Product Compliance
in Philippines

The Standards system in the Philippines is more government-driven than market-driven, although government consults with industry/local stakeholders in the formulation of the Philippine National Standards (PNS).  The Bureau of Philippine Standards (BPS), under the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), is the Philippines’ national Standards body that develops, promulgates, implements, and promotes standardization activities in the Philippines.  Part of the Bureau of Philippine Standards’ (BPS) mandate, as provided in the Consumer Act of the Philippines, is to protect consumers against hazards to health and safety as well as to assure the public of the consistency of standardized products in the market.

There are two types of Standards classification — voluntary and mandatory. The BPS implements mandatory product certification schemes for 87 products and systems divided into three product groups, namely, mechanical/building and construction, electrical and electronic products, chemical and other consumer products and system. The BPS subjects these products under its list of PNS for mandatory certification to inspection and testing methods prior to distribution and sale in the Philippine market with the necessary Philippine Standard (PS) or Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) marks. (http://www.bps.dti.gov.ph/). The BPS provides the Bureau of Customs (BOC) a list of products under mandatory BPS product certification as a guide to incoming shipments.

All products under Mandatory Regulation of the BPS require test reports in accordance with what is required by Philippine National Standards. The tests are conducted by BPS or its recognized laboratories for electrical, electronic, chemical, mechanical, and consumer products to verify conformity to PNS requirements that support the Philippine Standard (PS) and Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) product certification schemes.

Under the PS Certification Scheme based on the Department Administrative Order (DAO) No. 4:2008, a manufacturer shall secure a license to use the Philippine Standard (PS) mark to show the consistent compliance of its product with the requirements of a specific PNS. The BPS assesses a manufacturer’s production processes and product.  The PS Quality and/or Safety Certification Mark License is granted to either local or foreign manufacturer whose factory and product have successfully complied with the requirements of the PNS ISO 9001 and the relevant product standard/s, respectively.

Under the ICC Certification Scheme according to the DTI DAO No. 5:2008, an importer shall acquire an ICC certificate to use the ICC sticker on imported products which demonstrate conformance to the requirements of an applicable PNS. The BPS, through the DTI Regional and Provincial Offices, subjects import shipments to sampling and testing procedures and evaluation.

DAO 05:2008 specifies that importers are offered four options for their applications to be processed, which include: (1) an application without a Product Test Report but with a Quality Management System (QMS) based on the ISO 9001:2000 and its future amendments; (2) an application with a Product Test Report and with a QMS based on the ISO 9001:2000 and its future amendments; (3) an application without a Product Test Report and without a QMS; and (4) an application with the Philippine Standard (PS) license from a foreign supplier. There are 75 listed Philippine National Standards which cover 85 products and three (3) services under the BPS Mandatory Certification

Products that are covered by the BPS Mandatory Product Certification Schemes, whether locally or internationally manufactured, are required to bear the PS Mark or ICC stickers before it can be distributed in the Philippines. Certain products are delisted from the List of Products under Mandatory Certification subject to compliance with markings and labelling requirements as stated in the DTI DAO No. 15-01.

The PS Mark and ICC Sticker affixed to the products serve as the consumer’s assurance that the products they purchase are certified by the BPS.

As a general rule, the PS mark or ICC sticker should be placed on the product itself, except in cases where affixing the mark/sticker to the product is not practicable, such as on ballasts, self-ballasted lamps, single/double capped fluorescent lamps, incandescent lamps, circuit breakers, electrical tapes, wires & cables, and flat cord; or if affixing the sticker to the product will cause damage to its original packaging such as on television sets, air-conditioning units, refrigerators, and microwave ovens.

If the sticker is affixed on the packaging, the importers, distributors, dealers, traders or retailers shall ensure that the corresponding box/package of the displayed unit is available for verification by monitors/enforcers of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

Affected products

Among Products Under Mandatory Certification are: http://www.bps.dti.gov.ph/index.php/product-certification/list-of-products-under-mandatory-certification

Philippines’s Radio Type Approval consists of certification by the NTC (Philippines’ National Telecommunications Commission). The NTC is the government agency responsible for the supervision, adjudication, and control over telecommunications products and services all over the Philippines. There are two ways to obtain approval:

• NTC Type Approval
• NTC Type Acceptance

NTC Type Approval certification is applicable to all Customer Premises Equipment that is physically located on the customer’s premises intended to connect to the public telecommunications network. Telephone handsets, DSL and satellite television set top boxes are examples of products under this scheme.

All RCE (Radio Communications Equipment) products not connected to the public network nor under the scope of Type Approval, are subject to mandatory Type Acceptance certification. RCE are devices that emit radio frequency waves, signals, transmissions, messages…i.e. Wi-Fi and/or Bluetooth communication.

This Type Acceptance scheme can take advantage of the CE or FCC Testing activity, therefore in-country testing activities can be avoided if an accredited test report is available.

After the NTC grants the Certificate, the product must be marked with NTC’s official label, which will contain the type of equipment to be specified as well as a specific identification number for the equipment.