Amid the influx of substandard steel reinforcement bars, or rebars in the market, Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel III asked the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to go after manufacturers and importers, calling for their permits and licenses to be suspended.
Pimentel issued the statement following the discovery of substandard rebars by the DTI and the Philippine Iron and Steel Institute (PISI) in Mindanao and Northern Luzon.
“Kailangang may managot at nang hindi tularan ng ibang manufacturers and importers.”
“We should revoke their permits and tighten quality control measures to limit the importation of substandard rebars. Alam naman natin kung saan galing ‘yan. Kailangang may managot at nang hindi tularan ng ibang manufacturers and importers,” the veteran legislator said.
The seasoned lawmaker stressed it is time to go after the steel manufacturers and importers as the sale of those low-quality construction materials pose a serious threat to public safety.
“The use of these low-quality construction materials could compromise the structural integrity of construction projects such as private houses that use substandard rebars,” the senator added.
He commended the DTI and the PISI for their efforts but said the government must go beyond test-buys.
“The DTI and PISI should conduct nationwide test-buy operations and crackdown on manufacturers, sellers and importers.”
“These substandard rebars and all other low-quality materials could put lives at risk. The DTI and PISI should conduct nationwide test-buy operations and crackdown on manufacturers, sellers and importers,” Pimentel said.
In recent test-buy operation conducted by DTI and PISI from hardware stores in Davao del Sur, Davao del Norte, Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Lanao del Norte, Zamboanga del Norte, Samal Island, Cotabato City, Pagadian City, and Iligan City between September 9 and 13, they found that rebars in Mindanao failed to meet the minimum standard for weight and are prone to brittleness.
They also found out that Northern Luzon is flooded with substandard rebars.
“The steel industry had found substandard rebars in random test buys in Mindanao last September, just a few weeks after finding the same problem in its July test buys in Northern Luzon,” PISI said in news reports.
“Based on the information gathered from the test buys, the inferior rebars are enough to build more than 10,000 houses per month, putting at risk up to 30,000 people,” PISI said.
In addition, Pimentel said that the government, especially the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), must ensure that no substandard rebars or any construction materials are used in infrastructure projects, especially in the construction of public roads, bridges, schools, and buildings.
