Ukay-Ukay to be banned?

Common sense tells me that it's better to stop Ukay ukay, This would help our local manufacturers and those who are fond of designer clothings to buy the branded product at the price they're suppose to pay for them. Simply put, if you are into designer clothing, then you have to have the money for it. With this set up people who can't afford designer clothings will be forced to patronize the more affordable locally manufactured clothing, if this happens local manufacturers will be more competitive, if there's competition manufacturers will begin to focus on quality. In time we will have locally produced goods that are affordable and yet at par with international manufacturers in terms of quality. But then again this is easier said than done but not something that can be considered mission impossible. With the current set up of ukay ukay, only the importers get the bulk of the money. Well, people will have access to cheap designers clothes but if we are going to look at it at a bigger picture, there are far more benefits to our country not only to the local manufacturers but to the government as well if people stop buying ukay ukay. Now i wonder why ukay ukay clothings are not taxed yet considering that every thrifty filipino has worn an ukay ukay at one time or another is his or her entire lifespan. it's becuase the importers themselves are politicians or those with connections to politicians who can lobby and divert attention whenever the taxes of Ukay ukay are brought. I guess the least the government could do as far as ukay ukay is concerned is, if you can't stop it, tax it.

Well sweetie, i am not from the philippines, yet. But one thing i can tell you though. It is illegal and if these owners want to keep their small businesses, they should make sure the government legalize this Ukay thingie. Rather let them pay taxes on it, than loosing the income they have. What do they have there?? TATA.

customs wanted to taxed the sellers because they are rampant and wanted to have a share of their earnings. well, the sellers better be ready if this will push through... if customs will do this, put taxes on them, then sellers will then have a mark-up price to cover the cost of taxes...

I am not in favor of banning the "ukay-ukay'. It is definitely helpful to a lot of people including me. The thing is, most of the clothes we have in the malls are quite expensive. "Ukay-ukay gives us the opportunity of having good stuffs at an affordable price. But on the other hand, I favor the taxes. I mean, the people selling this clothes are earning. They have to do their part as a business owner like any other business do.. and that is to pay taxes.

i can say that i am a fan too of Ukay-ukay though i dont go there my wife does. it became a place where we can buy something that we need for emergency purposes. the first time she went there is when i needed a white pants (that i dont have) and a white polo shirt that i needed for a band pictorial. since we are out of budget to go to mall and to buy new things my wife went to ukay ukay. lucky there a lot of those shops at our area. and because my wife is a good shopper she got something that looks almost new. she washed that clothes thoroughly and ironed it. and it looked like it was new. the day that we enjoyed ukay ukay was after ondoy. where my mother and sister and family and other brother and family was very badly affected. me and my wife bought a few of the things they needed at ukay ukay. this is where people go if they can not afford the branded clothes that is very durable. this is where people go when they want to buy good quality clothes but can not afford the ones on the mall. putting taxes or banning it will just make more of the filipino people kawawa. i can see that this new administration is just focusing on how to get money from us. not a good idea. just my opinion.

hello totally pretty, the reason why there is a possibility of them getting banned, it's because they are mostly smuggled items. it's hard when you think about tolerating something that gets away from customs, loosing millions of pesos on our part in the government. if they tax this and make it legal, they should all be subjected to all customs inspections first. the reason why it's cheap because they smuggle it.

I am fond of buying in these stores, not only because it's cheaper but because the quality is good because they're mostly originals. Plus, the fact that most of the clothes and stuff there are unique because it's not like in the malls where there are rows and rows of clothes of the same design in different colors and different sizes. Therefore, it's much safer to shop in ukay-ukays because you're sure that the probability of some other person wearing the same clothes as you are is very slim. I do understand why people would like to shut them down, it's painful for the industry to be manufacturing clothes then people would instead be buying from surpluses that aren't really meant to be sold but are being donated by other countries to our country. However, manufacturers should understand that if they want to compete, they should be willing to keep their prices low and qualities should be better as well. That's the jungle called business.

totallyundecided is this just for Filipinos or for everyone if so what the heck is ukay ukay ? and would an american be'likely to buy what it is.?I cannot use the search bar until I post'this so am causing it could be clothing? but why would it be banded, and may I ask why make discussions that only Filipinos or Indians understand why not include us American in on the party?

totallyundecided why cannot you just say for those of us not filipino that Ukay Ukay is a used clpthing store? we have them in the US too like Salvation Army and others some are consignment stores where you can buy name brand clothes barely worn for half of the original store prices.Those sound like pretty good deals to me for poorer people who want good quality clothing Why not have them just pay taxes and don't ban them and the people need them.this is a confused and amused American from California who would love to find a s tore like that close by.Walmart is close but not like your stores.

If it is illegal then it should be put to stop. Those who operate ukay-ukay should pay what is due to the government. While it is true that we are getting cheaper stuff from ukay-ukay and they've in a way helped us afford those branded clothes we could not usually buy, I don't think that is a reason to exempt them from following the legal procedures of this land.

Well I think it's not fair especially on people who cannot afford that much. I think it's crazy. I am not in favor of banning it. I do not actually go to ukay-ukay and buy stuffs there. I'm not that rich but we all have our preferences/choices. But as I watch the news, I think the idea is not fair at all. Not all people in the Philippines are not that rich. I think ukay-ukay is not harmful at all. It actually helps people. I go to malls when there is Sale or factory outlets. It's still more expensive than ukay-ukay, but I think it's really fun, and I save some money too. Happy mylotting!! ^_^

well its really impossible to ban it but to regulate it may be possible.

As I understand from the news, second-hand clothes are illegal because it allegedly undermines national dignity. Imported second-hand clothes are seized at the ports. The Commissioner of Customs suggests that we should just tax these clothes instead of banning them. I am not a big fan of UK but I have relatives and friends who frequent these places. We have several of them near my place which are popular. Now that my project is over, I might visit one of these places one of these days.

Hi kababayan! Niether am I... We could really save a definite amount of money from it, especially we're facing crisis now in our country, and a lot of Filipinos do really want to save cash to buy their necessities as well, that's why they buy 'ukay-ukay' instead of branded. So, I don't agree with it. Hope they'll legalize it so it'll continue...

Actually we talked about this topic in my business economics class in mg graduate studies, the point is not to ban the ukay-ukay but to impose taxes which I think is just right as it will generate more revenues on the part of the government. Ukay-ukay is a big business in the Philippines and yet no taxes involve, as the new Philippine government is very determined in fixing what is wrong with the national economy, one cure is the imposition of tax. Personally, I agree to the imposition of tax on the ukay-ukay but not to ban it. It is a good business opportunity among Filipinos and it contributed to the job creation program of the government.

hi kabayan, banning the ukay2 maybe is not a good idea considering that most people are buying it at a lowest price and in good quality. i would however agree on imposing tax to it. put some tax so that government can earn revenue from it, because paying taxes in any business is an indication of being a "responsible citizen in our country". i say that ukay2 business in a tough competitor of malls but its worth it. rather than going to the malls for expensive cloths, shoes, shirts and whatever there is, i would rather go to ukay2 because i can readily purchase products at my budget and in good quality. so tax instead of banned! God bless..

It is sad to know that but i guess what the government wants is to legalized it by imposing tax...I am a user because i love cottony dress or shirts which can be found in Ukay-Ukay and very much cheaper than those in the malls.Even in my place, if you have ten pesos you can buy at least 2 shirt.it maybe used but still useful for others who can't afford buying new clothes..Im sure a lot of Filipinos would not like this type of business be banned in the country.we can all benefit from this.

I am indeed familiar with this. if they tax this then either there would be more or less buyers coming in since the prices of these will go higher.