THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is working with the Bureau of Customs (BOC) amid the influx of imported substandard and fake appliances that are being sold online.
DTI Undersecretary Amanda Nograles said these appliances are shipped from the foreign seller directly to the consumer, in violation of the DTI’s rule that electric appliances should apply for a Philippine Standard (PS) license or Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) sticker before being put on the market.
“Mula sa datos, sa mga reports, kapag ang consumer bumili sa online ng isang electrical appliance, diretso na ‘yan, papasok ng Pilipinas, lalapag sa warehouse dito. From that warehouse, ide-deliver ‘yan ng courier diretso sa consumer. Given that pattern, hindi na po nakakapasok ang DTI pagdating sa pagche-check kung talagang may PS mark ‘yan o ICC sticker,” Nograles said in an interview on Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon on Tuesday, August 13.
She said many of the substandard appliances come from China.
“Dito kinakailangan at nakikipag-ugnayan na tayo sa Bureau of Customs. Kasi ang mandato ng Bureau of Customs ay ‘yung pag-import at pag-angkat ng mga produkto galing sa ibang bansa,” she added.
DTI warned that electrical appliances that do not have a PS mark or an ICC sticker could be unsafe to use.
“Wala tayong garantiya pagdating sa product safety and quality. Ibig sabihin, halimbawa, ‘yung mga electric fan, hindi natin natignan kung ‘yung mga boltahe niyan sakto sa boltahe sa Pilipinas, kung hindi ba ‘yan sasabog, kung nasho-short circuit ba ‘yan,” said Nograles.
The DTI also said that it has coordinated with social media giant Facebook and online shopping platforms regarding substandard appliances, noting that they have a commitment to delete such items within 24 hours following a takedown order.
At the House of Representatives, Deputy Majority Leader Erwin Tulfo has filed a resolution calling for a probe into the sale of “offshore appliances” from China, stating that this could cause a major loss of jobs for a lot of Filipinos.
According to a statement, Tulfo also questioned the DTI and the BOC regarding the proliferation of the items, saying this has affected at least 300,000 workers in the country working for at least 15 concerned manufacturers and appliance sellers.
He said that “hundreds of thousands” of Filipinos could lose their jobs due to the online sale of fake and substandard appliances imported from China and sold in the country for lower prices. (GMA Integrated News)
