THE Department of Trade and Industry-Fair Trade Enforcement Bureau (DTI-FTEB) in Pampanga on Tuesday said it confiscated 186,329 units of uncertified steel products worth P21.9 million.
“This crackdown supports President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to ensure consumer safety and purge the market of substandard construction materials,” the bureau said.
The seized items include equal leg steel angle bars and deformed steel bars which did not have Philippine Standard (PS) and Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) markings.
The markings are proof that products have undergone and passed mandatory safety and quality checks.
Aside from the missing marks, DTI-FTEB said the items also failed to provide basic labeling information, such as the manufacturer’s name and office address.
The enforcement efforts were supported by industry stakeholders, including reports from the private sector.
In one operation, authorities found P19.6 million worth of uncertified steel products from a supplier flagged by a retailer. A subsequent operation, triggered by an industry report, led to the forfeiture of an additional P2.3 million in non-compliant products.
Hardware stores found selling these uncertified goods were issued notices of violation, to be followed by administrative sanctions.
Meanwhile, National Bureau of Investigation-Special Action Unit (NBI-SAU), agents on March 24 seized some P1.1 million worth of uncertified light-emitting diode (LED) lamps and electric fans.
The following day, coordination with the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) led to the confiscation of P25 million in counterfeit goods that failed to meet minimum labeling requirements.
“These actions reflect the agency’s sustained commitment to safeguarding consumers and upholding fair business practices nationwide,” DTI-FTEB said, adding that it will continue on-the-ground enforcement to remove hazardous products from the market and ensure a level playing field for compliant and responsible businesses.