NextGen Day News And Stories

Raffy Tulfo, a senator, has introduced a measure to legalize and regulate the importation of used clothing, bags, shoes, and accessories, often known as “ukay-ukay,” citing the growth of the black market and the failure of the government to suppress it.

Known as the Act to Safeguard the Health of the People and Maintain the Dignity of the Nation by Declaring it a National Policy to Prohibit the Commercial Importation of Textile Articles Commonly Known as Used Clothing and Rags, Republic Act 4635 is being repealed by Senate Bill 1778.

Tulfo stated in the bill that RA 4635, which was passed in 1966, needs to be repealed because it has proven ineffective as ukay-ukay stores have proliferated across the nation and have now assimilated into Filipino culture.

“The sector that provides revenue also creates jobs. To ensure that it complies with applicable laws, the appropriate government agencies must regulate it, he added.

In Baguio City, the ukay-ukay industry first began to take off in the early 1980s. The Salvation Army provided imported second-hand goods to victims of the calamities as a form of humanitarian aid due to the country’s frequent natural disasters.

Local traders gathered and bought the aforementioned goods in large quantities to sell to the general public at a lower price. Low-income people made up the majority of the initial clientele, but as word spread and prices dropped, high-income earners also began to use it.

The PHP18 billion ukay-ukay industry will no longer be an illegal business because it will be duly registered and have its revenues audited by the appropriate government agencies, according to Tulfo.

The Department of Health (DOH), in accordance with the proposed measure, shall establish the health requirements and standards for importing and dispersing used textile articles, also known as used clothing and rags; the Tariff Commission, in consultation with the pertinent agencies, shall establish the proper tariff line for such goods.

The Bureau of Customs and the Department of Social Welfare and Development will decide how to handle imported used textiles that have been impounded due to violations of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act in the interim.

Save/Share this story with QR CODE

---

Disclaimer

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute endorsement of any specific technologies or methodologies and financial advice or endorsement of any specific products or services.

Need to get in touch?

Feel free to Contact NextGenDay.com for comments, suggestions, reviews, or anything else.

---

We appreciate your reading. Simple Ways To Say Thanks & Support Us:
1.) GIVE A TIP. Send a small donation thru Paypal
Your DONATION will be used to fund and maintain NEXTGENDAY.com
Subscribers in the Philippines can make donations to mobile number 0917 906 3081, thru GCash.
3.) BUY or SIGN UP to our AFFILIATE PARTNERS.
4.) Give this news article a THUMBS UP, and Leave a Comment (at Least Five Words).

---

AFFILIATE PARTNERS

World Class Nutritional Supplements - Buy Highest Quality Products, Purest Most Healthy Ingredients, Direct to your Door! Up to 90% OFF.
Join LiveGood Today - A company created to satisfy the world's most demanding leaders and entrepreneurs, with the best compensation plan today.

---