DTI steps-up monitoring of establishments selling motorcycle helmets

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is stepping-up the monitoring of wholesale and retail establishments selling protective motorcycle helmets and their visors to ensure that these are certified.

In an effort to ensure safety for the fast-increasing number of motorcycle riders and their passengers, the DTI is making certain that only certified helmets are sold in the market.

According to the DTI, it is mandatory for all manufacturers and importers of protective helmets and their visors to secure a Philippine Standard (PS) License or Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) certificate from the Department prior to the sale and distribution of their products.

“Those found with uncertified products shall face administrative charges from the Department,” DTI warned.

In order to provide the industry with an internationally-accepted reference standard in manufacturing reliable protective helmet, DTI adopted the United Nations Economic Commission on Europe (UN ECE) standard specifications and test methods for protective helmets and their visors for motorcycles and mopeds drivers and passengers as a Philippine National Standard (PNS/UN ECE 22:2007).

It is imperative that the quality of the product is checked to ensure that it performs as intended, DTI emphasized. 

DTI regulates critical consumer products that greatly affect life, property and health. Therefore, in consultation with the helmet industry sector and other stakeholders, the DTI has included the protective helmets in its mandatory product certification scheme to level the playing field of businesses, and more importantly, to avert the pervasive distribution of substandard helmets in the market for consumer protection.

DTI operates a Product Certification Scheme to assure consumers that critical products such as protective helmets sold in the market are safe and reliable. The Department requires the manufacturers and importers of products under mandatory certification to apply for the PS License or ICC certificate, and have their products inspected and tested based on PNS/UN ECE Reg 22:2007 prior to its sale and distribution in the market. 

The Department has already given all manufacturers, importers and distributors of protective helmets enough time to comply with the product certification scheme. This year, only helmets bearing the PS or ICC mark can be sold in the local market, DTI said.

To ensure compliance with the law, the DTI enjoins the buying public to patronize only PS and ICC-marked products in the market.  Consumers can report or file a complaint against substandard products through the DTI provincial offices.

For more information on helmet standards, the public may visit or call the Consumer Welfare and Business Regulations Division of the DTI Central Visayas provincial offices: BOHOL PROVINCIAL OFFICE, 2F FCB Bldg., CPG Ave., Tagbilaran City at tel # (63) 038-501-8260; CEBU PROVINCIAL OFFICE, 3F LDM Bldg., M.J. Cuenco Avenue, Cor.Legaspi Street, Cebu City at tel. # (63)(032) 412-1863 / 253-2631; NEGROS ORIENTAL PROVINCIAL OFFICE, 2F Uymatiao Bldg., San Jose Street. Dunaguete City at tel. # (63)(035) 422-2764; SIQUIJOR PROVINCIAL OFFICE, Chan She Bldg., Legaspi Street, Poblacion, Siquijor, Siquijor at tel # (63)035-480-9065.


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Amendments on BMBE Get Support

Cebu lawmakers support the proposed amendments on the Barangay Micro Business Enterprises (BMBE) Act of 2002 during the public hearing held last September 23 at the Capitol Social Hall.

BMBE Act of 2002 was made in acknowledgement of the importance of micro enterprises as the drivers of the country’s economy.

The law was aimed at encouraging small businesses to develop and grow through granting of incentives and benefits and active intervention of government.

The house committee on Small Business Entrepreneurship and Development conducted their first public hearing in Cebu to get inputs from concerned sectors on the proposed changes in the law.

Congressman Teddy Casiño, chair of the committee, said the law has been “underutilized” because not all entrepreneurs are able to take advantage of it.

Micro business entrepreneurs have not registered their businesses because of bureaucratic restrictions.

Cebu congressmen Pablo Garcia, Pablo John Garcia, Benhur Salimbangon, and Luigi Quisumbing were one in supporting the proposed amendments.

Salimbangon said the main concern of the MBEs is the knowledge on how to access credit to banks that will help them start up business or get aid in improving their small businesses.

It was discussed in the hearing that entrepreneurs get discouraged to register their business because they are bombarded with so many applications and there is discrimination of MBEs in processing of application.

Casiño said schemes of credit access and delivery are being gathered so that they will be able to pattern good working models to include in the amendments.

One issue also discussed was the amendment on tax, fees and charges exemptions.

Pablo John said he is glad to know that the committee took the effort to “strike a balance of the needs of the local government unit and the needs of the micro business entrepreneurs”.

Casiño said they still need to resolve this issue because in the original law, exempting MBEs from local taxes is there however; it is not being implemented because LGUs are saying that it will affect their source of revenues.

He added that this caused MBEs not to register their business. “Nahihirapan sila magkuha (ng permits) kasi (ang pangbayad) pang.capital na nila yon.”

Casiño’s committee aims to finish the data consolidation, hearings and finalization of the substitute bill within the year so that by 2012, they will be able to pass the said amendments.

The BMBE Forum in Cebu was made possible with the assistance of the Department of Trade and Industry and the SB Corporation.


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Valencia Hydraulic System Technologies now a registered Ecozone Export Enterprise

The Department of Trade and Industry Region 7 announces that Valencia Hydraulic System Technologies, Inc., a domestic subsidiary of the Norwegian company PMC-HydrapowerAs (www.hydrapower.no) that manufactures hydraulic water pumps, spare parts and components for the fishing and drilling industry within the Scandinavian region in Europe is now a duly registered Ecozone Enterp[rise under Certificate of Registration no. 11-37.

Valencia Hydraulic System Technologies is committed to produce excellent quality hydraulic water pumps and other components.

The company is considered as one of the pioneer locators of the newly proclaimed Agro-Industrial

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