MAKATI CITY -- The Department of Trade and Industry’s Bureau of Philippine Standards (DTI-BPS) under the Consumer Protection Group (CPG) conducted a product focus webinar on motorcycle helmets and their visors and child restraint systems (CRS) on 16 June 2021 via Zoom. The webinar is part of a series of product focus webinars organized by the bureau to educate the public of the 87 mandatory products subject to product certification to ensure product safety and quality.
The three-hour webinar session was attended by 208 participants from various private and public sectors and was highlighted by the discussion on certification process, reference standards, and legislative policies for both motorcycle helmets and child restraint systems.
CPG Undersecretary Atty. Ruth B. Castelo opened the webinar highlighting the importance of ensuring that both helmets and CRS pass the standards and meet the specifications identified in technical regulations. Undersecretary Castelo underscored the advocacy of the CPG to educate the general public and protect them from the risks of buying substandard and uncertified products which could compromise safety most especially of children for CRS.
“We also encourage manufacturers, producers, or importers, to start applying for your certifications from the Bureau of Philippine Standards (BPS) so that once RA 11229 is implemented, registered na po kayo [you are already registered] and you’ll find it easier to comply with the requirements,” added Undersecretary Castelo as she mentioned of the deferred implementation of Republic Act (RA) 11229.
Engr. Jose Paolo Ayson and Engr. Louis Jhay Kimverly Palmes, Product Certification Officers (PCOs) from the BPS Standards Conformity Division (SCD), provided a comprehensive discussion on the mandatory certification of helmets and CRS, respectively. Engrs. Ayson and Palmes discussed the common parts and classifications of helmets and CRS as well as their marking requirements, product sampling, and testing.
They also shared the relevant technical regulations, the reference Philippine National Standards (PNS), and other accepted international standards for the subject products.
Moreover, they provided an overview of the Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) and Philippine Standard (PS) License applications through the BPS’ online platform – the Product Certification Information Management System (PCIMS), and shown a video of the ICC Mobile Verification System Application which is used to validate the authenticity of ICC stickers on regulated products.
Thereafter, Land Transportation Office (LTO) Deputy Director for Law Enforcement Service, Atty. Roberto A. Valera, discussed the salient features of RA 10054 or the Motorcycle Helmet Act of 2009 which mandates all motorcycle riders to wear standard protective motorcycle helmets while driving and RA 11229 otherwise known as the Child Safety in Motor Vehicles Act mandating the use of CRS appropriate to a child’s age, height, and weight among children 12 years old and below and with a height below 150 centimeters or 59 inches.
Atty. Valera also presented and interpreted the data on apprehensions on non-wearing of helmets from 2017 to 2020. “Our guidelines for our enforcers with regards to this [RA 10054], as provided under the law, we should make sure that the helmets have the PS Mark or ICC sticker embedded on them”, underscored LTO Deputy Director Valera. For child restraint systems, Atty. Valera elaborated the evidence-based approach for the agency’s implementation of RA 11229. He emphasized that LTO will not charge anything for the inspection of CRS as well as for its fitting or installation and reminded everyone that “road safety is a shared responsibility.”
Engr. Ariel Deinla and Ms. Jaclyn Vanessa Macapagal, Subsection Heads of the Chemical, Consumer, and Other Products Section (CCOPS) of the BPS-SCD, and Conformity Assessment Bodies (CAB) Manager, Engr. Frankincense Macula joined LTO Deputy Director Valera as panelists for the product focus webinar’s question-and-answer (Q&A) portion.
“This webinar has been an outstanding example; our minds have been assailed by a torrent of ideas, information, interpretations, and visions. With that, and on behalf of Usec. Ruth Castelo, our Undersecretary for the CPG, I would like to thank you all who are here present and who actively took part of this webinar. To the men and women of BPS for having this event, without any doubt, you all make this webinar happen and a successful one. Maraming salamat po,” said CPG Assistant Secretary Ronnel O. Abrenica in his closing remarks. For more updates and information on standards, technical regulations, and conformity assessment procedures (STRACAP), please visit the DTI-BPS Portal at www.bps.dti.gov.ph and follow our Facebook page. You may also call the DTI-BPS at (02) 7791.3330 or send an email to bps@dti.gov.ph. (DTI)
