November 2025 – Manila, Philippines — The Online Negosyo Empowerment Community (ONEC), a nationwide movement of online sellers and micro-entrepreneurs, raises concern over rising platform fees and redundant regulations that threaten the livelihood of Filipino online businesses.
Amid national calls for accountability, Online Negosyo asserts that small entrepreneurs are also harmed by inefficiency, unnecessary bureaucracy, and policies that drain already thin margins.
Online Negosyo runs its own free capacity-building programs — from digital marketing to business management and ethical selling — and coordinates closely with the E-Commerce Promotions Council of the Philippines, a multi-stakeholder advisory body representing platforms, consumer groups, and private-sector leaders.
On Trustmark
Online Negosyo supports consumer protection but stresses that the current Trustmark proposal is redundant, duplicating existing consumer laws, product standards, IP protections, and platform verification systems.
With Trustmark voluntary only until December 31, the group urges that it be declared permanently voluntary, not required by platforms, aspirational, and private-sector-led, with government focusing instead on enforcing existing laws.
On the P5 Processing Fee
The group calls for full transparency and justification of the new P5 fee imposed by major platforms. With rising costs and inflation, micro-sellers cannot absorb additional charges. Online Negosyo urges platforms to review and reduce the fee, ideally to below one peso.
A Call for Good Governance
Online Negosyo urges policymakers to:
- remove redundant requirements
- review burdensome MSME policies
- ensure transparency in fees
- prioritize enforcement of current consumer protection laws
Online Negosyo remains committed to constructive dialogue with platforms, policymakers, and the E-Commerce Promotions Council to help build a fair, transparent, and corruption-free digital economy.
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