DTI turns to Microsoft for dev’t of price monitor app

The Department of Trade and Industry has tapped Microsoft Philippines to develop an application that will allow the agency to monitor prices of basic necessities across the country through a paperless, seamless and more convenient mechanism. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—The Department of Trade and Industry has tapped Microsoft Philippines to develop an application that will allow the agency to migrate to a paperless, seamless and more convenient mechanism of monitoring prices across the country.

Previously, the monitoring teams of the DTI would list the prices of goods using paper and pen, and input data to computers back to their respective regional and provincial offices. With the Windows 8 app, called the DTI Online Price Monitoring System (OPMS), trade officers can now input prices of goods directly to their tablet PCs and send their reports online to the Price Monitoring Unit in Makati City.

The OPMS was developed by the DTI-Management Information Services in collaboration with the Barhead Solutions, a Microsoft Philippines partner. This application was developed for Acer Iconia W510 tablet PCs with Windows 8.

“Our partnership with Microsoft enabled us to optimize technology as a tool in reinforcing DTI policies, including price implementation in the market,” said Trade Undersecretary Nora K. Terrado. “This represents our high regard for innovation as a prerequisite in building a healthy business ecosystem and in facilitating the general welfare of the consumers.”

Meanwhile, Microsoft Philippines general manager Karrie Ilagan expressed her company’s interest in supporting DTI programs and projects through technology.

We take pride in becoming “a partner of the Department of Trade and Industry in its mission to enable businesses and to empower consumers through a technology-led price monitoring system. With this initiative, we look forward to helping enable a better marketplace where consumers are protected,” Ilagan said.

Under the Price Act (RA 7581), the DTI is mandated to monitor the price of basic necessities such as canned fish, processed milk, coffee, salt, laundry soap, detergents, candles, bread, instant noodles, and prime commodities such as flour, processed and canned pork, processed beef and poultry meat, vinegar, patis, soy sauce, bath soap, paper, school supplies, cement, clinker, GI sheets, hollow blocks, construction nails, batteries, electrical supplies, light bulbs and steel wires.