‘Check ICC stickers when buying Christmas lights’

CALAPAN CITY, Philippines – Don’t buy Christmas lights with no Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) stickers, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) officials advised consumers yesterday.

Consumers should look for the ICC sticker either on the wire or on the box of the Christmas lights to ensure that the product has passed safety tests, said DTI-Oriental Mindoro director Oscar Agbay. 

He said the agency has allowed the distribution and sale of Christmas lights with the ICC certificates issued from 2011 to 2013.

“The buying public must also check the name, address and trademark of the importer or the distributor of the Christmas lights. This is to easily track the distributor for possible complaints,” he said.

He also advised consumers to inspect the plug and wires of the lighting set for brittle and dented parts.

“The recommended usability period for Christmas lights is three years,” he said.

Consumers are also advised to refrain from attaching more than three sets of Christmas lights to avoid overloading and immediately replace busted lamps of the same voltage and wattage to avoid overheating.

Consumer should also check damages to the wire and avoid leaving Christmas lights unattended overnight, the DTI said.