Section 7. Qualifications.- OTOP products included in the Program must meet a set of criteria to be established by the DTI: Provided, That they are consistent with the following elements:
Culture - This shall pertain to cultural values rooted in the following: heritage, living traditions, customs and rituals, recipes passed on from generation, narrative, history, and beliefs;
Community Resource - The locality's selected products shall be based on the availability of local resources, raw materials, skills, and network resources within a community;
Connection - The selected product shall be able to evoke a sense of price or emotional connection among the locals;
Creativity - The products selected for a locality shall be able to exemplify the Filipino people's creativity and innovation; and
Competitive Advantage - The product or service selection shall be based on locality's innate or endemic strengths anchored on several variables such as topography, climate, geographical location, and proximity to resources, among others.
Provided, further, That preference shall be given to goods or services that form part of the supply chain of OTOP products.