The Department of Trade and Industry said Monday the registration for the E-Commerce Philippine Trustmark will remain voluntary until Dec. 31, 2026, walking back an initial plan to make the certification mandatory this year.
DTI Secretary Cristina Roque said the extension reflects the agency’s willingness to incorporate stakeholder feedback while studying international implementation models to improve the program’s effectiveness.
The agency aims to use the transition period to benchmark the Trustmark against global best practices for digital safety.
While registration is optional for the next two years, the agency is encouraging all eligible businesses to apply to build consumer confidence.
Micro-enterprises are eligible to register for free. DTI officials said 18,405 businesses, including several multinational corporations, have already submitted applications for the certification.
“If the government can provide this support, why not take it?” Roque said during a year-end briefing.
“For now, registration is voluntary until next year and we are studying how other countries implement similar programs to make ours even more effective,” she said.
Despite the shift to voluntary registration, the agency said all existing e-commerce laws would remain strictly enforced. The department is finalizing supplemental guidelines that will detail registration procedures and fee structures based on business size and type.
The initiative has received support from consumer advocacy groups and business organizations, which cited the program’s potential to curb online fraud and strengthen buyer protection.
Both sectors have urged the government to increase public education campaigns and expressed support for a potential shift back to mandatory registration in the future.
The DTI plans to conduct a formal review of the policy in early 2026. The assessment will determine whether the agency will maintain the voluntary status, revise the guidelines or reinstate a mandatory requirement once the current extension expires at the end of that year.
