CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The Department of Trade and Industry has warned vendors to ensure they have the necessary licenses issued by proper authorities, and the products they are selling are not sub-standards.
“We give due process to the violators. We give them an opportunity to explain,” said Julie Nieva, information officer of the DTI Region 10, in a text message to the Manila Bulletin on Thursday, Dec. 22.
According to Nieva, the products that are not supported by licenses issued by the Bureau of Philippine Standards will be confiscated and destroyed to avoid being resold or used.
The DTI provincial office of Misamis Oriental together with the Cagayan de Oro City Price Coordinating Council have been monitoring items, mostly electrical products, in various business establishments in this city since November.
Already, 266 Christmas lights that had no Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) stickers and proper markings have been confiscated in Cagayan de Oro, the DTI-Reg 10 information officer said.
The DTI-10 nevertheless assured the violators that they will be allowed to explain their side.
The DTI-10 also said there were no confiscated fireworks and firecracker products so far in the region because of substandard concerns.
Engr. Emmanuel Plaza, DTI-10 development specialist, in a media forum on Thursday, December 22, said that even the agency has not been conducting inspection and audit as there was no local manufacturer situated in the region.
The DTI-10 has been conducting joint monitoring together with their partnered agencies to ensure the safety of the products.
The said line agencies include the Bureau of Fire Protection, Department of Interior and Local Government, Department of Health and the Philippine National Police.
“It is very significant the safety to our consuming public and it can really impose danger to our properties and to our health,” Plaza said.
Plaza said the majority of the local manufacturers of fireworks and firecrackers are located in the Luzon area and the DTI has been conducting the inspection and audit to these manufacturers to ensure the safety and quality of the products.