KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato – The Department of Trade and Industry-12 (DTI-12) through its South Cotabato Provincial Office has capacitated the technical staff of the City and Municipal Treasurer’s Offices of South Cotabato in testing and calibrating weighing scales through the conduct of Weight and Measure Calibration Training on April 7 in Koronadal City.

The 34 participants representing the eleven local government units in South Cotabato were trained in systematically testing the weighing scales used by sellers of consumer products especially in the public markets.

Mohammad Zaif Abdulazis, the laboratory manager for Regional Metrology Laboratory of the Department of Science and Technology 12 (DOST-12), served as the resource speaker in the one-day training.

Stated in provincial, city and municipal treasurers are tasked as the primary implementer of regulating the practices relative to weights and measures as stipulated in the RA 7394 or the Consumer Act of the Philippines.

Furthermore, the same law states that all instruments for determining weights and measures in all consumer and consumer-related transactions shall be tested, calibrated, and sealed every six (6) months by the official sealer who shall be the provincial or city or municipal treasurer or his authorized representative upon payment of fees required under existing law.

“This endeavor aims to capacitate the representatives of LGUs to have science-based knowledge on how to accurately test weighing scales used by sellers of consumer products,’ said Rictoniel Reginio, OIC provincial director of DTI South Cotabato.

Reginio also mentioned the importance of ensuring that the welfare of consumers is protected and that every money spent on consumer products is reciprocated with accurate weight. DTI-12 has also been in partnership with the local government units in the conduct of product standard monitoring and enforcement among business establishments all over the region to protect consumers from injuries due to uncertified and substandard products ♦

Date of Release: 14 April 2021