Consumers told to prioritize safety when buying products

CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Trade and Industry - Cebu Provincial Office (DTI-CPO) is aggressively geared towards educating consumers to prioritize safety standards of products over cheap prices.

In an interview with DTI-CPO provincial director Nelia Navarro, she said that most consumers prefer to buy products that are sold cheap but do not guarantee safety when used.

She cited that the level of awareness among buyers when it comes to safety standards is as low as the compliance level of manufacturers producing products sold in the market.

She said that ensuring that the products are safe to use and have passed through the standards is already considered as an investment of an early precaution against accidents.

Navarro said that instead of safety issues, most of the consumers are more concerned on the economics of the alternative products than the recommended and accredited products.

“Nowadays, people are not that conscious of safety standards. A lot of consumers do not care as long as they bought it cheap, whether the products are certified or not,” she told The FREEMAN.

She said that the proliferation of sub-standard Christmas and light-emitting-diode (LED) lights, for instance, could be highly observed now that the yuletide season is in the offing.

She further reminded consumers to always look for the import commodity clearance (ICC) or Philippine Standards (PS) stickers on the products before purchasing. She cited that most of the imported products are uncertified by the trade department.

“We want to inculcate in the mindset of our consumers that it is a wrong notion to just look at the prices. Some may think that buying those certified products are more expensive but actually lets them save for a long term since it keeps them away from danger. Consumers need to change their attitude. It is value for live over money after all,” Navarro stated.

The trade department will celebrate the 39th National Standards Week from October 8 to 14 with the theme “International Standards Ensure Positive Change.” This is in cognizant with the World Standards Day on the 14th of October.

DTI-CPO has lined up activities for the 2013 Standards Week which include visiting local retail outlets together with a private quality assurance team to check whether these establishments are compliant with the standards.  If proved substandard and unaccredited, products will be confiscated.

The trade department will also organize seminars and workshops to increase the awareness of consumers and retailers when it comes to standards./JOB (FREEMAN)