Officials of DTI Biliran look at markings of a steel bar that passed the product standards

The Department of Trade and Industry Region 8 (DTI-8) conducted a two-day activity held last 27-28 February  2019 on Advanced Mediation and Orientation on Department Orders related to Monitoring and Enforcement. It aims to capacitate DTI officials in handling complaints, facilitating mediation, and conducting monitoring of products in the market and enforcement of fair trade laws and related regulations.

The latest closure of steel bars manufacturer in Pampanga is just one of the many incidents that the Department undertakes to heighten consumer protection against deceptive and unconscionable practices of some companies. Thus, DTI-8 deemed it timely to capacitate its people to strengthen monitoring and enforcement in the region.

The provisions of the recent Department Oder No. 18-122 “New Procedural Guidelines on Monitoring and Enforcement Amending D.O. 48 s. 2008” were discussed piece by piece. Provincial Offices are duly authorized to conduct monitoring, surveillance, enforcement and other relevant activities. The DTI-Fair Trade Enforcement Bureau need not come to conduct such activities unless requested by the regional or provincial offices.

There were also issues that surfaced during the seminar such mediation of complaints related to online shopping; warranty of products; proper handling of complaints lodged to DTI which are not under the Department’s jurisdiction; and the fines imposed to non-compliant companies.

As an end note, DTI Samar Provincial Director Meilou Macabare urges the provincial teams to revisit product standard guidelines and be well-capacitated to verify, monitor and enforce so that standard qualification of products in the market are assured.♦

Date of release: 4 March 2019