THE Ecowaste Coalition urged the government to take action against the proliferation of unsafe and substandard Christmas lights and lighting chains being sold in public markets all over Metro Manila.
“We remind consumers to be extra vigilant in buying seasonal items such as Christmas lights as some of these products have not undergone safety evaluation and may cause electric shock, fire and chemical exposure,” said Ecowaste Project Protect coordinator Thony Dizon.
“For the safety of your family and the environment, please do invoke your right to be protected against harmful and poor quality products, which is guaranteed by the Constitution, all the time,” he emphasized.
Section 9 of Article XVI of the Constitution declares: “The State shall protect consumers from trade malpractices and from substandard or hazardous products.”
Pursuant to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)-Bureau of Philippine Standards (BPS) Product Certification Scheme, importers of Christmas lights are required to obtain an Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) certificate before putting their products for sale in the domestic market.
The BPS last September 2, 2016 also issued Memorandum Circular 16-04 reminding importers that “to ensure that all Christmas lights/lighting chains are affixed with the appropriate ICC stickers or Philippine Standard certification mark before distribution in the local market.”
Early this month, the group purchased Christmas lights from street and mall vendors in Divisoria to check if holiday lighting products conform with the regulatory requirements.
Out of the nine samples of Christmas lights bought for P50 to P250 per set, none had a valid ICC hologram sticker.
Two of these products are included in the list of valid ICC certificates and stickers for Christmas lights issued by the DTI as of October 6, 2016 and could be counterfeit goods.
None of the products gave information about their importers or distributors, which is important, especially if the consumer is to file a complaint and seek redress.
Out of nine samples, three indicated voltage and wattage specifications, and four gave instructions for safe use.
Furthermore, Ecowaste revealed that eight samples contained lead above the 1,000 parts per million (ppm) limit under the European Union’s Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS)