G/TBT/2/Add.11/Rev.1  
 
6 November 2017  
(17-6021) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original: English  
 
 
IMPLEMENTATION AND A DMINISTRATION OF THE  AGREEMENT  
ON TECHNICAL BARRIER S TO TRADE  
COMMUNICATION FROM THE PHILIPPINES  
Revision  
The following communication under Article 15.2 of the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade , 
dated 6 November  2017,  has been received from the delegation of  the Philippines .  
 
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Pursuant to Article 15.2 of the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade, the Government of the 
Philippines would like to inform the Committee of the measures taken to ensure th e 
implementation and administration of the Agreement as follows:  
1  DEVELOPMENT AND APPL ICATIONS OF TECHNICA L REGULATIONS AND CO NFORMITY 
ASSESSMENT PROCEDURE S  
1.1.  There are several agencies that are mandated to regulate specific products. Among these are 
the Foo d and Drug Administration (FDA) of the Department of Health (DOH) for processed food 
products, drugs, cosmetics, devices, toys and substances; the Department of Agriculture (DA) for 
agricultural products; and the Bureau of Philippine Standards (BPS) of the  Department of Trade 
and Industry (DTI) for some products not covered by the FDA and DA such as electrical and 
electronic products, building and construction materials, and consumer and chemical products.  
1.2.  Other product sectors such as radio equipment, radi o and telecommunication are regulated 
by the National Telecommunication Communication (NTC); energy efficiency and conservation by 
the Energy Utilization Management Bureau of the Department of Energy (DOE -EUMB); air pollution 
by the Environmental Managemen t Bureau of Department of Environment and Natural Resources 
(DENR–EMB), among others.  
2  STANDARDIZATION  
2.1.  Based on the Republic Act No. 7394 or the Consumer Act of the Philippines, the development 
and implementation of standards are being primarily performed by three (3) government 
agencies: Department of Health (drugs, cosmetics, devices, and substances); Department of 
Agriculture (agricultural products); and the Department of Trade and Industry (other products not 
covered by DOH and DA). There are also other  laws that provide mandates for agencies to develop 
standards such as the R.A. 10611 Food Safety Act of the Philippines; R.A. 3846 an act providing 
for the regulation of public and radio communication in the Philippines and for other purposes.  
2.2.  The DTI 's Bureau of Philippine Standards (BPS) as established by Republic Act No. 4109 and 
Executive Order No. 133 is the designated National Standards Body, and as such, acts as the 
national repository of promulgated Philippine National Standards (PNS).  
2.3.  The BPS as th e National Standards Body is a member to the International Organization for 
Standardization (ISO) and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). The BPS conforms to 
ISO and IEC processes in formulating, revising and promulgating the PNS. The BPS Dire ctives G/TBT/2/Add.11/Rev.1  
 
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  contain  the guidelines in preparing and finalizing the PNS through the Technical Committee Method 
and the Fast Track Method.  
3  TIME ALLOWED FOR COM MENTS  
3.1.  To ensure the Philippines ' implementation of obligations to the provision s of the WTO 
"Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade ", the DTI -Bureau of Philippine Standards (BPS) 
functions as the WTO National Enquiry Point and National Notification Authority.  
3.2.  As the WTO National Enquiry Point and National Notification Authority, the BPS pro vides 
informati on on other WTO M embers ' notifications through  email alerts and weekly TBT bulletin; 
notification of proposed regulations of government regulatory agencies; liaising on queries 
received on both domestic and foreign regulations to relevant agencies for appr opriate actions; 
facilitating requests for ful l text or summary of other WTO M embers ' proposed regulations; and 
responding to general queries relevant to standards and conformance as well as BPS regulations.  
3.3.  The Philippines  WTO TBT National Enquiry Point a nd National Notification Authority contact 
details are:  
Bureau of Philippine Standards  
3/F Trade and Industry Bldg.  
361 Sen. Gil J. Puyat Avenue  
Makati City 1200  
Philippines  
Telephone:  (+632) 751.4700  
Fax: (+632) 751.2371  
Email:  bps@dti.gov.ph  
3.4.  The Philippines endeavours to provide a 60 -day period for commenting on the notified 
technical regulations and procedures for conformity assessment. Yet, in certain cases, this period 
could be more than 60  days or less than the 60 -day period.  
3.5.  The BPS refers the comments on the notified regulations and conformity assessment 
procedures to the agency responsible of said draft technical regulation.  
4   RELEVANT LAWS/REGULA TIONS  
4.1.  The Consumer Act of the Philippines (RA 7394) mandates the Department of Agriculture 
(DA), Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to develop 
and implement quality and safety standards for consumer products, including performance or use -
oriented standards, c odes of practice and methods of tests. There are also other laws that 
provided mandates for agencies to develop standards such as the Food Safety Act of the 
Philippines (R.A. 10611); R.A. 3846 an act providing for the regulation of public and radio 
communi cation in the Philippines and for other purposes.  
4.2.  There are several agencies that are mandated to regulate specific products. Among these are 
the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the Department of Health (DOH) for processed food 
products, drugs, cosme tics, devices, toys and substances; the Department of Agriculture (DA) 
handled agricultural products; while the other consumer products not covered by the other two 
agencies are regulated by the Bureau of Philippine Standards of the Department of Trade and  
Industry.  
4.3.  Other product sectors such as radio equipment, radio and telecommunication are regulated 
by the National Telecommunication Communication (NTC); the Department of Energy is the lead 
agency in the initiative on energy efficiency and conservation t hrough the Energy Utilization 
Management Bureau (DOE -EUMB); regul ations on products that concern  air pollution are regulated 
by the Environmental Management Bureau of Department of Environment and Natural Resources 
(DENR–EMB), among others.  
4.4.  The Bureau of Philippine Standards (formerly known as Bureau of Product Standards) of the 
DTI (BPS), as established by RA 4109, is the recognized National Standards Body. As such it G/TBT/2/Add.11/Rev.1  
 
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  promulgates standards developed by standards setting bodies such as the Department of 
Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Health (DOH) as Philippine National Standards (PNS) and 
acts as the national repository . 
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