by Rey Anthony Chiu
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) opened a service desk in a local mall in Bohol to provide consumers and motorists easy access in securing the proper stickers for their helmets.
DTI consumer division chief Jose Hibaya said this at the Kapihan sa PIA recently, as the country implements the mandatory motorcycle helmet law on August 1 for all motorcycle drivers and riders on the road.
The DTI set a product standards (PS) or Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) marks in these hologram stickers, available at the Activity Center of the Island City Mall for the whole month of August, Hibaya said.
"This is for consumers and motorists to have easy access at the DTI, now on the second floor office of the FCB Building along CPG North Avenue," Hibaya said.
The chief said the refunds on certification fees for those who have previously paid to the DTI is still served at the local office.
In the implementation by joint memorandum with the Department of Transportation and Communication, the DTI is mandated to check on the standards of each motorcycle helmet in the market while making sure that proper and standard crash helmets are used.
According to Republic Act 10054 or the Motorcycle Helmet Law, the DTI, through the Bureau of Products Standards, will conduct a mandatory testing of all manufactured and imported motorcycle helmets in the Philippines.
"A PS or ICC mark is issued to all manufacturers and importers of standard protective motorcycle helmets whose products pass the standards tests,†said DTI Bohol provincial director Ma. Elena Arbon.
Hibaya said all motorcycle helmets that can be secured in the markets today should already have the ICC or PS marks. The DTI will not be issuing the standard stickers to new helmets without stickers anymore.
However, some enterprising businessmen have sold in the market helmets of dubious origins, having no PS or ICC marks. This makes the DTI task equally challenging, admits Vierna Teresa Ligan, DTI Bohol spokesperson.
According to Arbon, the local DTI is tasked to issue certifications to previously purchased crash helmets that have passed the Bureau of Products Standards (BPS) of the Philippines if the product has not been stamped with the correct markings. This has been set at the DTI office, which is not as accessible compared with the mall venue.
The DTI issues the certification to old helmets based on a partial list of accredited helmet manufacturers whose products passed Philippine standard tests from 2009 to 2012.
Manufacturers of helmets that secured the BPS green light earlier than 2009 may not be in the list anymore.
On this, Hibaya said the BPS list has grown to 64 certified local and imported manufacturers, a list that can be available via the DTI.
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