By Bernie Cahiles-Magkilat
Consumer group Laban Konsyumer Inc. has asked the Department of Trade and Industry’s Bureau of Philippine Standards to be on the lookout for the entry substandard imported cement.
Victorio Mario Dimagiba
LKI President Victorio Mario Dimagiba also proposed a joint sampling and testing of imported cement from Vietnam in collaboration with the local plants and importers. According to Dimagiba, they continue to do checks and inventory around the country looking for cases of substandard cement coming in from Vietnam or elsewhere at this time.
LKI member in Cagayan de Oro, Mike Banos, continues to work with the regional DTI office and City Price Control and Coordinating Council in Cagayan de Oro City as well as industry players to check and evaluate if the substandard cement from Vietnam is finding its way into the different cities and provinces of the Philippines. The group is on high alert regarding the reported low quality cement.
“This a matter of quality of cement and safety. Substandard cement and low quality can lead to many disastrous effects on our consumers,” said Dimagiba.
The group wrote the DTI Standards Office to counter and negate the news report which said that “it is alarming that cement being exported by Vietnam to countries like our own are of poorer quality. It is especially worrisome when we found out that smaller and medium-sized cement producers in Vietnam use old technology such as shaft kilns in producing cement and sell such products to pure importers in the Philippines at prices below the cost of production of domestic cement manufacturers.”
Dimagiba said “we continue to seek DTI BPS to act on the low quality of cement from Vietnam”. DTI BPS Director James Empeno acknowledged receipt of the LKI initiative and shall set coordination among the stakesholder as of press time .
Recently, DTI issued certificate of recognition to LKI as a consuumer organization at the local level . LKI is a full member of the Consumers International.