Consumer welfare desk (CWD) officers from various establishments in Negros Occidental, including this highly urbanized city, enhanced their response capabilities through the assistance of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

“The CWD officers serve as the primary link between the government and the private sector in upholding fair trade standards,” DTI-Negros Occidental provincial director Lynna Joy Cardinal said in a statement on Wednesday.

Some 34 CWD officers, of whom 16 are from Bacolod City, underwent a training session to enhance their capabilities in providing efficient assistance while improving the overall handling of consumer queries and the resolution of complaints at the store level at Roy’s Hotel and Convention Center on March 30.

Participants were oriented on CWD functions, consumer rights, and fair trade laws as well as introduced to DTI’s digital innovations such as the Integrated Registration and Information System and the Consumer Complaints Assistance and Resolution System.

In Negros Occidental, 82 consumer welfare desks have been set up in various business establishments since 2023.

Alongside the training for CWD officers, the DTI-Negros Occidental recognized the 30 establishments as recipients of the 2025 Bagwis Awards.

These include 17 new establishments and 13 others, which have maintained their CWDs.

The DTI Bagwis Program honors businesses dedicated to upholding consumer rights and welfare, and encourages the setting up of CWD or an equivalent customer relations office that will provide information to consumers and serve as a mechanism for the speedy resolution of consumer complaints.

Cardinal said the Bagwis Award is not just a seal for display, but a symbol of the store’s commitment to their customers.

“You are doing more than just running a business –you are building a culture of integrity,” she added. (PNA)