The Department of Trade and Industry has issued notices of violation to 40 of 79 hardware shops in Calabarzon for selling uncertified construction materials.
The DTI said it inspected 79 hardware stores in Calabarzon from August 1 to August 10, confiscating P21.57 million worth of uncertified steel pipes, plywood, steel bars, ceramic tiles, and carbon steel wires.
The biggest haul was on August 1 in a raid in Rizal when the DTI seized 288 pieces of BI/GI steel pipes worth P14.78 million.
The DTI through its Fair Trade Enforcement Bureau swooped on Batangas next, confiscating 8,502 pieces of uncertified construction materials worth 2.46 million.
On August 3, the DTI FTEB inspected hardware stores in Laguna and took 488 pieces of uncertified steel pipes, steel bars, steel wires, plywood, ceramic tiles, steel tubes, and even an electric fan. The haul was worth 485,384.
In Cavite, 856 units of uncertified construction materials were taken from hardware stores worth P626,250.
The last raid was on August 10 in Laguna and Quezon when the DTI FTEB seized 16,248 pieces of steel pipes, steel bars, steel wires, ceramic tiles, and plywood worth 3.84 million.
Wilcon Depot, a listed company that runs a chain of hardware stores, has complained to Trade Secretary Fred Pascual about the “too frequent” inspections of the DTI FTEB at its stores.
According to Wilcon Depot, they have applied for certifications on the products they sell but the releases of the certifications are delayed.
