As the Christmas season nears, the Department of Trade and Industry Regional Office III (DTI-3) reminds consumers to be careful in buying Christmas lights and electrically powered decorations for the upcoming holiday season.
Under the Consumer Act of the Philippines or Republic Act 7394, the sale and distribution of mandatory products like electronic products and Christmas lights in the Philippine market are regulated. Under the law, uncertified mandatory products cannot be distributed nor sold in the market. Sellers of uncertified products can be penalized with product confiscation and fines.
Several tips were provided by DTI-3 when buying Christmas lights. According to the DTI, consumers should look if the plug pins of the lights are not easily bent. Consumers are also advised to look if the electrical wirings are not too thin. The markings should also bear the manufacturer or distributor’s name, address and trade mark, the rated wattage of the lights, the country of origin, the barcode and batch number and safety instructions and reminders such as “for indoor use only.”
Regional Director Judith P. Angeles further advised buyers to look for Philippine Standards Certification Mark for locally produced products and the Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) hologram and serialized stickers in the Christmas lights products. She also notes that the valid serial number is an eight character alphanumeric combination located at the bottom portion of the mark. The list of valid serial numbers of certified Christmas lights and the name of accredited distributors as of October 2018 are listed at the DTI website at http://bps.dti.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_docman&task=cat_view&gid=96&Itemid=104. She also reminded sellers to sell only certified products, as the DTI continues to monitor Christmas lights in supermarkets and stores in the region.
The DTI Regional Office continues to remind consumers to always request for warranty certificates or cards when buying consumer products. The DTI has a Consumer Hotline (1-384) which can be called in case buyers have concerns with their purchases.
