FPI asks SC to take second look at decision on cement safeguard duty

The Federation of Philippine Industries (FPI) is requesting the Supreme Court to take a second look a the recent decision of its Second Division to declare null and void the grant of definitive safeguard measures on imports of grey Portland Cement by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

The FPI believes that the decision has far reaching implications for the local cement industry and for the achievement of one of the most important goals that President Arroyo has set for her six-year term, the generation of six to 10 million jobs.

Meanwhile, a DTI certified cement testing center has disputed contrary test results that Island Cement is substandard.

Cement Testing Center (CTC), the largest cement testing laboratory in the Philippines today, attested yesterday that Island Cement has consistently passed its regular testing for all brands and types of cement sold in the local market.

CTC manager Noel dela Cruz said that regular and systematic tests done on Island Cement had consistently shown compliance with all critical parameters that would assure integrity of structures and buildings.

Dela Cruz said that "several tests over the past years have shown that Island Cement had consistently passed government standards and that there is nothing at all that will compromise integrity of buildings and structures using Island Cement."

CTC is accredited by the DTI, is ISO certified for unbiased testing and is internationally recognized as the country’s largest and most reputable cement testing laboratory.

CTC’s clients include private contractors, government agencies, academe and cement companies.

CTC systematically obtains plant and market samples of all brands and types of cement every month and subjects these to rigorous testing for the three basic determinants for the integrity and quality of cement. These three determinants are compressive strength, setting time and expansion.

Solid Cement Corp., which manufactures the Island Cement brand, was recently issued a preliminary cease-and-desist-order by the DTI, preventing it from selling, distributing and delivering its Island Cement brand and any other cement manufactured by SCC’s Antipolo cement plant.