Trustmark voluntary registration period extended by one year

THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said it extended the voluntary registration period for the e-commerce trustmark for another year.

“The DTI is keeping trustmark registration voluntary (until next year). This gives online businessmen more time to join at their own pace,” the DTI said in an advisory on Monday.

With the extension, companies doing business online will have until December 2026 to register for the trustmark. The original voluntary period had been due to lapse on Dec. 31, 2025.

The trustmark policy has elicited calls for review, with stakeholders and legislators claiming that it duplicates some requirements that online businesses already must comply with.

Sen. Paolo Benigno A. Aquino IV in October urged the DTI to reconsider Department Administrative Order 25-12 describing it as an unnecessary burden on micro, small and medium enterprises.

At the time of the order, registration had been mandatory.

Mr. Aquino also said that the order contradicted the Internet Transactions Act, which identified the trustmark as a voluntary program, and the Ease of Doing Business Act.

Trade Secretary Ma. Cristina A. Roque said about the extension: “We encourage everyone to register. It is for their credibility,” she added.

According to the DTI, obtaining a trustmark results in “the immediate benefit of helping build a safer digital marketplace while boosting your business.”

The DTI has received 18,405 trustmark applications so far. — Justine Irish D. Tabile