THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the City Price Coordinating Council (CPCC) started conducting surprise inspections of Christmas lights sold in malls and other establishments on Wednesday, November 21.
A mall in BBarangay Carmen has at least six packs of Christmas lights without the Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) sticker or the printed Philippine Standard (PS) mark, which signifies that the products have undergone the proper process.
These six packs of electric lights are taken away from the stall and were brought to the DTI office.
Lawyer Edgardo Uy, chairperson of the CPCC, also called out the same mall for leaving some Christmas lights unpacked.
"Some customers usually open the packaging to see if it functions, so we told the management that they should return it to its original packaging so that the customers can see the PS mark or the ICC stickers which are usually placed in the packaging," Uy said.
Uy noted, however, that unlike in the previous years, malls in Cagayan de Oro have been educated with the decline of substandard Christmas lights confiscated by their team.
Meanwhile, DTI and city officials still remind customers to also educate themselves and purchase only certified Christmas lights for their safety.
Under the DTI-BPS Product Certification Scheme that is based on the Department Administrative Orders 04:2008 and 05:2008, consumers are urged to look for proper markings and labeling on the packaging of the Christmas lights. These labels include supplier's or distributors name, address and trademark; rated voltage and rated wattage of the set; rated voltage and rated wattage of the lamp; the words, 'For indoor use only'; the number of standard used – PNS 189:2000; country of origin; and the ICC mark in hologram format and or PS mark.
Manufacturers and importers shall secure an ICC or PS license prior to the sale and distribution of their products in the market. When a manufacturer or importer complies with the process and product requirements, only then that BPS issues the ICC or PS mark for the sale of the product.
The DTI warned that malls selling uncertified Christmas lights will face penalties, which include a minimum of P25,000, depending on the business establishment's capitalization.
