RECENTLY EXPIRED or expiring Philippine Standard licenses of local manufacturers will be automatically renewed, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said.
DTI’s Bureau of Philippine Standards (BPS) will renew licenses that recently expired or will expire by Dec. 31 in consideration of the impact of the lockdown on local businesses and to comply with physical distancing and safety protocols, it said in a press release on Friday.
Philippine Standard licenses are required for foreign and local manufacturers of certain products before they enter the Philippine market.
The products are listed under DTI’s Mandatory Product Certification scheme, including several household appliances, construction materials, wiring devices, LPG systems and lamps.
Under Memorandum Circular No. 20-34, the licenses will be automatically renewed with the regular three-year validity. License holders may apply online and fee payment will be deferred.
“PS License holders must have no pending issues with their licenses such as but not limited to: unresolved non-conformances during the previous audits, unresolved Show Cause Order/Cease and Desist Order, and suspended licenses due to non- conforming products, among others,” DTI said.
License holders who won’t apply for renewal or have missing documents will not be able to avail of the automatic renewal.
DTI-BPS Director Neil P. Catajay said the bureau has already processed 17 licenses for renewal and expects 284 more local licenses.
“The DTI-BPS understands that local PS Licensed companies are trying their best to cope and survive the economic brunt brought by the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.
The DTI has also adopted under its Philippine National Standards several environmental standards developed by the International Organization for Standardization.
“The benefits of having an Environmental Management System (EMS) in place is not limited to the environmental aspect but stretches to enhancing organizational processes and gaining good corporate reputation within the industry,” Mr. Catajay said. — J.P. Ibañez
