. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/N/PHL/77 
9 February 2007 
 (07-0568) 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
The following notification is being circ ulated in accordance with Article 10.6. 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   PHILIPPINES
 
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):         
2. Agency responsible:   Bureau of Product Standards, Department of Trade and Industry 
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, e-mail and web-site 
addresses, if available) of  agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be  indicated if different from above:         
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [  X ], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [   ], 5.7.1 [   ], other:         
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading. 
ICS numbers may be provided in  addition, where applicable):   Ceramic wall and floor 
tiles (ICS:  91.100.25) 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Draft Philippine 
National Standard (DPNS) 154:2007 – Cera mic wall and floor tiles – Specification 
(37 pages, in English). 
6. Description of content:   This notification supersedes PNS 154:2005.  It specifies 
dimensions and tolerances, physical and chem ical characteristics, sampling, testing and 
marking requirements of ceramic wall and floor tiles and fittings.  It applies to both glazed and unglazed ceramic tiles and fittings generally  used for wall and floor coverings.   
This notification mandatorily requires that  upon approval of DPNS 154:2007, all 
manufacturers, distributors, importers and re tailers of ceramic wall and floor tiles shall 
comply with the requirements of said PNS and are required to secure a Philippine Standard 
(PS) License and/or an Import Commodity Clearance (ICC), respectively, prior to its 
distribution and sale in the Philippines.  Those found not complying with these requirements shall be penalized in accordance with the provision for liabilities and penalties under RA 
7394, EO 913 and DAO 02:2002. 
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where applicable:   It 
aims to be a national guide for the manufacture of ceramic tiles and to serve as a basis for 
fair competition among manufacturers, distributors, purchasers and users.    G/TBT/N/PHL/77 
Page 2  
 
   
8. Relevant documents:   In the revision of this standard, dimension tests under non-
destructive were based on ISO 10545-2:1995 and th e sampling plan and dimension test for 
destructive were based on ISO 10545-1:1995 .  ISO 13006:1998 was also considered. 
Other references were also considered as follows: 
PNS/ISO 10545-3:2005, Cor. 1:1997 – Ceramic ti les – Part 3: Determination of water 
absorption, apparent porosity, apparent  relative density and bulk density 
PNS/ISO 10545-4:2005, Ceramic tiles – Part 4: Determination of modul us of rupture and 
breaking strength 
PNS/ISO 10545-11:2005, Ceramic tiles – Part 11:  Determination of crazing resistance for 
glazed tiles 
PNS/ISO 10545-9:2005, Ceramic tiles – Part 9: Determination of resistance to thermal 
shock 
PNS/ISO 10545-7:2005, Ceramic tiles – Part 7:  Determination of resistance to surface 
abrasion for glazed tiles 
PNS/ISO 10545-6:2005, Ceramic tiles – Part 6:  Determination of resistance to deep 
abrasion for unglazed tiles 
PNS/ISO 10545-14:2005, Cor.1:1997, Ceramic tiles – Part 14: Determination of resistance 
to stains 
PNS/ASTM C 650:2005, Standard test method fo r resistance of ceramic tile to chemical 
substances 
9. Proposed date of adoption:   
Proposed date of entry into force:   }This shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in a newspaper of general 
circulation with the requisite copy submitted to 
the University of the Philippine Law Centre. 
10. Final date for comments:   7 April 2007 
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [  X ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers, e-mail and web-site addresses, if available of the other body:   
WTO/TBT Enquiry Point and Services 
Bureau of Product Standards Department of Trade and Industry 361 Sen. Gil J. Puyat Avenue 
Makati City, Metro Manila 
 Tel.: (+632) 751 4749  (+632) 751 3125    E-mail: bps@dti.gov.ph