THE local government units (LGUs) have the duty to act on the alleged proliferation of basic commodities believed to be fake, being sold in markets and stores in Negros Occidental, an official of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said.
Lea Gonzales, provincial director of the Department of DTI-Negros Occidental, said that aside from the Department of Health (DOH), particularly the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), LGUs should check the products sold in their locality to determine whether these are authentic, or counterfeit.
Gonzales said each LGU, through their respective market supervisors or legal enforcement units, should check the credentials of agents entering the cities and municipalities to see if these are legitimate distributors.
“Aside from checking the registrations, or identities of the distributors, LGUs should also intensify their campaign among retailers by being watchful before accepting products especially those sold in cheaper prices,” she said.
Last Thursday, the Provincial Board passed a resolution calling on DTI, DOH, and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to attend a public hearing on Wednesday along with the members of its committees on trade, health and laws, and authorized local distributors.
This, after some local retailers reported to Fifth District Board Member Alain Gatuslao the presence of fake goods and even brought to him samples of these items.
Commodities believed to be fake include soaps, shampoo, toothpastes, cigarettes, and noodles, which were initially sighted in markets and retail stores in downtown area of Bacolod, and in the cities of Kabankalan, Himamaylan, and Escalante, among others.
Gonzales said that “as far as DTI is concerned, it is not our jurisdiction especially if these are food items.”
DTI-Negros Occidental pointed out that their functions mainly focus on price and standards monitoring.
“As to the products whether fake or not, we really do not know. What we are looking at, is if these have PS and ICC markings, that’s the time that we can file necessary charges,” she added.
Gonzales added that DTI has no police power, unlike the LGUs who have really direct supervisions thus, they should act on their level.
The DTI is also urging consumers to buy from legitimate outlets, and always consider the suggested retail prices (SRPs).
Fake commodities are reportedly sold at 50 to 60 percent cheaper, but may pose damage to health, it added.