Consumers told: Buy only DTI-OKed Christmas decorations

THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is encouraging consumers to report substandard and uncertified Christmas decorations like Christmas lights to their office.

As the holiday season approaches, more and more people are shopping for decorations like Christmas lights and other ornaments that require electricity.

In order to ensure safety, DTI Cebu Provincial Director Esperanza Melgar said consumers should only purchase products that meet the prescribed requirements mandated by the DTI’s Bureau of Philippine Standards (DTI-BPS).

“Time and time again, the DTI has always been promoting the use of safe and certified Christmas lights. We remind everyone to always look for the Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) sticker or the printed Philippine Standard (PS) mark especially when purchasing and using Christmas lights,” she said.

Products with these markings are those that are properly checked by authorities.

There may be products being sold that don’t have these markings. This means these were not checked and may pose some hazards.

All certified Christmas lights are imported with PS marks or ICC stickers. PS marks are for foreign manufacturers with PS Certification Mark License while ICC stickers are issued to importers with approved ICC.

These stickers contain security features which can be verified upon inspection with a seven-digit alpha-numeric serial number.

“Again, we appeal and remind consumers to look for proper markings and labelings on the packaging of the Christmas lights,” Melgar said.

Other labels that buyers should watch out for include the supplier’s or distributor’s name, address and trademark, rated voltage and rated wattage of the set; rated voltage and wattage of the lamp; the words “for indoor use only” among others.

Since September, the DTI Cebu Provincial Office has already started monitoring throughout the province to ensure that no products without these certifications are being sold in the market.

“Those products that do not have the proper markings, and labelings, do not meet the standards and may pose danger as these may cause fire. They may ask for a copy of the actual certificate to check the veracity of the product’s quality and certification,” she added.

The PS and ICC marks guarantee that the Christmas lights being sold are safe and of good quality.

However, the DTI Cebu is also advising users to follow safety instructions like avoiding outdoor use of Christmas lights that are designs for indoors as added safety.

They should also limit Christmas light attachments and disconnect the product from its power source when it is not in use.