, Krystle Jade Bato, spokesperson for DTI-Negros Oriental and head of the Consumer Protection Division, stated in a phone interview that the newly launched online portal system is now operational. However, she noted that some aspects, particularly the backend, still require finalization. The portal, temporarily named the NIR ConsumerNet Portal, serves as a platform for lodging consumer complaints, which will be directed to the pertinent agency once validated by the DTI.

The initiative comes in response to rising commodity prices linked to the Middle East conflict. Bato emphasized that the portal is intended to address consumer issues year-round, facilitating the submission of complaints to the appropriate authorities beyond the current situation.

During the Negros Oriental Consumer Protection Network's Checkpoint and Planning Session on Wednesday, Nathanael Tan, Administrative Officer V and IT staff of the provincial government, demonstrated the features of the online portal. The session was attended by various agencies and other stakeholders. Tan highlighted that both government agencies and private and civilian sectors are encouraged to participate in the portal to address grievances effectively.

Currently, IT technicians are working on the backend of the app and are awaiting the Department of Information and Communications Technology's (DICT) approval to allocate a uniform resource locator (URL) for the portal. Bato also specified five key agencies that need to join the portal due to the high volume of complaints received by the DTI. These agencies include the Land Transportation Office for OR/CR complaints, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas for banking-related concerns, DICT for logistics, the National Telecommunications Commission for communication issues, and the Office of Senior Citizens Affairs.