The Bureau of Product Standards of the Department of Trade and Industry has included child restraint system (CRS) or car seats in the list of products for mandatory certification.
This is pursuant to Section 6 of Republic Act (RA) 11229 or the “Child Safety in Motor Vehicles Act” and the Department Administrative Order (DAO) 20-03, series of 2020. CRS is a device capable of accommodating a child occupant in a sitting or supine position. It is also designed as to diminish the risk of injury to the wearer, in the event of a collision or of abrupt deceleration of the vehicle, by limiting the mobility of the child’s body.
All manufacturers and importers of CRS are now required to secure a Philippine Standard (PS) license or an Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) certificate prior to marketing, sale and distribution, the DTI said in a statement.
DAO 20-03 covers 6 types of CRS: lateral-facing (carry-cot); rearward-facing; forward-facing; combination (rearward/forward-facing); booster cushion/seat; and other types.
The PS Safety Certification Mark Licensing Scheme shall be available for both local and foreign manufacturers selling or distributing CRS in the Philippine market. The license to use the PS Certification Mark shall be granted to a company found to be compliant with the requirements of the BPS. Regular surveillance activities shall be conducted including factory and product audits.
The PS license shall be effective from the date of issuance and in full force and effect for a period of three (3) years, subject to annual surveillance audit. PS license can be suspended, withdrawn or cancelled for cause, at any time and after due process. All imported CRS covered by a valid PS license shall apply for a Statement of Confirmation (SOC) on a per shipment, per Bill of Lading/Airway Bill basis to ensure that the imported products came from a valid PS license holder.
Meanwhile, for non-PS certified CRS, the importer shall apply for Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) on a per shipment, per Bill of Lading/Airway Bill basis subject to verification and inspection.
To verify the conformance to the testing requirements, DTI said, the test methods prescribed by PNS UNR 44:2018 or PNS UNR 129:2018, as applicable, shall be used. In the absence of a BPS-recognized testing laboratory, the PS license holders/applicants or importers shall nominate a testing laboratory accredited by an accreditation body signatory to ILAC/APAC to conduct the product testing.