LEGAZPI CITY, ALBAY (PIA) – The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Bicol renewed its call for consumers to be cautious and to look for the appropriate markings to ensure that the products they will purchase are safe.
“Consumers are advised to be discriminating in the purchase of goods and commodities in order to get best value for money,” DTI Bicol Information Officer Bhem Berango added.
DTI warned the public following the confiscation of at least P2.1M worth of uncertified or substandard products from 45 stores throughout the Bicol region. These products can put the safety and well-being of buyers and consumers at great risk.
Berango said their regional enforcement and monitoring teams have intensified onsite inspection and evaluation in its quest to eradicate uncertified products in the market and ensure consumers’ safety and well-being.
“After a thorough inspection and visual evaluation of mandatory products that are sold in the market, some 45 firms were found to be selling products that do not conform to the Philippine National Standards (PNS) set forth by the Bureau of Philippine Standards of DTI,” she said.
Berango said the confiscated products do not have the required Product Standard (PS) and Imported Commodity Clearance (ICC) marks or stickers, while some products do not have proper markings and labeling requirements which is a violation of Republic Acts (RAs) 4109 and 7394, otherwise known as the Product Standards Law and the Consumer Act of the Philippines, respectively.
Of the P2.1M worth of confiscated products in the region, the province of Albay has the lowest amount at P21, 680 and Camarines Sur with the highest at P1,064,218.
Part of the confiscated products are steel, plastic pipes and ceramics, household appliances, chemicals, lighting and wiring devices, automotive-related and other consumer products such as monobloc chairs and LPG tanks.
For consumer complaints and clarifications, contact the DTI at phone no 052-742-0513 or at their official Facebook page: DTI Region V Bicol. (PIA5/Albay)
