THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in the Davao region has warned consumers anew to only buy high quality Christmas lights to prevent accidents.
DTI regional director Marizon S. Loreto said that as Filipinos start to decorate their homes for the Christmas season, the colorful and flickering lights are always part of the designs because of their affordability and attractiveness.
“As the Christmas season approaches, we observe that houses, churches, buildings, and even trees are decorated with lights in different colors, shapes, and sizes. But consumers must always take into consideration the quality of the products they purchase, not just for their appearance,” she said.
Loreto said that consumers must ensure that such products have passed testing and the necessary certifications have been issued accordingly. For locally-manufactured products, the Philippine Standard (PS) mark must be found. The Import Commodity Clearance (ICC), on the other hand, is for imported ones.
Manufacturers and importers of products under the Philippine National Standards or PNS for mandatory certification are required to have their produced goods and import shipments (on a per bill of lading basis), respectively, subjected to sampling and testing.
A Christmas-light set is one of the critical products required to undergo testing and certification. PNS 189:2000, or the specifications on lighting sets using miniature and subminiature lamps for decorative purposes, has four mandatory requirements for critical parameters. These are ball pressure, torque, temperature rise and wire tests.
Manufacturers whose products have been certified and are given the PS license are the only ones authorized to stamp/print the PS mark on their products. Meanwhile, importers whose products have passed the mandatory testing may purchase the ICC sticker at DTI’s Bureau of Product Standards (BPS), the agency responsible in the conduct of mandatory testing for some products under the jurisdiction of DTI. The ICC sticker will be attached to every package of Christmas lights being sold.
“Consumers must check the packaging to see if the Christmas lights they buy have the PS or ICC marks. However, if they are not sure of the authenticity of the markings, they may ask for the actual copy of the certification issued by the BPS,” she said. [DTI11/Jenny Grace M. Mendoza]
To further help consumers have a merry, safe Christmas, the department issued some practical tips to remember when installing Christmas lights to avoid accidents:
1. Check if the wire has an outside diameter size of 1.5 mm. The wire insulation should not be frayed, cracked or burned. It should also be flexible and not brittle;
2. The pins of the plug should not be easily bent with a finger;
3. Do not connect more than three lighting sets;
4. Use and replace lamps according to the specified voltage and wattage;
5. Do not replace a fuse lamp with a non-fuse lamp; and
6. Do not use outdoors unless specified, since indoor lights are not made to withstand weather conditions.
Loreto said that manufacturers, importers, wholesalers and retailers found selling uncertified Christmas lights are subject to administrative penalties under Republic Act 7394, or the Consumer Act of the Philippines.
