
The Department of Health (DOH) expressed its support to suggestions to legalize the importation of second-hand clothes or popularly known locally as "ukay-ukay" as this will ensure that the products are safe and of quality.
DOH Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire made the statement after Senator Raffy Tulfo made such a suggestion during a senate hearing recently.
"Unang-una (First of all), when you legitimize or when you make this kind of trade legitimate, nagkakaroon tayo ng standards for that. Kasi legitimate na siya, papasok na siya doon sa institutionalized system natin, meron na tayong mga pamantayan para ma check kung magiging safe ito para sa populasyon and saka if magiging of quality naman ang mga produkto na ibibigay nila (there will now be standards for that. Since it is already legitimate, it will now be included in our institutionalized system and there will be standards to check if it will be safe and of quality for our people)," said DOH Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire in a recent press briefing.
"By doing this, we will be agreeing to this na ginagawa ng ating senador para mas maging safe sa ating mga kababayan (to this proposal of the senator so that it will be safer for our citizens)," she added.
Vergeire said that this is also another way to prevent the entry of a possible infectious disease in the country.
"Ang mga (This) ukay-ukay business, these are used clothing coming from all parts of the world... Diba may ibang sakit na (There are some diseases that) through the clothing of the people who are affected, nagkakaroon tayo ng mga pagkakahawahawa (we can get infected). And even minor skin diseases, we can get that also," she said.
"By this kind of move to legitimize this kind of business, we can prevent this kind of health risk to happen because now---they will ensure that these products are safe for our people when they buy it," she added.