FPI pushing for mandatory certification of flat glass

MANILA, Philippines — The Federation of Philippine Industries (FPI) is pushing for the mandatory certification of flat glass products, citing the need to protect consumers.

As implementation of Department Administrative Order (DAO) 19-05 issued by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) for the mandatory certification of flat glass products is suspended following court orders secured by importers from Makati City and Pasay City’s courts, FPI is also planning to intervene in favor of the government. 

“Our stand is that as a matter of fact, not only life threatening products, but all products should be under mandatory certification. Why? Because the products, may it be food or non-food, can create danger to consumers,” FPI chairman Jesus Arranza said.

For its intervention in the case in favor of the DTI, Arranza said the group’s lawyers would be coordinating with the Office of the Solicitor General.

DAO 19-05, issued on March 29, provided new technical regulations for mandatory product certification for local and imported glass products.

Under the order, all locally manufactured or imported flat glass, heat-strengthened and fully tempered flat glass, laminated glass and laminated safety glass, as well as bent glass products could only be sold in the market if they are sourced from manufacturing plants with a valid Philippine Standard quality mark and/or safety certification mark to show compliance to standards set by the government.

The order also set a minimum capital requirement of P20 million for importers.

Flat glass, which is used for buildings, used to be part of the list of products under mandatory certification until it was delisted in 2015 to limit the list only to items considered life threatening.

There have been claims flat glass is only being used as raw material by glass processors, and as such, does not pose risk to consumers.

Monitoring conducted by the DTI, however, showed flat glass products are being made available for sale in the retail market by glass suppliers and installers.

Flat glass maker Pioneer Float Glass Manufacturing Inc. has also earlier called to bring back the mandatory certification for flat glass to protect the public from substandard flat glass products  entering the country.

Trade undersecretary Ruth Castelo said the agency has received information that substandard glass products continue to enter the country.

She also said the agency is open to make adjustments to the order.

“We will make adjustments if necessary,” she said.