CLARK FREEPORT -- The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has warned the public against the use of substandard Christmas lights which may cause disasters like fire and electrocution, among others.
During a media forum hosted by the Pampanga Press Club at Park Inn by Radisson Clark on Tuesday, November 19, DTI-Central Luzon information officer Warren Serrano urged the people to buy and use lights with Philippine Seal (PS) marks or Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) stickers.
According to Serrano, this is to ensure that the products are safe and have passed government regulations.
"Yung ating mga Christmas lights, sana po tignan natin bago tayo bumili. Sana po may PS mark kapag ito ay locally-manufactured at ICC stickers kapag ito ay imported. Kailangan po may Import Commodity Clearance stickers," he said.
(We should always check the Christmas light before we buy them. Those that are locally-manufactured have PS marks, while those with ICC stickers are imported.)
The DTI official added that some of these lights are smuggled into various ports in the country without proper documents.
Serrano said inspected items are given alphanumeric security stickers with the first character being a letter while the other seven being numbers.
"Hologram na po tayo ngayon. Dapat kapag pinipihit mo [yung stickers] nagpalit-palit ng kulay. Kapag hindi, fake po ito," he added.
(The stickers are holographic. If you move them slightly, they change color. If not, then it’s fake.)
Substandard Christmas lights may be distinguished and detected with their thin wirings and low price, Serrano said.
Malls and establishments are given seminars by the DTI for them to determine if their products are safe or not.
According to the DTI official, manufacturers and distributors found selling substandard lights will be penalized.
Serrano said the DTI conducts random inspection of products.
"We confiscate substandard Christmas lights. Last year, we destroyed 600 pairs and two years ago 2,000," he said.
Manufacturers and distributors which were issued license to sell by the agency are inspected regularly, Sereno added.
The DTI posted in its website the license to sell it issued to 240 imported brands and 15 locally manufactured.