The inspection team from the Davao City Field Office of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) 11 found a retailer in Barangay Mintal last Friday selling steel bars that allegedly were sub-standard.
The team issued Friday the Notice of Violation (NOV) against the retailer after the inspection, said Czar Raul V. Bulaclac of the Consumer Protection Division who explained that the NOV will allow the retailer to present proofs to prevent the agency from imposing penalties.
“We will give them 48 hours to go the office to explain their side, they could bring their documents or any evidence to testify,” said Bulaclac.
He explained that the retailer was among the about 100 retailers in the city, many of them getting their supplies from two local large manufacturers
On the inspection, 10 samples of steel bars were checked using the calibrated weighing scales. “We have different classification of steel bars, we have six millimeters (mm), seven mm, eight mm, 10 mm, 12 mm and 16 mm. All of which have their corresponding masses depending on their lengths,” Bulaclac explained.
“It has a maximum and minimum (mass), if it weighs minimum (compared with) the standard, it will be considered as non-conforming product,” he continued.
The field office conducted the monitoring on steel bars among retailers in the city to ensure the safety of consumers and prevent the release of substandard products to the market.
The activity was part of the memorandum order of DTI Undersecretaries Ruth Castelo of Consumers Protection Group and Zeny Maglaya of Regional Operations Group last July 2 requesting for simultaneous monitoring and enforcement activities nationwide on steel bars.
DTI 11 City Director Rachel Remitio said her office has received reports on the proliferation of sub-standard steel bars in the market and that the monitoring activity was necessary to ensure that steel bars sold locally conformed with standards.
