Wednesday, August 22, 2007 DTI monitors withdrawal of toys
THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is monitoring the voluntary withdrawal from the market of China-made toys that allegedly have high lead content due to lack of order from its central office in Manila.
DTI 7 Director Asteria Caberte said toy manufacturers and store owners have shown a sense of responsibility because even without an advisory from higher authorities, they voluntarily withdrew the toys in question.
From US
Some of the toys are products of Mattel and Fisher-Price of the US. Some are made in China, which are reportedly unsafe for children who might accidentally lick or swallow them.
But Caberte clarified that at present, they have no evidence that the toys are dangerous to children because all they have are newspaper reports about their high lead content.
She said that while there is still no advisory from the DTI in Manila on how to handle this problem, all they have to do is closely monitor the voluntary withdrawal of the toys from various stores.
Caberte said the voluntary withdrawal of the toys from the shelves is a good sign that manufacturers and businessmen are sensitive to the public’s safety.
Caberte believed that the questionable toys will all be removed from the stores very soon because businessmen have responsibility to the public. (EOB)
