Town gets ‘accurate’ scales from DTI

CEBU, Philippines – At least 10 units of weighing scales under the “Timbangan ng Bayan” project of the Department of Trade and Industry were turned over to the municipality of Minglanilla yesterday morning.

Minglanilla Mayor Elanito Peña told The Freeman that with the weighing scales, consumers will be guided in checking the accuracy of the weight and quantity of goods they buy in the market.

“Dako kaayo ning gamit kay sa pipila ka mga katuigan, daghan kaayo ta nadawat nga mga reklamo gikan sa mga mamalita’y nga gitikasan kuno sila kay kuwang ang timbang pero karon pinaagi niining Timbangan ng Bayan mura’g makaingon ta nga sakto na gyud ang timbang,” Peña said.

Peña said the weighing scales for public use will be placed in the new Minglanilla Public Market in Barangay Poblacion and Barangays Lipata and Tungkop markets in a bid to protect consumers from unscrupulous vendors.

During the turn-over ceremony, a memorandum of agreement was signed between the DTI Cebu Provincial Director Nelia Navarro and Peña.

Under the agreement, the local government unit shall be responsible for the maintenance of the weighing scales and shall ensure that these weighing scales be placed in conspicuous areas of the market for consumers’ easy access.

Navarro said the goal of the Timbangan ng Bayan project is to ensure that consumers are protected from deceptive, unfair and unconscionable sales acts and practices.

The DTI has encouraged consumers to use the scales to ensure that the products such as meat, rice and fish they are buying in the market are of the correct weight.

Retailers, on the other hand, are told to calibrate their scales regularly and avoid unfair practices.

The other LGUs that also received the items include the towns of San Fernando, Sibonga, Alcantara, Alcoy, Alegria, Argao, Badian, Boljoon, Dalaguete, Dumanjug, Ginatilan, Malabuyoc, Moalboal, Oslob, Ronda, Samboan, Santander, Aloguinsan, Asturias, Balamban, Barili, Pinamungajan, Tuburan, Bantayan, Daanbantayan, Madridejos, Medellin, San Remigio, Santa Fe, Tabogon, Tabuelan, Borbon, Carmen, Catmon, Compostela, Liloan, Pilar, Poro, San Francisco, Sogod, Tudela, Cordova and Consolacion; and cities of Cebu, Lapu-Lapu, Mandaue, Danao, Toledo, Bogo, Carcar, Naga and Talisay.

The Timbangan ng Bayan is a mandate under Republic Act 7394 or the Consumer Act of the Philippines, which provides consumers with an effective measuring device consisting of the weighing scale installed at the public market with which to counter check the accuracy of the weight of goods they buy from the market.