MANILA, Oct. 16 -- Senator Bam Aquino on Thursday welcomed the Department of Trade and Industry's (DTI) decision to postpone the implementation of the mandatory Trustmark requirement for online businesses, calling it a welcome relief for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

He said the DTI's move would ease the compliance burden on small online sellers and give them more time to prepare for future digital trade regulations.

The DTI earlier announced that the Trustmark requirement would remain voluntary until the end of the year while it conducts further consultations with industry stakeholders before issuing a final policy.

Aquino, who earlier urged the agency to review the measure, said the mandatory Trustmark would have added...