San leonardo: A total of PHP1.6 million worth of uncertified deformed steel bars have been seized from a hardware store in San Leonardo, Nueva Ecija, in line with the government's strengthened measures to protect consumers.

According to Philippines News Agency, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) stated in a press release that about 12,525 units of steel bars were collected by combined teams from the DTI's Fair Trade Enforcement Bureau (FTEB) and the DTI Region 3 office. The items lacked the mandatory certification from the Bureau of Philippine Standards (BPS) to bear the Philippine Standard (PS) Quality or Safety Mark or Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) stickers.

FTEB emphasized the importance of mandatory certification for deformed steel bars, stating, "There is a reason why deformed steel bars are under mandatory certification: to ensure that our homes are safe, strong, and of quality. We cannot allow violative and non-compliant products to remain in the market, threatening the safety of Filipino households and benefitting businesses who fail or refuse to secure certification."

Last year, the DTI seized approximately PHP24 million worth of deformed steel nationwide. This latest activity was praised by the Philippine Iron and Steel Institute (PISI), which acknowledged the effort ensures that only quality products are available to consumers. PISI remarked, "The agency's vigilance and proactive efforts to reinforce standards give the local industry more confidence to further contribute to the national economy."

PISI further added, "We firmly believe that raising steel standards for the country requires both government enforcement and industry development. With the help of DTI, PISI aims to raise these standards to world-class levels to ensure consumer safety and socioeconomic resiliency."