DTI says it’s working with Customs to stem influx of substandard, fake appliances

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said it is working with the Bureau of Customs (BOC) amid the influx of imported substandard and fake appliances that are being sold online. 

In an interview on Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon on Tuesday, DTI Undersecretary Amanda Nograles said these appliances are shipped from the foreign seller directly to the consumer, in violation of the DTI’s rule that electric appliances should apply for a Philippine Standard (PS) license or Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) sticker before being put on the market.

“Mula sa datos, sa mga reports, kapag ang consumer bumili sa online ng isang electrical appliance, diretsyo na ‘yan, papasok ng Pilipinas, lalapag sa warehouse dito. From that warehouse, ide-deliver ‘yan ng courier diretsyo sa consumer. Given that pattern, hindi na po nakakapasok ang DTI pagdating sa pagche-check kung talagang may PS mark ‘yan o ICC sticker,” Nograles said, adding that many of the substandard appliances come from China. 

(Based on the data and reports, if a consumer buys an electrical appliance online, it will directly enter the Philippines and land in the warehouse here. From that warehouse, the courier will deliver it straight to the consumer. Given that pattern, the DTI can no longer check if the items have PS mark or ICC sticker.) 

“Dito kinakailangan at nakikipag-ugnayan na tayo sa Bureau of Customs. Kasi ang mandato ng Bureau of Customs ay yung pag-import at pag-angkat ng mga produkto galing sa ibang bansa,” she added. 

(This is where we need coordination and we are working with the Bureau of Customs, because their mandate covers the importation of products from other countries.) 

DTI warned that electrical appliances that do not have a PS mark or an ICC sticker could be unsafe to use. 

“Wala tayong garantiya pagdating sa product safety and quality. Ibig sabihin, halimbawa, yung mga electric fan, hindi natin natignan kung yung mga boltahe niyan sakto sa boltahe sa Pilipinas, kung hindi ba ‘yan sasabog, kung nasho-short circuit ba ‘yan,” said Nograles. 

(We do not have any guarantee of product safety and quality. For example, when you buy an electric fan online, we are not sure if its voltage is applicable to the voltage requirement in the Philippines, or that it will not explode or experience a short circuit.)  

The DTI also said that it has coordinated with social media giant Facebook and online shopping platforms regarding substandard appliances, noting that they have a commitment to delete such items within 24 hours following a take down order.

Erwin Tulfo seeks probe

At the House of Representatives, Deputy Majority Leader Erwin Tulfo has filed a resolution calling for a probe into the sale of “offshore appliances” from China, stating that this could cause a major loss of jobs for a lot of Filipinos.

According to a statement, Tulfo also questioned the DTI and the BOC regarding the proliferation of the items, saying this has affected at least 300,000 workers in the country working for at least 15 concerned manufacturers and appliance sellers.

He said that “hundreds of thousands” of Filipinos could lose their jobs due to the online sale of fake and substandard appliances imported from China and sold in the country for lower prices.

“Kung hindi ito mapipigilan, maraming manufacturers sa Pilipinas na sumusunod sa tamang alituntunin ng batas natin ang mapipilitang magsara dahil sa pagkalugi. At kapag nangyari ito siguradong daan-daang libong kababayan natin ang mawawalan ng trabaho,” Tulfo said.

(If this is not stopped, a lot of manufacturers in the Philippines that follow the proper processes of the law may be forced to close down due to losses. And if this happens, surely hundreds of thousands of Filipinos will lose their jobs.)

“Itong mga negosyante na ito, sila yung mga nagbabayad ng tamang buwis at sumusunod sa lahat ng regulasyon at alituntunin na pinaiiral ng ating batas. Pero sila ang lubos na apektado at ngayon ay nalulugi dahil sa hindi patas na bentahan sa merkado,” he added.

(These businessmen are the ones paying the right taxes and following the regulations and processes mandated by law. But they are the ones affected and are now losing profit due to the unfair practices in the market.)

Tulfo's resolution cited reports that offshore brands, "particularly those from China," are able to deliver items to the Philippines through online platforms "without adhering to the same taxation and regulatory requirements imposed upon domestic appliance manufacturers."

Tulfo said that while he wasn’t against online selling, offshore products must be regulated by the government. — Vince Angelo Ferreras and Jiselle Anne C. Casucian/BM, GMA Integrated News