DTI News

Information on the Safety of Motorcycle Helmet (As of 07 June 2012)

A. DTI-BPS’ Product Certification Scheme

1. On 09 September 2008, DTI-BPS issued DAO 10:2008 for the mandatory implementation of Philippine National Standard/ United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (PNS/UN ECE) 22:2007, which was published on 21 November 2008 in Manila Times and Manila Standard Today.
2. It requires all manufacturers and importers of motorcycle helmets to secure a Philippine Standard (PS) license or an Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) certificate prior to sale/distribution of their products under the DTI-Bureau of Product Standards’ (BPS) Product Certification Scheme.
3. Only those manufactures and importers whose products comply with PNS requirements are issued with the PS License and ICC Certificate.
4. DTI-BPS has adopted the UN ECE standard specifications and test methods for protective helmets as PNS/UN ECE 22:2007 to provide the industry with a reference standard in manufacturing reliable protective helmets and ensure the public that helmets sold in the market are reliable and would protect motorcyclists from serious head injuries.
5. PNS/UN ECE 22:2007 was published in Manila Times and Manila Standard Today on 12 January 2009 as a pull-out supplement.
6. From January 2009 to 12 July 2012, the DTI-BPS has issued the ICC certificate to 32 importers with 51 brands

B. Republic Act 10054 – An Act Mandating All Motorcycle Riders to Wear Standard Protective Motorcycle Helmets While Driving and Providing Penalties Therefore

1. The Republic Act 10054 or the Motorcycle Helmet Act was signed on 23 March 2010 to secure the safety of drivers of motorcycles and their passengers from injurious effects of fatal or life threatening accidents and crashes.
2. RA 10054 aims to secure the safety of motorists, their passengers and pedestrians at all times through the mandatory enforcement of the use of standard protective motorcycle helmet.
3. All motorcycle riders shall at all times wear standard protective motorcycle helmets while driving, whether short or long distances, in any road and highway.
4. Standard protective motorcycle helmets are appropriate types of helmets for motorcycle riders that comply with the specifications issued by the DTI.
5. The DTI shall issue guidelines including the specifications regarding standard motorcycle protective helmets.
6. Drivers of tricycles shall be exempted from complying with the mandatory wearing of motorcycle helmets.
7. A seller and/ or dealer of new motorcycles shall offer motorcycle helmets with the PS or ICC mark to buyers.
8. The Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) and its attached agency, Land Transportation Office (LTO), shall issue guidelines necessary to implement this Act.
9. The DTI through its BPS shall utilize the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN ECE) Protocols as a basis for the specifications in the approval and disapproval of motorcycle helmets that will be sold in the market.
10. All manufacturers and importers of standard protective motorcycle helmets are required to secure a Philippine Standard (PS) license and Import Commodity Clearance (ICC certificate respectively, prior to the sale and distribution of their products in the market.
11. The DTI-BPS shall periodically publish the list of manufacturers and importers that were issued the PS licenses and ICC certificates in newspapers or the DTI/ BPS website.
12. Only those standard protective helmets bearing the PS or ICC mark shall be sold in the market.
13. This Act shall have administrative sanctions to those found violating the provisions thereof:
    1. Any person caught not wearing the standard protective helmet shall be punished with a fine of:
       • First offense – P1,500.00
       • Second offense – P3,000.00
       • Third offense – P5,000.00
       • Fourth offense and succeeding offenses – P10,000 .00 and confiscation of driver’s license
    2. Any seller and/ or dealer found selling motorcycle helmets without the PS or ICC mark shall be punished with a fine of not less than P10,000.00 but not more than P20,000.00.
    3. Any person who uses, sells and distributes substandard motorcycle helmets that do not bear the PS or ICC mark shall be punished with a fine of:
       • First offense – not less than P3,000.00
       • Second offense – P5,000.00
       Without prejudice to other penalties imposed in the Republic Act 7394 or the Consumer Act of the Philippines.
    4. Tampering, alteration, forgery and imitation of the PS and ICC marks on the helmets shall be punished with a fine of not less than P10,000.00 but not more than P20,000.00 without prejudice to other penalties imposed in the Republic Act 7394 or the Consumer Act of the Philippines.

C. DOTC-DTI Cooperation

1. The Republic Act 10054 or the Motorcycle Helmet Act was signed on 23 March 2010 to secure the safety of drivers of motorcycles and their passengers from injurious effects of fatal or life threatening accidents and crashes.
2. To properly implement RA 10054 or the Motorcycle Helmet Act, the Department Transportation and Communication (DOTC) and the DTI forged the Joint Administrative Order (JAO) No. 01 Series of 2011 (Rules and Regulations Implementing the Provisions of Republic Act 10054 of 2009 entitled an Act Mandating All Motorcycle Riders to Wear Substandard Protective Motorcycle Helmets while Driving and Providing Penalties Therefore) and signed it on 26 December 2011.
3. The JAO 01:2011 clears the responsibilities of DTI and DOTC.
   1. The DTI ensures that manufacturers and importers consistently comply with the safety standards on helmet; and that retailers only sell PS and ICC-marked helmets for motorcycle users.
   2. The DOTC ensures that the motorcycle drivers and passengers always wear their PS or ICC-marked helmets.
   3. Both Departments are expected to conduct information and education campaign on the use of certified helmets for safety and protection on the roads.

D. PNS/UN ECE 22:2007 – Uniform Provisions Concerning the Approval of Protective Helmets and their Visors for Drivers and Passengers of Motorcycles and Mopeds

1. The PNS/UN ECE 22:2007 was developed by BPS/TC44/SC22 – TC on Road Vehicles Subcommittee on Motorcycles.
2. It applies to protective helmets for drivers and passengers of mopeds and of motorcycles with or without side-car and to visors fitted to such helmets or intended to be added to them
3. Definitions
   1. Protective helmet – a helmet intended to primarily protect the wearer’s head against impact; it is in the form of a hard outer shell that is designed to protect the cranial areas of users in the event of a collision, crash or fall
   2. Visor – transparent protective screen extending over the eyes and covering all or part of the face
   3. Retention system – complete assembly that maintains helmet position on the head and prevents it from flying off the wearer’s head during quick head movements or accident, including any devices for adjustment of the system or to enhance the wearer’s comfort. This includes china strap, double-D ring or sliding bar fastening device, quick-release mechanism, buckle.
   4. Protective padding – material used to absorb impact energy
   5. Comfort padding – a material provided for comfort of the wearer
      
      Fig. 1 Diagram of a Protective Helmet
      Note: Protective helmets for drivers and passengers of motorcycles were designed to reduce the chances of serious head, brain, and facial injuries and death from motorcycle crashes but are not designed to prevent injuries to other parts of the body.
      
4. General Specification
   1. Helmet
      • Helmet shall be in the form of a hard outer shell, containing additional means of absorbing impact energy, and retention system.
      • May be fitted with ear flaps and a neck curtain. It may also have a detachable peak, a visor and a lower face cover
      • If fitted with a non-protective lower face cover, it should be marked that it does not protect chin from impacts.
        
        Fig. 2 Symbol “Does not protect chin from impact”
      • Helmet shall not dangerously affect wearer’s ability to hear. The temperature in the space between the head and the shell shall not rise inordinately; ventilation holes may be provided in the shell.
      • There shall be no inward-facing sharp edges on the inside of the helmet; rigid projecting internal parts shall be covered with padding
      • various components of the helmet shall be so assembled that they are not liable to become easily detached as a result of an impact
5. Retention system
   1. Retention systems shall be protected from abrasion.
   2. All parts of the retention system shall be permanently attached to the system or to the helmet
6. Material
   1. Material used shall not undergo appreciable alteration under the influence of ageing or exposure to sun, extreme temperature and rain.
   2. Materials that come in contact to skin shall not undergo appreciable alteration through the effect of perspiration; shall not use materials known to cause skin troubles.
7. Performance
   1. Helmet shall not exhibit breakage or deformation dangerous to the wearer
8. Visors
   1. Visors shall be removable; must be possible to move the visor our of the field of vision with one hand.
   2. A mark on visors shall specify if it’s for “Daytime use only”.
      
      Fig. 3 Symbol for “Day use only”
   3. Visors shall be free from any significant defects such as bubbles, scratches, dull spots, holes, mould marks that can likely impair the vision.
   4. Visors shall not cause any noticeable distortion of object as seen through the visor, shall be resistant to abrasion and impact, and shall not give rise to any confusion between colour used in road traffic sign and signals
9. Tests
   1. Impact-absorption – measures helmet’s capacity to absorb impact when dropped in a guided free fall onto a fixed steel anvil
   2. Test for projections and surface friction – done to assess the way in which an outer shell will sheer away, become detached, or slide off when impacted
   3. Rigidity test – determines the strength of the helmet; measures the deformation of a helmet when weight is applied to each side of the helmet
   4. Dynamic test of the retention system – test to ensure that the helmet remains securely fastened to the rider’s head
   5. Visor test (field of vision, luminous transmittance, light diffusion, recognition of traffic signal lights, mechanical characteristics – drop-hammer test, wherein no sharp splinters are produced if visor is shattered; and optical quality and scratch resistance)
   6. Micro-slip test of the chin strap – slippage of the grip shall not exceed 10 mm
   7. Test for resistance to abrasion of chin strap– shall withstand a tension of 3 kN without breaking
   8. Tests for retention systems relying on quick-release mechanisms
10. Markings
    1. Helmet – trade name/mark, size, if appropriate, an indication if the lower face to protect chin against impact
    2. Visor – trade name/mark, if appropriate, an indication if the visor is for day time use only
    3. Information for Wearers – shall be clearly visible
       • “For adequate protection, this helmet must fit closely and be securely attached. Any helmet that has sustained a violent impact should be replaced”
       • “Does not protect chin from impacts” together with symbol – for non-protective lower face cover
       • “Warning – Do not apply paint, stickers, petrol or other solvents to this helmet”
       • Every helmet shall be clearly marked with its size and its maximum weight
       • Shall bear the type of visor
       • Every visor attached to a helmet shall include information on general instruction for storage and care; instructions for cleaning; suitability of the visor for use in conditions of poor visibility, daytime and night time
    4. Conspicuity marking – Helmet may be required to contribute to the conspicuity of the rider both during daytime and night through use of reflective materials in the front, rear, right and left.

LIST OF DTI-CERTIFIED MOTORCYCLE PROTECTIVE HELMET (As of 12 July 2012)

LIST OF DTI-CERTIFIED MOTORCYCLE PROTECTIVE HELMET (As of 12 July 2012)

Total Volumes of Helmet by 2012 – 181,235
Total Volumes of Helmet by 2009 - 2011 – 454,420

DTI’s Diskwento Caravan goes nationwide on May 15; Offers up to 50% discount in school supplies

The Department of Trade and Industry’s flagship project Diskwento Caravan will be going to key cities across the country this May 15 onwards, with school supplies and basic goods available at deeply discounted prices.

Dubbed as Diskwento Caravan: Balik Eskwela edition, this one-day sale aims to ease the consumers’ burden of rising prices of basic necessities and prime commodities as well as school supplies, with the start of classes just a few weeks away.

A variety of products will be available at Diskwento Caravan, including school supplies, school uniforms, kid’s leather shoes and school bags, canned goods, processed meat, bread, cooking oil and detergent soaps. MSME Corner will feature local products made by micro, small, and medium entrepreneurs.

Other government agencies will join the Diskwento Caravan to offer frontline services such as the TESDA for free haircut, National Statistics Office (NSO), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), and Social Security System (SSS).

DTI invites all consumers to buy at Diskwento Caravan to get big discounts and save more money this upcoming start of classes. Diskwento Caravan will be available in the following cities tomorrow, May 15:

Other Diskwento Caravans will be conducted in the following dates:

DTI Releases New ICC Stickers

The use of the newest ICC hologram sticker with 500,000 dots per inch, giving it superior definition and image clarity, amplified movement in colors and texts, is expected to be implemented this April.

The Department of Trade and Industry-Bureau of Product Standard (DTI-BPS) launched the improved Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) mark to ensure the quality and safety seal on imported critical consumer products.

“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,” DTI Secretary Gregory L. Domingo said.

DTI Consumer Welfare and Business Regulation Group (CWBRG) Undersecretary Zenaida Cuison-Maglaya said that the improved hologram ICC sticker addresses the old sticker’s issue of authenticity with the use of a more secure means of printing and distributing.

The newest design of ICC hologram sticker was manufactured via electron beam origination that produces high-feature definition at 500,000 dots per inch. This gives superior definition and image clarity; amplified movement in colors and texts; and increased security features making it very difficult to counterfeit.

The hologram used is registered under the ISO-certified International Hologram Manufacturers Association (IHMA).

“The DTI also made certain that the authenticity of the new ICC mark can only be checked through highly-scaled gadgets,” Maglaya added.

The newest ICC hologram sticker shall be strictly observed in all critical products starting this April and the ICC marks with white and silver-gray backgrounds will be considered invalid.

“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 urged.

Source: DTI - Trade and Industry Information Center

Destruction of Steel Angle Bars in DTI-NCR Area 3 Highway 54 Plaza DTI-NCR

The Department of Trade and Industry – National Capital Region (DTI-NCR) issued an order for destruction of Five Hundred Thirty-Two (532) pieces of steel angle bars last October 28, 2011 at Highway 54 Plaza in DTI-NCR Area 3.

According to Provincial Director Ma. Gracia Soller, “the owner of seized angle bars was found in violation of Republic Act 4109 or the Product Standards Law as well as Department Administrative Order (DAO) 2, series of 2007”.

During the routine inspection, DTI-NCR enforcement team personally witnessed that the Respondent was engaged in the distribution of steel angle bars without the required markings, uncertified logo and with certified logo but changed color from green to white.

Steel angle bars should be under mandatory certification by virtue of the Philippine National Standards (PNS) 657:2008. In other words, Respondent should first obtain certification that the steel angle bars have passed PNS 657:2008 and have the necessary certification marks before it would distribute these products.

During the preliminary conference, the proprietress voluntarily admitted but failed /refuse to identify the supplier, that out of Five Hundred Thirty-Two (532), Two Hundred Eighty-Seven (287) pieces of angle bars have no markings and certification from Bureau of Product Standards (BPS).She then submitted a Waiver and Quitclaim stating that she no longer claims custody on those that have logo/s and which were marked but with wrong color code/s thereby waiving its right to claim the angle bars for destruction.

PD Ma. Gracia Soller proposed that the angle bars destroyed be disposed of through bidding to save the Office from further storage/safekeeping costs.

Also present during the destruction are DTI-NCR Consultants, Atty. Victor Layda and Atty. Ronaldo Mariano, Ms. Lynnette Joyce Apolinares - COA Representative and Mr. Aldrin Serrano- DTI- NCR MSSD representative.

DTI-NCR seized P8 million worth of uncertified products

The Department of Trade and Industry-National Capital Region (DTI-NCR) together with the Philippine Product Safety and Quality Federation (PPSQF) representatives confiscated over P8 million pesos worth of uncertified LPG cylinders, flat glass, ceramic tiles, sanitary wares and steel angle bars.

According to Assistant Secretary Angel Pelayo-Ty, 13 retailers from Mandaluyong and Quezon City were found in violation of Republic Act 4109 or the Product Standards Law as well as Department Administrative Order (DAO) 2, series of 2007.

Flat glass, LPG cylinders, ceramic tiles, sanitary wares and steel angle bars are covered by the mandatory product certification requirement of the Philippine National Standards (PNS). Said products must carry and display on the product itself all necessary product identification marks.

The markings/ labels will ensure the consumers that the products have undergone testing and have obtained the necessary certification signifying product quality and safety.

During the routine market monitoring, it was found that the products offered for sale do not bear the required identification and product markings.

Thirty-eight LPG cylinders, 68 figured flat glass, more than 41,000 ceramic tiles and sanitary wares, and around 1,150 steel angle bars were seized and brought to the DTI-NCR warehouse pending the resolution of the case.

Administrative charges were pressed against the retailers. If found guilty, violators will be met with corresponding fines ranging from P100, 000 to P300, 000.

“Let this activity serve as a warning to both manufacturers and retailers that DTI and our partners in the private sector, such as PPSQF and its affiliate member organizations, remain steadfast in our monitoring. The safety of consumers should be everyone’s primary concern,” Asec. Pelayo ended.

Business Name Registration rise by 9%

The Department of Trade and Industry-National Capital Region (DTI-NCR) registered a total of 26, 427 business names for the first quarter of this year, a 9% increase compared to the same period last year. The first quarter of the year is considered the peak season of business name (BN) registration.

Assistant Secretary Angel Pelayo expressed optimism on this positive development. “As we recover from the global financial crisis, we hope to see an increasing number of businesses starting anew, and more Filipinos joining the entrepreneurial movement,” she said, adding that jobs and income generated by small businesses are crucial in our economic development.

Data also shows that more business name applications were received and processed through the web during the first quarter. There was a 49% increase, with 2,656 business names processed and approved via the Internet this year, compared to 1,781 of last year’s first three months.

Online business name applications are processed through the Web-enabled Business Name Registration System (Web BNRS). This project is consistent with the government’s crusade against red tape.

“We wish to simplify the unnecessary complexities of our day-to-day operation while making registration fast and easy for our entrepreneurs,” Asec. Pelayo said.

To help promote the Web BNRS and encourage the shift towards online registration, DTI issued a memorandum directing all BN renewal to apply online. In support of this objective, DTI-NCR is continuously enhancing its BNR facilities to deliver more efficient services to its clients.

Entrepreneurs can complete the registration from the comfort of their homes with payment being accepted through G-Cash. DTI-NCR’s partnership with SM and Mail and More has made registration more convenient. Twelve (12) SM Business Service Centers are ready to assist clients for end-to-end processing of applications. Since January of this year, Mail and More has aided BN applicants at their 26 Global Business Centers in NCR. Also this year, DTI-NCR has finalized agreements with the local government units of Metro Manila to operationalize their respective Philippine Business Registry (PBR) kiosks.

DTI encourages entrepreneurs to register their business names now, with the 50% discount on processing fee still in effect. They may register their business name for only P165.00, including P150.00 for processing fee and P15 for the documentary stamp tax. The discount lasts until June 30, 2010.

For more information on BN registration and the procedure for online registration, please call DTI Direct at 751-3330 or visit www.dtincr.ph.

DTI-NCR Filed 40 Admin Cases in 1Q 2010

For the first quarter of the year, the Department of Trade and Industry-National Capital Region (DTI-NCR) has filed forty administrative cases against businesses found violating fair trade laws (FTLs). These include the Consumer Act of the Philippines (RA 7394); Price Act (RA 7581); Standards Law (RA 4109) and PD 1572, a law which provides for the accreditation of service and repair shops.

“These efforts, aside from protecting consumer welfare, are done to weed out businesses that do not play within the rules of the game.” Assistant Secretary Angel Pelayo said.

Respondents of said administrative cases filed by the regional office include Arysta Marketing, Green Top Marketing and Hoffman Marketing. The three were charged with violation of Articles 50 and 52 of the Consumer Act of the Philippines pertaining to unfair or unconscionable sales act practice by a seller.

As narrated in the numerous consumer complaints against erring establishments, representatives from Arysta, Green Top and Hoffman Marketing lure potential customers to believe that they have won a gift or prize, when the subject product is not in fact a “gift.” Target customers are in fact required to purchase an additional exorbitantly-priced item to receive said “gift”. Preventive Measure Orders have been issued by DTI-NCR prohibiting the three companies from employing said deceptive marketing scheme.

Other administrative cases involve infringement of the Standards Law and related Department Administrative Orders.

Huma Corporation, a distributor of ceramic tiles, was formally charged for distributing its products prior to the issuance of an Import Commodity Clearance (ICC).

Similarly Midway Road Trading, an importer of cement products, violated the terms of the DTI Conditional Release, wherein it is stipulated that products should not be transferred in whole or in part pending issuance of the ICC. Furthermore, the cement products found inside the respondent’s warehouse had a brand different than what was declared by the company.

DTI-NCR is working with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) regarding this specific case.

“The most effective way to stop the proliferation of these deceptive practices and illegal trade practices is through an informed citizenry. Consumers should remember that the best deterrent and sanction to these unscrupulous business entities: zero sale in their cash register,” Asec. Pelayo ended.

“These efforts, aside from protecting consumer welfare, are done to weed out businesses that do not play within the rules of the game.” Assistant Secretary Angel Pelayo said.

For consumer-related inquiries and complaints, the public can call DTI-Direct 751-3330.

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