A STEEL industry leader is urging the government to mandate the new Philippine National Standard (PNS) 49:2026 for deformed steel bars and ban the use of induction furnaces (IF) in construction-grade steel production, citing two recent disasters: the collapse of a nine-story building in Balibago, Pampanga, on May 24 that killed at least 17 people, and the magnitude 7.8 earthquake off Sarangani, Mindanao, that left General Santos City reeling under Intensity 7.
“Filipino lives are at stake. We should not be complacent and we should not wait for another tragedy to occur before taking decisive action,” said Ronald Magsajo, South East Asia Iron and Steel Institute chairman.
PNS 49:2026, developed by the Bureau of Philippine Standards’ Technical Committee 11, sets manufacturing, dimensional and safety requirements for deformed steel bars used in concrete reinforcement. It phases out noncompliant bars to ensure structural integrity against natural hazards.
The Department of Trade and Industry has yet to mandate the standard or announce a target implementation date.
Magsajo also called for a ban on induction furnaces for construction-grade steel production, arguing that IF facilities lack the refining process needed to remove impurities from steel scrap, compromising the quality and seismic resistance of finished bars.
“The non-seismic grade steel bars in the country are made by IF,” he said, pointing out that the technology is only appropriate for jewelry production.
Induction furnaces remain legal in the Philippines, though the municipalities of San Simon, Pampanga, and Santa Maria, Bulacan, have passed ordinances banning their use on environmental grounds — ordinances that have yet to be enforced.
More than 20 IF facilities currently operate nationwide.
Several Asian neighbors have moved ahead. China, Indonesia and Thailand have banned IF for construction steel, while Singapore and Malaysia have tightened procurement rules on IF-produced steel.
