There’s this online article circulating over the net about this Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Sales Promotion Permit and a lot of Pinoy bloggers reacted skeptically about it. Apparently, the million-dollar question pointed towards that article was: do bloggers need to secure a DTI Permit before holding online contests and giveaways?
Basically, the policy of the DTI Sales Promotion Permit requires bloggers/businesses/individuals to secure a DTI permit for online contests and giveaways (Mayor’s permit, barangay permit, transaction fees, long queues and all) as long as sales promotion is concerned. We are all for consumer protection and for a more organized and transparent system, but there are boundaries that have to be clearly defined before anything else.
Here are some points which have been raised by bloggers about the said DTI policy:
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the process of securing a DTI permit is impractical, complicated, and inconvenient for small blogger contests
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How does this policy affect the bloggers who only blog out of their own pockets for passion/hobby and not for profit
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Most bloggers are individuals, not business entities
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Bloggers are wary of the drawbacks that might happen along with this policy (red tape, under-the-table favors etc.)
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As long as the contest does not require any contestant to purchase a certain product in joining the game, securing a DTI permit isn’t required.
Through the years, bloggers have used of social network media and made it into a more interactive and a more enjoyable venue for Filipinos (and even foreigners) living in the country.For instance, joining contests is now as easy as a simple retweet, a Facebook repost, or a simple blog comment. Compare that to sending snail mail/sending entries to drop boxes in grocery stores, etc.No offense meant to the latter. I’m just pointing out that we now have wider options when it comes to contests.
It’s good to know that there are people who are willing to allot a portion of their time to give back to their readers in the simplest way possible like, through blogger contests. However, if these people wouldn’t be able to sustain the contests because of the huge fees and long processes that come with it, then we can’t blame them if they decide to stop holding contests altogether (which is actually sad to think of).
There are many different reasons why bloggers hold contests and giveaways. There are some who simply want to unload their closet off the freebies they got from companies,friends, etc. Meanwhile, others (more often personal bloggers) just want to give something out of their own pockets as a way of saying “thank you” for their readers’ loyalty.
I believe what needs to be done is to hold a series of open discussions between DTI and representative bloggers coming from different sectors to revise the scope and contents of this policy and eventually reach an amicable and workable decision for both parties.
