Department of Trade and Industry Secretary Ma. Cristina Roque said the government is committed to eliminating substandard steel and other construction materials , citing recent enforcement efforts under Task Force Kalasag.
The crackdown comes in the wake of an Isabela accident, where a P1.2-billion bridge collapsed, revealing the use of below-standard materials.
“We really need to catch substandard products, especially those that fail to meet the DTI standards. There have been a lot of seizures, and we are aggressively stepping up efforts to ensure compliance,” Roque said.
Roque said the Fair Trade Group is actively monitoring construction materials, particularly as the country enters peak building season.
She also raised concerns about the sale of non-compliant products through e-commerce platforms, warning that the DTI would issue directives to address the issue and release a list of violators.
Meanwhile, preparations are underway for the official launch of Tatak Pinoy, a program aimed at promoting locally manufactured products.
Roque said an initial list of government-preferred Filipino-made construction materials was released, with more additions expected.
“The list will continue to grow because we need to ensure that these companies are Filipino manufacturers, compliant with standards, and aligned with the Tatak Pinoy law,” she said.
“We are also looking to include food products and MSME-made goods that qualify,” she said, noting that the initial list includes textiles, wood products, rubber and plastic products, meta and non-metallic mineral products, computer, electronics and optical products, among others.
The DTI plans to finalize the list within the next two months as part of a broader campaign to strengthen the recognition of high-quality Filipino products.