THE Department of Trade and Industry on Tuesday unveiled a more secure import commodity clearance mark to ensure the quality and safety of critical consumer products.
In a briefing, Undersecretary Zenaida Maglaya said the agency issues the the improved ICC sticker to importers to control and avoid unlawful use of the mark.
Maglaya said the DTI should periodically change the security features of the ICC mark to preserve its integrity.
The agency would enforce the new ICC hologram sticker by April 2012 in all critical products. By then, the existing ICC marks in white and silver-grey backgrounds will be considered invalid.
From January to September 2011, the DTI has issued 3,302 ICC certificates to 363 importers of electrical, building and construction materials, chemical, and, consumer products.
These importers have brought in 30,404,508 units of various products with the old ICC mark in the Philippine market.
The new ICC hologram sticker was manufactured via electron beam origination producing ultra-high feature definition at 500,000 dots per inch. Thus, it gives superior definition and image clarity; amplified movement in colors and texts; and increased security features making it very difficult, if not impossible, to counterfeit.
The hologram is registered with the International Hologram Manufacturers’ Association, an exclusive association of ISO-certified members having the E-beam technology capacity. All designs registered with IHMA are guaranteed unique.
“With the influx of imported products in the country, which is brought about by the fall of trade barriers among nations worldwide, it is essential for the government to impose stricter guidelines in the printing and issuing of the ICC mark to importers in order to further control the use and ensure security of this quality and safety seals for imported products,” Secretary Gregory Domingo said.
“There are concerns on the quality and safety marks that the DTI issues to the importing industry for seals of registration, test and inspection, thus, the department has gone through continuous improvements to ensure protection against fraud and faking of stickers,” he added.
Under the ICC Certification Scheme, all importers of products declared under mandatory certification are required to have their products tested and inspected at the Bureau of Product Standard Testing Center or any DTI-accredited testing laboratories, prior to distribution and sale in the Philippine market.
DTI-BPS issues the ICC certificate to those importers whose products successfully passed the safety and quality tests, which are based on the safety and quality requirements of a relevant Philippine National Standard. ICC holders are then authorized to affix the ICC sticker on their products, which serves as consumers’ guide in choosing quality and reliable products.
“I enjoin the industry to be active in the department’s drive to avert the proliferation of uncertified products that use fake ICC marks and police their ranks to assist them in their businesses. And, I enjoin the buying public to be extra vigilant in their purchases of products and services,” Domingo said.
