DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Ahead of the holiday season, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in Region 11 called on the consumers to be always cautious in buying Christmas lights.
“Always choose for those certified products. If you have the option to buy between cheaper products but are not certified and costly lights but are certified, we would always suggest that you choose to buy certified products,” DTI 11 regional director Ma. Belenda Q. Ambi said on Tuesday, November 7.
This is to ensure safety among the homes and establishments, Ambi explained, pointing that there were many cases of fire incidence which was caused by usage of light products which were not Import Commodity Clearance (ICC)- certified.
ICC is a standard required by DTI on all imported products.
Ambi said that they have started monitoring stores which are selling Christmas lights as early as October.
While DTI 11 has not recorded any major violations andt confiscated non-ICC compliant Christmas lights yet, she said the agency will continue to monitor the market.
“I think the series of information campaign last year also helped in making stores aware that they need to sell only certified Christmas lights,” Ambi said.
Ambi urged buyers to look for ICC stickers of light products’ packaging to know whether it’s certified or not.
“If consumers see uncertified products, they can file complaints at DTI,” she added. (davaotoday.com)
