The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has stepped up its enforcement drive against substandard steel products following a market test-buy report submitted by an industry group, which flagged non-compliant rebar and angle bar items being sold in local markets.
The move is in line with the directive of Trade Secretary Ma. Cristina Roque to ensure that steel products offered for sale meet the requirements of the Philippine National Standards (PNS) for quality and safety.
“Our enforcement efforts will focus on retail inspections, plant audits, and close coordination with industry associations to promote full compliance with quality standards,” said Trade assistant secretary and supervising head of the fair trade group Agaton Uvero.
As part of its intensified campaign, the DTI is conducting targeted enforcement at retail outlets—which may lead to case filings and confiscation of substandard products—alongside plant visits and audits of manufacturers holding PS Licenses that have been identified as potential sources of non-compliant goods.
The department is also working closely with industry associations to strengthen awareness and promote strict adherence to Philippine National Standards (PNS) among producers and sellers.
The DTI’s renewed push comes on the heels of alarming findings by the Philippine Iron and Steel Institute (PISI) and the Steel and Stainless Steel Marketing Association of the Philippines Inc. (SASSMAPI).
Both groups conducted separate test-buy operations earlier this year, revealing a disturbing pattern of non-compliance among steel products sold nationwide.
According to PISI’s January–February 2025 report, all 21 rebar and angle bar samples sourced from hardware stores in Central and Northern Luzon and Western Visayas failed to meet basic quality standards.
Most were significantly underweight and showed poor elongation, a critical factor in structural safety and earthquake resistance.
Particularly flagged were products from Chuangxing Steel, Real Steel Corporation, Metrodragon, and several others.
SASSMAPI reported similarly troubling findings from test-buys in Cebu and Cavite in March, where steel bars from Mindanao Villanueva Steel (MVS) and Keim Hing Steel showed mass variation deviations as high as -19.98 percent and failed dimensional checks.
“These results affirm the need for a sustained and aggressive response. We will act decisively against manufacturers and distributors that put consumers at risk,” Uvero said.
The DTI warned that violations of Republic Act No. 4109 may result in the suspension or revocation of PS licenses, with repeat offenders facing stricter penalties.
