The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) recently issued Notice of Violation (NOVs) to 14 retailers of construction and hardware materials in Cebu.

To avoid compromising consumers’ safety, DTI regional Director Asteria Caberte affirmed that the department goes after and cracks down establishments that sell uncertified, inferior, or substandard products.

Violative products recently confiscated in Cebu included re-rolled steel bars, incandescent bulbs, PVC electrical tapes, among others.

Dir. Caberte added that more areas in Central Visayas will be added within the year, with monitoring to be done in collaboration with DTI regional and provincial staff from the Consumer Protection Division.

“DTI’s intensified monitoring and enforcement efforts include going after unscrupulous importers, traders, and retailers that disregard the Consumer Act (RA 7394) and Product Standards Law (RA4109),” she added.

Dir. Caberte also stressed that as stated in the Standards Law, the importation, distribution, offer for sale or manufacture of any product covered by mandatory product certification which does not bear the BPS (Bureau of Product Standards) required identification and product markings is prohibited.

Caberte revealed that most retailers recently given NOVs violated the Consumer Act RA4109 which prohibits against deceptive sales act or practices claiming a consumer product is of a particular standard, quality, grade, style or model when in fact it is not.

Citizens are encouraged to report any substandard products or harmful business practices by calling the DTI’s consumer care hotline at 1-384 (1-DTI) or emailing consumercare@dti.gov.ph.♦

Date of release: 7 June 2019