Makati City, Philippines — Following its latest enforcement of technical regulations for household appliances in Cavite, Bulacan, and Valenzuela City, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), through its task force Kalasag, has made its three biggest single-day seizures of uncertified appliances in less than three weeks.

DTI Secretary Fred Pascual announced these three recent massive enforcement wins in a press conference on July 16, thanking the cooperation and support of local government units and other enforcement agencies in the raids.

This resulted in the seizure of 14,072 uncertified household appliances which included blenders, food processors, induction cookers, electric kettles, electric fans, and multicookers valued at nearly Php 8.3 million from an establishment that was immediately ordered closed by the Municipal Government due to permit violations as it only listed consumer goods, failing to declare the sale of electronics and appliances.

“In our campaign against non-compliant products that endanger people’s lives and safety, our active collaborations with the local government units, law enforcement agencies, and congressional offices have resulted in actual and tangible results,” DTI Secretary Fred Pascual said

“To further support this mission to eradicate the sale of these non-compliant products, we have to educate the consumers to understand that cheap goods often come at a hidden cost. Consumers who purchase these substandard products may be affected by the consequences of illegal consumption,” he added.

To recall, the DTI Task Force Kalasag made its record seizure of 9,428 non-compliant appliances worth over Php 9.3 million from two warehouses targeted in Plaridel, Bulacan.

Earlier, it also seized over P7.7 million worth of uncertified household appliances, most of which were being sold online, from an establishment in Valenzuela City that was also issued a closure order by the City Government after it was discovered to be operating without a valid business permit.

Together, these separate enforcements in Bulacan, Valenzuela, and Cavite are DTI’s three largest one-day hauls of non-compliant appliances, with a combined massive seizure of 33,328 units of non-compliant home appliances worth Php 25.3 million.

These products violated Republic Act (RA) No. 4109 or the Product Standards Law, and Department Administrative Order (DAO) No. 02: 2007 on the PS Certification Mark Scheme for not bearing the Philippine Standard (PS) Marks and Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) Stickers as required by the Bureau of the Philippine Standards (BPS).

Task Force Kalasag, since becoming active for operations in April this year, has been expanding its monitoring and enforcement efforts to all regions, seizing a total of 36,653 units of uncertified household appliances worth Php 29 million.

“The success of these recent enforcement operations serves as a stern warning to unscrupulous businesses that the DTI is working more closely than ever with multiple government actors,” said Assistant Secretary and Fair Trade Group (FTG) Supervising Head Agaton Teodoro Uvero.

“Our commitment to eliminate substandard and non-certified products is not only for promoting fair trade, ultimately, it is for ensuring that consumers can enjoy their rights to quality and safe products. We have to warn our consumers to be vigilant, especially with checking the labeling and marking requirements of these products” Uvero added.

Additionally, FTG’s Fair Trade Enforcement Bureau (FTEB) Director Atty. Fhillip D. Sawali revealed during the press briefing that the products seized during the enforcement operations in Plaridel and Valenzuela were tested in BPS laboratories.

“Our BPS laboratory at DTI confirmed that these seized items are not only uncertified but also substandard. If we need to follow a process, we will recommend the immediate destruction of those items that could harm our consumers,” Sawali said.

Aside from household appliances, the DTI also enforces technical regulations on other consumer items such as construction materials and vape products.

Just last week, Task Force Kalasag seized 34,816 pieces of uncertified or substandard products that included appliances, ceramic tiles, steel wires, plywood, and vape products worth Php 8,518,519 during its five-day enforcement in Iloilo, Roxas, and Aklan on July 8 to 12. The DTI encourages the public to report retailers and merchandisers selling prohibited goods and uncertified items through One-DTI (1-384) or through consumercare@dti.gov.ph. ♦