THE Department of Trade and Industry is now conducting the required tests to determine the traceability, quality and safety of the 20,000 metric tons of steel cargo from China worth half a billion pesos at the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority.
At a news conference in Quezon City, Undersecretary and concurrent chief of DTI’s Consumers Protection Group Ted Pascua disclosed the department’s action on the importation of substandard or fake construction materials that entered the country.
“We are now conducting a required test procedure on a reported construction materials, specifically the steel rebar cargo, at the SBMA to ascertain its traceability, quality and safety pursuant to the law,” he said.
On Dec. 8 last year, the questioned importation of the steel cargo was the subject of DTI’s cancellation or withdrawal of its import commodity clearance, the legal basis of its import entry documents from the Bureau of customs.
Despite the ICC cancellation, truckloads of steel cargo were released on Dec. 19, and sold to the consuming public.
Pascua welcomed the complaint of the United Filipino Consumers and Commuters about the entry of the 20,000 metric tons of substandard steel bars.
Rodolfo Javellana Jr., UFCC president, warned the public of a potential severe damage and loss of lives in case of a powerful earthquake, owing to the proliferation of substandard construction materials.
Unless stopped, the use of substandard construction materials could lead to disaster, he said.
Anticipating “the mega quake” expected to hit Metro Manila, Javellana expressed fear of “unimaginable havoc” bigger than what Surigao City experienced after a 6.7-magnitude earthquake shook the area around 10:03 p.m. last Friday.