Industry leaders flag enforcement gaps in substandard steel cases

MANILA, Philippines — Industry leaders raised concerns over weak follow-through on private-sector reports of suspected substandard steel products, while calling for stricter rules on product standards and a ban on induction furnaces products.

Philippine Iron and Steel Institute (PISI) president Joel Ronquillo said the agency should provide a complete account of violations reported by the private sector, including the actions taken against erring firms and whether penalties were imposed.

“What we want to happen is, we will be given a total complete picture of that report,” Ronquillo told a media briefing.

The DTI had improved its response time to industry reports, from an average of two months under the previous administration to a few days or weeks. However, the industry continued to receive little information on the outcomes of its reports.

The trade agency’s enforcement team recorded a violation rate of less than five percent for steel bars.

Meanwhile, the PISI’s reported violation rate has consistently exceeded more than 50 percent, with the latest violation rate done in Regions 4A and Region 7 now up to 70 percent.

Ronquillo said substandard steel bars were particularly concerning in remote areas, where consumers lacked the means to test the quality of construction materials before buying them.

With this, he outlined their three demands to the government to curb substandard products in the steel industry that pose a threat to public safety and create unfair competition for compliant manufacturers.

“We would like to have a total ban on the induction furnace for construction steel-grade, to be specific. Second, We ask for the immediate implementation of the PNS (Philippine National Standards) 49:2026,” he said.

PNS 49:2026 refers to the updated standards framework for steel bars used in concrete reinforcement.

“Among ASEAN countries, only the Philippines has the lowest grade. We call it Grade 230 or Grade 33. Grade 33 is more popular. The Philippines is in the Pacific Ring of Fire, which means there’s a lot of earthquakes,” he added.

Ronquillo said in their third call that there should be a level playing field where only standard steel bars shall be sold and offered in the domestic market.

Ernesto Ordoñez, chair of Alyansa Agrikultura also urged the DTI to pursue manufacturers of substandard products instead of focusing mainly on retailers.

Ordoñez said the DTI should simply exercise its political will to curb the proliferation of substandard products, alleging that “outside forces” were hindering efforts.

More than 150 retailers were charged from January to May, while only one manufacturer was impleaded, he said.

Farmers, fisherfolk and agriculture stakeholders suffer from substandard products, from steel bars and other building materials to products like Liquefied Petroleum Gas and batteries.

Meanwhile, Federation of Philippine Industries chair emeritus Jesus Arranza urged the DTI to defend its authority to enforce product standards before the Supreme Court, saying lower-court restraining orders had hampered enforcement.

Arranza also called on the high court to prevent lower courts from issuing temporary restraining orders that block the implementation of product standards, citing the protection afforded to the enforcement of environmental laws.