PISI calls for DTI action on substandard rebars

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Iron and Steel Institute (PISI) is calling on the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to take action on substandard concrete reinforcing steel bars (rebars) being sold in the Cordillera Administrative Region. 

In a statement, PISI said it found 12 hardware stores in Baguio City, Benguet, Mountain Province and Ifugao selling substandard rebars.

Of the total hardware stores visited for PISI’s market monitoring, four stores were selling substandard rebars made by Wan Chiong Steel (WSC) which was suspended by the DTI late last year. 

Wan Chiong’s 16MM steel bars sold in a hardware store in La Trinidad in Benguet were underweight and failed in elongation. 

Two hardware stores in Bauko in Mountain Province were found to be selling underweight WSC-marked 12MM bars, while the 12MM WSC bars sold in Lagawe in Ifugao were underweight and with low elongation.

Also spotted were re-rolled 7MM rebar being sold as 8MM rebar by RDM Marketing and General Merchandise in Baguio City and 8MM rebar sold as 9MM rebar by Yakal Hardware in Banaue, Ifugao which are not within the requirements of Philippine National Standards for rerolled steel bars for concrete reinforcement and PNS 49:2002 for steel bars for concrete reinforcement.

Other manufacturers found to be selling substandard bars during the PISI’s market monitoring activity were Real Steel, United Steel, and Maxima Steel, while the other hardware stores carrying products falling below quality standards are WCDJ General Merchandise in La Trinidad, Benguet; Lagawe Builders Hardware in Lagawe, Ifugao; and New RJD Haus Builders and Woodland Auto Parts and Refilling Station both in Bauko, Mountain Province.

“The substandard rebars are definitely unsafe to use. The burden and great effect would be for the end-users and/or consumers that will use the substandard rebars without their due knowledge,” said Joel Ronquillo, vice president for technical affairs at PISI.

To minimize the problem, he said the DTI would need to take steps by filing cases against hardware store owners and local manufacturers found to be in violation of DTI product standard laws and unfair trade practices.

He said market monitoring activities including weighing and measuring rebars sold in hardwares, would help put a stop to the sale of substandard rebars. 

Ronquillo said the PISI could offer its services to the DTI “to stop the deceitful selling practice of some hardware stores and prevent the proliferation of substandard reinforcing steel bars in the market.”