ILIGAN CITY (PIA) — The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Lanao del Norte led the destruction of the non-conforming Christmas lights valued at P502,240 that were seized from one establishment in this city.
These Christmas lights were confiscated for violating Department Administrative Order 2, Series of 2007, which sets the rules for businesses regarding products under the Philippine Standards (PS) Certification Mark Scheme and imposes penalties for non-compliance.
The non-compliant products were seized when the Local Price Coordinating Council of Iligan City conducted a Fair Trade Laws enforcement operation in November 2022 targeting non-compliant Christmas lights. The seized product lacked the required Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) and was deemed unfit for sale in the Philippine market.
DTI Lanao del Norte Provincial Director Jane Marie L. Tabucan shared that DTI regularly monitors Christmas lights during the holiday season to ensure compliance with Philippine safety standards.
She said that the enforcement followed due legal processes, including issuing letters of inquiry and conducting mediations. The case decision was released on July 1, 2024, with the order of execution issued on December 27, 2024. After the establishment failed to provide the required certification, the case was resolved with a penalty payment of approximately P17,500, and the destruction was scheduled for January 2025.
“Just to inform the public, DTI enforces not to penalize or to seize or destroy because we don’t want that to happen. We are enforcing it because we want business establishments to comply with the law. Once they are compliant, we can assure that our consumers are protected because our business establishments, especially those selling products covered by mandatory standards, are assured that they are really compliant. This also assures the safety of the buying public,” she said.
Tabucan also shared that due to consumer education and retailer briefings, no confiscations of such products were made in 2023-2024 in Iligan City and Lanao del Norte. She emphasized that consumers and retailers are now more aware of the importance of the PS or ICC mark on products, particularly Christmas lights, which ensures safety and prevents incidents like fires.
Meanwhile, City Environmental Management Office head Virgilio Encabo assured the proper disposal of the seized hazardous electronic waste in compliance with the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act. Recognizing the potential dangers of toxic materials, they will temporarily store the waste in their hazardous vault facility until it can be processed appropriately.
Representatives from the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CEMO) and the Commission on Audit also witnessed the destruction of the non-conforming Christmas lights. (LELA/PIA-10/Lanao del Norte)
