Higher fines eyed for sellers of substandard Christmas lights

MANILA, Philippines - The government is mulling higher penalties for retailers selling substandard items such as Christmas lights, Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo said yesterday.

“I think we should raise penalty to over P1 million from P300,000,” he told reporters during a ceremony destroying 10,344 sets of uncertified Christmas lights, seized since December last year and worth P1.3 million, at the Department of Trade and Industry office yesterday.

A DTI order and two laws – the Consumer Act (Republic Act 7394) and the Standards Law (RA 4109) imposes an administrative fine of up to P300,000 on manufacturers, importers and retailers of Christmas lights that do not meet the Bureau of Philippine Standards (BPS) product certification scheme. They also face the cancellation of any DTI-issued permit or license.

The DTI will dispose of the Christmas lights in accordance with instructions from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

The Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) certificate issued to those selling the confiscated Christmas lights under the brands Mabuhay Star, Lucky Deer, Ako and Seven Star have also been cancelled.

Consumers may check the BPS portal www.bps.gov.ph to see the list of DTI-certified Christmas lights brands and to know more about the BPS product certification scheme.

For complaints or to report retailers selling substandard and uncertified Christmas lights, consumers can call DTI Direct at 751-3330 or 0917-8343330.