DTI issues violation notice to 2 retailers

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has issued notices of violation to two retailers for selling sub-standard construction materials.

In a statement, the DTI said the notices were issued to Xtreme Unite Steel Inc. and WDL Enterprises which were both found to be selling uncertified and substandard construction materials such as steel bars, angle bars and ceramic tiles during the recent market monitoring conducted in Caloocan City.

The DTI confiscated 1,650 pieces of underweight steel bars and 48 pieces of underweight angle bars from Xtreme Unite Steel, while 150 pieces of underweight steel bars, 69 pieces of underweight angle bars, 10 pieces of uncertified angle bars, 8,250 uncertified ceramic tiles in 750 boxes and four rolls of uncertified galvanized iron wires were taken from WDL Enterprises.

The underweight steel bars and angle bars from Xtreme Unite Steel showed the Continental and Dragon Asia brands, respectively.

On the other hand, underweight steel bars, underweight angle bars, and uncertified ceramic tiles from WDL Enterprises displayed the brands Cathay Pacific, Mackay, Somico, Arizona and THR.

Continental, Dragon Asia, Cathay Pacific, Mackay, and Somico have been issued the Philippine Standards (PS) license by the DTI’s Bureau of Product Standards.

The PS license is given to firms which are able to manufacture products in accordance with the Philippine National Standard (PNS).

DTI Consumer Welfare and Business Regulation Group officer-in-charge Victorio Mario Dimagiba said the department aims to issue formal charges to the retailers within the week.

“Consequently, the DTI will file formal charges against the manufacturers and importers of the confiscated materials, more so on those that have been issued the PS license or the Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) certificate, to which we expect their full compliance with the requirements of the relevant PNS and Republic Acts (RA) 7394 (Consumer Act of the Philippines) and 4109 (Standards Law),” he said.

For his part, DTI secretary Gregory Domingo said the department will “outright cancel the PS license or ICC certificate of any manufacturer or importer found violating the provisions of the Consumer Act of the Philippines and the Standards Law.”

The distribution and sale of uncertified and substandard products that are under the DTI’s mandatory certification scheme is a prohibited act based on R.A. 7394, R.A. 4109 and Department Administrative Order 02:2007.