BY ADRIAN P. NEMES III
An official of the Department of Trade and Industry in Negros Occidental warned stores yesterday against selling Christmas lights and other electrical appliances and supplies that did not pass through the evaluation of the agency.
Romel Amihan, Consumer Protection Unit head of DTI in the province, said locally made electronic products, such a Christmas lights, should bear the Philippine Standards (PS) logo on it.
As to imported products, these should have an Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) sticker on them as evidence that they passed the quality standards, Amihan said.
Store owners who sell electronic devices and Christmas lights without ICC or PS markings will be warned on the first offense and will be told to pull out their products from display, he said.
Amihan added that habitual violators will receive notices of violation and show cause orders.
Based on the monitoring of DTI in the province, no stores have been found selling sub-standard Christmas lights and other electrical supplies and appliances yet.
But Amihan encourages residents to report to DTI if there are indeed stores selling substandard electrical products, such as Christmas lights.
He reminded store owners that selling of uncertified electronic products is a violation under the Fair Trade law of the Philippines.
DTI also continues the monitoring of the prices of Noche Buena items along with other basic commodities.
Under the Suggested Retail Price of DTI, hams weighing 500 grams are priced between P135 to P189, those 700 grams should be sold for P194, while 800-gram to 1.5-kilogram hams should cost between P196 to P1,025.
The SRP for fruit cocktails is from P50.35 to P239.40, cheese – P49.50 to P269.50, sandwich spread – P21 to P205.80, and mayonnaise should be sold from P28 to P283. Queso de bola should be sold at P169 to P539, pasta – P19 to P92, creamer – P52 to P75, tomato sauce – P12.25 to P78.25, spaghetti sauce – P22 to P84.20, and Elnon and salad macaroni – P18.75 to P98.65.*
