As the holiday season approaches, the Department of Trade and Industry’s Bureau of Philippine Standards (DTI-BPS) reminds consumers to only buy Christmas lights that bear the Philippine Standard (PS) mark or the Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) sticker to be assured of the product safety and quality.

“Christmas lights in the market that do not bear the PS mark or the ICC sticker are assumed to have not undergone the certification process of the DTI-BPS. Thus, they pose risks on safety such as fire and electric shock,” warns DTI-BPS Director Neil P. Catajay. “We encourage the public to always look for the PS mark or the ICC sticker when purchasing these products in stores or when buying online. Always confirm with the seller if their products are DTI-certified. Consumers can also verify the authenticity of ICC stickers by using the ICC Verification Mobile App or by contacting us,” adds Director Catajay.

To serve as guide for consumers, the DTI-BPS has released its latest list of DTI-certified Christmas lights brands:

Christmas lights is one of the 87 products currently under the DTI-BPS list of products under mandatory certification (complete list at www.bps.dti.gov.ph). Under the DTI-BPS certification schemes, manufacturers and importers of mandatory products are required to secure the Philippine Standard (PS) Quality and/or Safety Certification Mark License or the Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) certificate, respectively, prior to selling or distribution of their products in the country. Moreover, mandatory products are not allowed to be distributed in the Philippine market without the necessary PS or ICC marks.

The DTI-BPS gives the following additional safety reminders to consumers:

1. For those who will be reusing Christmas lights from last year, carefully inspect the plug and cord of the lighting set for brittle and dented parts as the insulation material made of PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) plastic deteriorates over time.
2. Dispose old and damaged Christmas lights.
3. If stored Christmas lights can still be used but have burnt out bulbs, replace the burnt bulbs before using.
4. Plugging in more than three (3) connected sets of Christmas lights into one electric outlet is not advisable.
5. Do not overload electrical outlets. Too many plugs in one outlet may overheat the outlet and may start fire.
6. Do not leave Christmas lights turned on overnight.
7. Do not use nails, thumb tacks, and wire staples when hanging Christmas lights as these may damage its parts and create fire hazards. Use light hangers instead which are available in hardware and home stores.
8. Read carefully the instructions on the packaging and/or the manuals of Christmas lights provided by the manufacturer.

The DTI-BPS is the National Standards Body authorized to promulgate Philippine National Standards (PNS). PNS are voluntary in nature and may be used as reference by any interested parties. The conformance to PNS or parts thereof becomes mandatory only when the same is used as reference in Technical Regulations issued by regulatory authorities.

To know more on standards and technical regulations in relation to product safety, please visit the DTIBPS website at www.bps.dti.gov.ph or call  (02) 7751-4748 and (02) 7791-3126 or send an email to bps@dti.gov.ph. Also follow our official Facebook page to be updated with the latest news and activities of the DTI-BPS.♦

Date of Release: 16 December 2021