THE Trade department said on Tuesday that it issued violation notices to three companies selling fireworks in Bulacan, but noted that compliance among retailers in the province has improved this year.
“Out of 26 firms inspected, three were issued notices of violation for apparent noncompliance of technical regulations,” the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said in a statement.
But the department noted that “there has been an improvement in the compliance of fireworks retailers in Bulacan as compared to last year’s enforcement operation.”
“In 2020, the DTI-FTEB’s (Fair Trade Enforcement Bureau) monitoring and enforcement team reported that only one, out of 15 monitored establishments, was compliant and the remaining other 14 firms were selling 1,271 pieces of unlicensed fireworks with a retail value of P280,416.00, which the team had confiscated,” the department said.
The DTI’s Bureau of Product Standards (BPS) said that as of Dec. 22, only six licensed manufacturers are permitted to make and supply fireworks.
The department identified the manufacturers as Dragon Fireworks, Inc., Diamond Fireworks, Inc., Leegendary Fireworks, Inc., Pegasus Fireworks, Phoenix Fireworks, and Double L Fireworks.
“These companies passed the necessary requirements and testing conducted by the BPS,” the DTI said.
DTI-Consumer Protection Group Undersecretary Ruth B. Castelo reminded the public to only buy licensed fireworks produced by authorized manufacturers.
“These products underwent the conformity assessment process, including inspection and testing prior to market distribution to ensure the safety of the general public,” she said.
The department said that consumers should report illegally labeled products and unauthorized firework retailers. — Arjay L. Balinbin