Buy only ICC-marked Christmas lights, Aklanons told

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Buy only ICC-marked Christmas lights, Aklanons told

by Venus G. Villanueva

KALIBO, Aklan, September 27 (PIA) -- To help ensure not only a merry but a safe Christmas, Aklanons should buy only Christmas lights with Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) stickers attached to the products, according to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) here.

DTI-Aklan Provincial Director Diosdado Cadena, Jr., revealed that this early, they already have a directive from their Central Office to monitor establishments in their respective areas selling Christmas lights.

"The DTI has come out already with a list of certified brands of Christmas lights and we are already conducting monitoring activities in the province if Christmas lights here sport the ICC mark," Cadena said.

The DTI Provincial Director said the list contains 22 brands manufactured in the years 2011, 2010 and 2009.

According to Cadena, Christmas lights should not be used beyond three years.

"This means that Christmas lights manufactured from year 2008 down are no longer safe and should not be sold anymore by establishments," Cadena said.

At the start of their monitoning this month in Kalibo, the DTI noted that two establishments have already started to sell Christmas lights and decors, and both were found selling certified Christmas lights.

All Christmas lights being sold in the country are imported, the DTI said.

In the past years, some of the fire incidents that occurred in the country were caused by substandard Christmas lights, resulting to loss of lives and millions of properties. (JCM/VGV PIA 6 Aklan)


Diosdado Cadena Jr.