THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), through its regional and provincial offices, expressed support on Governor Dennis Pineda's call for vigilance in monitoring construction materials that might be non-compliant to Philippine National Standards on quality and safety.
During the Multi-Hazard Disaster Summit held at the Kingsborough Convention Center recently, Pineda noted the need for integrated action to prepare the province for an earthquake, one of which is to ensure the standard of construction materials.
In response to this, DTI Central Luzon Director Judith Angeles vowed to assist local government units in monitoring and inspecting local hardware stores to ensure that construction materials conform to Philippine Standards.
Angeles added that the thickness, density, markings, and tensile strength of construction materials including steel bars, cement, and pipes, crucial to the structural integrity of buildings and roads, are being checked.
She also reminded hardware store owners to check the compliance of products they are selling to the Philippine National Standards.
Angeles stressed the need to check if products have Philippine Standards (PS) mark, or if the manufacturers have the appropriate PS license for local products and Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) mark for imported ones.
Under the law, mandatory products, such as steel bars and cement that did not pass the product certification process of the Bureau of Philippine Standards, are prohibited from being distributed and sold in the market.
Based on Republic Act 7394 and Section 10 of the Department Administrative Order 2 series of 2007, aside from the confiscation of uncertified products and closure of establishments, the DTI may impose fines from P150,000 to P300,000 for the manufacture, distribution, and selling of construction materials not complying with Philippine Standards.
The DTI may also recommend closure of establishments selling mandatory products without PS license for locally manufactured products, or ICC for imported products.
A list of PS and ICC licenses is posted on the website of the Bureau of Philippine Standards - www.bps.dti.gov.ph/product standards.
Consumers can bring their concerns by calling the Consumer Hotline 1-384 or visit and send a message to DTI's Facebook platform using the handle @DTI Philippines or @DTI Consumer Care.