The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) confiscated more than 3,000 pieces of uncertified and non-compliant household appliances, worth over PHP13.2 million during a recent enforcement operation in Bulacan.
Among the confiscated items were electric kettles, fans, pressure cookers, rice cookers, multi-cookers, induction cookers, and blenders.
The enforcement action was prompted by DTI’s online monitors, who reported that these products covered by the Bureau of Philippine Standards’ (BPS) Mandatory Certification process were being sold online without the required markings.
A subsequent online test-buy confirmed the lack of mandatory Philippine Standard (PS) marks and Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) stickers.
Furthermore, the establishment was issued a Notice of Violation (NOV) and instructed to respond with an explanation within 48 hours.
This is not the first large-scale enforcement in the province. In a record-breaking operation last year, the DTI’s Fair Trade Enforcement Bureau (FTEB), seized around PHP44 million worth of substandard household products.
The DTI’s nationwide E-Kalasag operations, a regular enforcement activity of FTEB, will continue to relentlessly remove uncertified and substandard appliances from the market to ensure the safety of Filipino consumers.
