THE Provincial Board (PB) of Negros Occidental passed during its regular session September 28 a resolution urging various local agencies to act on the proliferation of commodities believed to be fake.
It has called on the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Health (DOH), and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for a public hearing on October 5 along with the members of the PB committees on trade, health and laws, and authorized local distributors.
Fifth district Board Member Alain Gatuslao, chairman of committee on laws, rules and ordinances, said some local retailers have reported the spread of fake goods and even brought to him samples of these items.
Gatuslao said the presence of counterfeit items was reported among markets and retail stores in downtown Bacolod, and in the cities of Kabankalan, Himamaylan, and Escalante, among others.
Commodities believed to be fake include soaps, shampoo, toothpastes, cigarets, and noodles, he added.
“Based on what I have seen, only the packaging looks a bit different but the items are really like the real thing," Gatuslao said.
Some retailers have raised concerns as fake commodities are sold by other stores at 50 to 60 percent cheaper, he added.
Gatuslao said they have asked several authorized distributors to bring samples of real items so these can be compared to the fake ones during the public hearing.
The DTI-Negros Occidental told SunStar Bacolod on September 28 that they have not received reports on the said proliferation of fake basic necessities.
What they have seized in Bacolod City last July were substandard lighters, helmets, and various electrical products.
The public hearing of the PB will be an ideal forum to address the concerns being raised, it added.