THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in Central Visayas has issued formal charges against five establishments in Cebu and 13 in Bohol for selling substandard products.

DTI 7 Director Asteria Caberte said they intensified their enforcement activities on product standards to protect consumers from buying substandard ones that might compromise their safety.

“The DTI encourages our manufacturers, importers and distributors to sell only those critical products that passed quality and safety tests. More so, the presence of the required labeling and PS and ICC marks indicates that their products are reliable and safe for use,” Caberte said in a statement on April 5, Friday.

Seized were mostly construction materials such as re-rolled steel bars, ceramic tiles, GI pipes and household appliances such as rice cookers, DVD players, TV sets and lamp holders, DTI 7 information officer Jojisilia Villamor said. These products did not bear the Philippine Standard (PS) and Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) marks and might be the cause of fires or weak house foundation.

Villamor said their lawyers are still processing the charges and the names of the establishments are held under the Data Privacy Law.

“Our lawyers are currently deliberating on the cases for the penalties,” she said.

Caberte warned that their department will crack down on establishments that sell uncertified, inferior or substandard products.

DTI 7 has issued formal charges to the establishments for the violation of the Public Standards Law (Republic Act 4109) and Consumer Act of the Philippines (Republic Act 7394).

Caberte stressed that, as stated in RA 4109, the distribution or sale of any product that does not conform with the Bureau of Product Standards (BPS) Product Certification Scheme and required Philippine National Standards and tests is prohibited.

Under the standards law, sellers of substandard products can face a penalty of P25,000 to P150,000, while manufacturers can pay fines of up to P300,000 or will be forced to close.

The DTI 7 regularly checks the compliance with the relevant standards of products under mandatory certification to ensure that the Philippine Standards Law and the Consumer Act of the Philippines are strictly enforced. (JOB)