NATL INST OF STAND & TECH

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PUBLICATIONS

IMBSIR 76-1083

Report to AID on a Philippines

Survey on Standardization and

Measurement Services

Edited by:

H. Steffen Peiser

Robert S. Marvin

Office of International Relations

National Bureau of Standards

Washington, D. C. 20234

Conducted

May 4 17, 1975

Issued June 1 976

The Survey was conducted as a part of the program under the

US/NBS/Agency for International Development PASA TA(CE) 5-71

\ epared for gency for International Development

* 7L'/b83 epartment of State

jCj^ Washington, D. C. 20523

NBSIR 76-1083

REPORT TO AID ON A PHILIPPINES

SURVEY ON STANDARDIZATION AND

MEASUREMENT SERVICES

Edited by:

H. Steffen Peiser

Robert S. Marvin

Office of International Relations

National Bureau of Standards

Washington, D. C. 20234

Conducted

May 4 - 17, 1975

Issued June 1 976

The Survey was conducted as a part of the program under the

US/NBS/Agency for International Development PASA TA(CE) 5-71

Prepared for Agency for International Development

Department of State

Washington, D. C. 20523

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, Elliot L. Richardson, Secretary

Dr. Betsy Ancfcer-Johrtsor At**st*nt Secretly for Science end Technology

NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS. Ernest Ambler. Acting Director

i
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Paee

PARTICIPANTS 1

I INTRODUCTION 4

II RECOMMENDATIONS - SUMMARIZED 6

III THE JOINT PROGRAM OF THE SURVEY TEAM 12

IV REPORT OF GROUP A, TECHNICAL STANDARDS COMMITTEE

MANAGEMENT, Group Leader; Dr. Kenneth S. Stephens,

School of Industrial & Systems Engineering and

Industrial Development Division, Engr. Exp. Station,

Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 29

V REPORT OF GROUP B, METRICATION

Group Leader; Mr. Jeffrey V. Odom, Chief,

Metric Information Office, National Bureau of

Standards • 46

VI REPORT OF GROUP C, BUILDING TECHNOLOGY:

PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT, Group Leader,

Mr. Noel J. Raufaste, Jr., Federal Building Program

Coordinator, Center for Building Technology, National

Bureau of Standards 55

VII REPORT OF GROUP D, TECHNICAL DATA HANDLING IN THE

PHILIPPINES, OBSERVATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS,

Group Leader; Mr. Joseph Hilsenrath, National Bureau

of Standards. Co-author of paper; Mr. Argeo C. Sales,

Industrial Engineer, Philippines Bureau of Standards,

Philippines 77

VIII REPORT OF GROUP E, TESTING FACILITIES,

Group Leader; Mr. Arnold Wexler, Chief, Humidity

Section, National Bureau of Standards S3

APPENDIX I, THE PHILIPPINE ECONOMY: 1973 - 1974 93

APPENDIX II, LIST OF AGENCIES ESTABLISHING STANDARDS

AND/OR ENFORCING STANDARDS 97

ii
APPENDIX III, LIST OF GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE AGENCIES

WITH MSTROLOGICAL LABORATORIES . . 100

APPENDIX IV, REPUBLIC ACT NO. 4109, AN ACT TO CONVERT THE

DIVISION OF STANDARDS UNDER THE BUREAU OF COMMERCE INTO A

BUREAU OF STANDARDS, TO PROVIDE FOR THE STANDARDIZATION

AND/ OR INSPECTION OF PRODUCTS AND IMPORTS OF THE

PHILIPPINES AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 102

APPENDIX V, PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 187, PRESCRIBING

THE USE OF THE METRIC SYSTEM OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES AS

THE STANDARD MEASUREMENT FOR ALL PRODUCTS, COMMODITIES,

MATERIALS, UTILITIES AND SERVICES AND IN ALL BUSINESS

AND LEGAL TRANSACTIONS 108

APPENDIX VI, A DECADE OF STANDARDIZATION AND A YEAR

OF METRICATION IN THE PHILIPPINES by Mr. Vidalito F. Ranoa,

Director, Philippines Bureau of Standards, Manila,

Philippines 112

iii

PARTICIPANTS

Group A Leader Dr. Kenneth S. Stephens

School of Industrial & Systems Engineering

Technical (Standards) and Industrial Development Division,

Committee Management En^r * ExP« Station

Georgia Institute of Technology

United States

Mr. Lauro M. Cruz

President

Philippine: Standards Association, Inc. (PHILSA)

Philippines

Mrs. Angeles J. Mortera

Chief, Technical Division

Philippines Bureau of Standards

Philippines

Atty. Remedios E. Racela

Project Director (NSDB)

Philippine Standards Association, Inc. (PHILSA)

Philippines

Mrs. Celia R. Sia

Chemical Engineer

Philippines Bureau of Standards

Philippines

Group B Leader: Mr. Jeffrey V. Odom, Chief

Metric Information Office

Metrication National Bureau of Standards

United States

Dr. A. B. Rao

Deputy Director

Indian Standards Institution

India

Dr. Ibara Cruz

Director, Graduate Division

College of Engineering

University of Philippines

Philippines

Mrs. Virginia Paraiso

Coordinator, Metric System Board Secretariat

Philippines Bureau of Standards

Philippines

1
Mr. Vicente Coloso

Consultant and Metrication Programming Director

Department of Trade

Metric System Board

Philippines

Noel J. Raufaste, Jr.

Federal Building Program Coordinator

Center for Building Technology

National Bureau of Standards

United States

Dr. Jamilur R. Choudhury

Associate Professor of Civil Engineering

Bangladesh University of Engineering

and Technology

Bangladesh

Mr. Delfin P. Alesna, Jr.

Civil Engineer

Philippines Bureau of Standards

Philippines

Mr. Roger Balinong

Building Research Service

University of the Philippines

Philippines

Group C Leader:

Building

Technology

Group D Leader:

Technical

Information

Handling

Mr. Joseph Hilsenrath

Data Systems Design

Office of Standard Reference Data

National Bureau of Standards

United States

Mr. Jose E. Evangelista

Consultant

National Economic and Development Authority

Philippines

Mr. H. Steffen Peiser

Chief

Office of International Relations

National Bureau of Standards

United States

Mr. Ignacio Salcedo

Director

Chemical Industries Department

Board of Investments

Philippines

2
Mr. Argeo C. Sales

Industrial Engineer

Philippines Bureau of Standards

Philippines

Mr. Arnold Wexler

Chief, Humidity Section

National Bureau of Standards

United States

Mr. Napoleon F. Manalo

Science Research Associate IV

Tests and Standards Division

National Institute of Science and Technology

Philippines

Mr. Rodrigo S. de Costo

Master Sergeant, Philippine Air Force

Philippines

Mrs. Elsie L. Griarte

Chief Chemist

Philippines Bureau of Standards

Philippines

Group E Leader:

Testing

Facilities

3
PHILIPPINES SURVEY ON STANDARDIZATION AND MEASUREMENT SERVICfS

May 4-17, 1975

I. INTRODUCTION

A survey of standardization and measurement services in the

Philippines was part of a continuing program of the U. S. National

Bureau of Standards (NBS) sponsored by the Office of Science and

Technology of the Agency for International Development (AID) on "utilization of the industrial technology capability of the National

Bureau of Standards". The purpose of the Philippine Survey was to

contact standardization and metrological experts and determine the

facilities in the country to assess and discuss their role in support

of industrial development and other progress directed towards the

fulfillment of national goals.

The Survey was under the direction of Mr. Vidalito F. Ranoa, Director

of the Philippines Bureau of Standards (PBS) and followed the general

pattern and aims described in the reports of similar surveys conducted

in Ecuador [1], Korea [2], and Turkey [3]. There were five NBS staff

members in the Philippine Survey, one U.S. professor and three thirdcountry participants complemented by Philippine specialists. A novel

feature was the division of the Survey Team after the initial two days

of joint programs into five expert groups with separate programs.

Group A with Professor Kenneth S. Stephens as U.S. /NBS member on Technical Standards Committee Management;

Group B with Jeffrey Odom as NBS member on Metrication;

Group C with Noel Raufaste as NBS member on Building Technology;

Group D with Joseph Hllsenrath as NBS member on Technical

Information Handling; and

Group E with Arnold Wexler as NBS member on Testing Facilities.

H. Steffen Peiser acted as leader of the foreign survey participants

and in various organizational matters. The planning and execution of

the Survey was almost entirely in the hands of Director Ranoa and his

staff. It is their achievement that the complex program was carried

out efficiently, smoothly and in a spirit of close friendship between

all the team members. PBS served as overall host for the survey team.

Key members of the office staff accompanied the survey team, affording

4
a continuous dialogue. Several visits were made to the offices of PBS

including a number of provincial offices. Furthermore, the position

of PBS in the national program of standardization singles it out for

emphasis in this study.

The Survey Team read and discussed general literature about the

Philippine history, culture and the economy, which was well summarized

for the two preceding years in a governmental report reproduced in

Appendix I. In the Philippines, as in the U.S.A., there exists a great diversity of independent active organizations often with

overlapping interests and functions. Appendix II gives a list of

agencies establishing or enforcing engineering, product or safety

standards. In Appendix III a list of agencies with metrological

laboratories is assembled. This list should not be held to be all

inclusive.

There can be no doubt that the Survey had a unique opportunity to serve the Philippine organizations concerned with industrial

development by creating a wider awareness of technical opportunities

and of scientific and technological expertise available in the

Philippines and by offering recognition of achievements as well as constructive suggestions for solutions of problems. These are the

results of the Survey.

The problems noted here are recorded with full recognition of the fact

that most exist to a greater or lesser extent in most countries, and

that many remain unsolved even in highly developed countries.

However, an explicit recognition of existing problems should enable

those concerned to assess the actions and facilities required to

resolve them, to evaluate the costs of such solutions in terms of the

magnitude of the individual problems and to plan a feasible and

realistic plan of action. The assistance of experts from many

countries can be requested through agencies of the United Nations and

the International Organization for Standardization.

*See RaiToa, V.F., Testing and Certification of Philippine Export

Products, in National Bureau of Standards (U.S.) Spec. Publ. 438,

"Testing and Certification for Export Products in Industrializing

Countries", 168 pp. (Feb. 1976)

5
II RECOMMENDATIONS - SUMMARIZED

The following is a numbered listing of recommendations in summary form

based on the discussion in the remainder of the report. This is not a summary of the complete report, since certain problems and possibilities

for alternative actions are difficult to summarize and are best presented

in context with the related discussion. A review of earlier recommendations is presented in reports by David Desmond and A. B. Rao (and Lai

Verman is referenced in Rao's report), UN advisors to PBS. These reports

are referenced at the end of Section 1 of Part III.

SUMMARY RECOMMENDATIONS FROM GROUP A ON TECHNICAL STANDARDS COMMITTEE

MANAGEMENT

1. A major review of standardization needs and procedures in

the Philippines should be undertaken by a working committee

with representation from the key agencies involved. This should

be completed within a relatively short period - preferably not

more than six months. Topics to be studied should include:

a) rationalization* of standardization and certification

b) organization and operation of technical committees to

reach a consensus

c) a resolution of the question of mandatory vs. voluntary

implementation, and actions needed to make the method

chosen an effective means of harmonizing industry, trade,

and economic development

d) provision of a consultative service to industry

e) establishment and/or rationalization of laboratory services

f) agreement on fundamental subjects for standardization and

rationalization between agencies

g) reorganization of weights and measures and legal

metrology work

h) adequate handling of export and import inspection

i) safety and environmental control

*Rationalization in this report will be understood to have the following

meaning, consistent with that believed to be current in standards circles

in the Philippines. A set of systems, types, methods, processes, standards, codes, sizes, organizations, etc., is said to be "rationalized"

when each member of the set is justified in terms of specific practical

objectives and the set outlines the minimum number adequate to achieve

these objectives.
j) an equitable fee structure to promote the economics of

s tandard izat ion

k) designation of the organizations responsible for carrying

out recommendations 2 through 6 below.

2. Undertake a public and industry-wide campaign to promote

understanding and knowledge of standardization, certification

and quality consciousness.

3. Design an improved format for published pBS standards. Make

proper use of the metric system in layout and presentation as well as in technical specifications. Subject all final drafts

to both technical and copy editing prior to publication.

A. Accelerate the issuance of standards for Quality Hark

Certification purposes by adopting international, foreign,

national, and/or company standards with appropriate designations.

5. Expand standards library and technical information services

to industries and other technical and scientific organizations.

6. Develop a training program for industrial personnel in quality

control techniques and principles, measurement and calibration

procedures, etc. Provide training for standardization staff

personnel locally and abroad through programs such as those

of Sweden, U.S.A., U.S.S.R., etc.

SUMMARY RECOMMENDATIONS FROM GROUP B; METRICATION

1. The Philippine Government should assess the priority to be

given to the changeover. In order to be successful, the

program should be supported and financed on a significant

scale.

2. The Government should establish a full time office to coordinate

and direct activities with regard to metric conversion, the

functions of which would be to:

a. Educate the general public as to the reasons for the

change to metric;

b. Serve as a point of contact for industry and

government agencies concerning proper metric usage and

common sense methods of converting to metric;

c. Encourage and coordinate activities among the various

government departments.

7
3. The aid of the private sector should be enlisted to aid in publicizing

the changeover to metric. This could include distributing

information brochures to the general public and providing

additional assistance to employees and their families by

firms particularly involved in the changeover.

4. The Metric System Board should take every opportunity to share

in the experiences of the Australian Metric Conversion Board.

This Board is directing probably the most successful of the

current metrication efforts.

5. Enlistment of the services of an expert on metrication programming and implementation should be considered.

SUMMARY RECOMMENDATIONS FROM GROUP C : BUILDING TECHNOLOGY

Sixteen recommendations classified in five groups are presented below.

They are presented as an aid to help PBS shed its current lack of an

image, characterized by people asking such questions as "Who are they and

what do they do?", and to help PBS become more responsive to the building

needs of the Philippines. Several of the recommendations could be

implemented immediately while others would require coordination between

PBS, other government agencies, private organizations and the

professional building community.

Institution Building

1. A dialogue should be maintained between the Philippines Bureau of

Standards, the National Bureau of Standards and the Agency for

International Development to provide survey feedback to all

parties for coordinating local responses to project reports and

recommendations, for assessing the impact of the survey on Philippine

building technology and for identifying additional local technical

needs

.

2. Communication about building technology between Philippine

Government agencies, professional societies and the private sector

should be improved. One of the means of achieving this would be

by holding periodic workshops and conferences on different subjects.

Application of Codes and Standards

3. Codes and standards should be upgraded by inclusion of provisions

for more comprehensive fire safety regulations, wind and seismic

forces and other live loading. This will lead to an improvement

in the quality and safety of buildings and would minimize the loss

of life and property due to natural calamities and fires.

8
4. The enforcement of codes and standards should be improved and harmonization with the National Building Code should be favored with a minimum of local departures. Zoning practices should be more widely

adopted.

5. A wider dissemination of building standards and specifications to

the professional community, government agencies and private industry

is needed.

Laboratory Services

6. An accepted uniform laboratory accreditation program should be

developed for use by all government and private organizations.

This will lead to a better adherence to test methods and

enforcement of standards*

7. There is a need for developing standard methods of testing for

indigenous products such as bamboo, coconut, lumber, aggregates,

cement, sand, etc.

8. In order to ensure better quality control of building products,

the facilities at testing laboratories should be expanded.

9. Facilities for full-scale testing of building components should

be available at one laboratory facility.

10. Sampling methods - particularly of concrete - should be better

enforced at the construction site.

Education

11. An accreditation system for engineering schools should be

introduced. This will ultimately lead to more uniformity in the

quality of graduates.

12. Undergraduates should receive more exposure to current building

practices and building technology; this should lead to an improvement in building practices.

13. An intermediate level of education (para-professional) should be

provided to produce specialists to perform certain functions like

inspection and supervision of construction and testing of materials.

Releasing the engineers, who currently perform the above jobs, for

more vital ones, will lead to better utilization of engineering

manpower.

9
Research

14. Collaboration between PBS and government, manufacturers, and the

building community toward establishing a national buildir r arch

program would be beneficial to all parties concerned with imrrovijng

buildings. For this to occur, some form of government subsidy would

be needed to finance the high cost of research.

15. Research efforts should be directed towards developing a safe

low-cost shelter for transients, displaced families and the

poor. This will necessarily mean a further use of local

natural resources.

16. A research program to develop and standardize simple pref abrication

systems for use in various building types should be undertaken.

Such a system could offer a saving in material costs as well as in

future maintenance costs. It should also lead to a better enforcement

of codes and standards.

SUMMARY RECOMMENDATIONS FROM GROUP D : TECHNICAL

INFORMATION HANDLING

1. Endorsement of recommendation 6 of Group A above.

2. Establishment of an adequately funded project

at the University of the Philippines - to be

operated jointly by the main library and the computer

center - to operate a computer-based national Selective

Dissemination System (SDI) service.

3. Relative to the burden of maintaining an up-to-date

library of current foreign standards, we recommend

that serious consideration must be given to the acquisition

of one of the commercially available comprehensive

microform collections of industrial and governmental

standards

SUMMARY RECOMMENDATIONS FROM GROUP E; TESTING FACILITIES

1. The information on available test facilities and technical

training courses should be publicized, and expanded to

include industrial services.

2. Use of selected modern electronic equipment should be

demonstrated to industry.

3. Advice should be sought from government agencies, universities,

and technical associations on modern control techniques for

10
pollution, food contaminants, and other environmental studies

requiring advanced sensitive analytical techniques.

Critical examination of requests for foreign currency

for scientific and technological instrumentation and

supplies should not prevent rapid decision on the

requests.

Nationally recognized physical standards in support of

science, technology, and commerce should be appropriately

maintained

.

11
III. THE JOINT PROGRAM OF THE SURVEY TEAM

On May A the Survey members were guests of Professor Luz Salon^a.

President of the Association of Women Chemical Engineers of the

Philippines for an excursion to Pagsanjan Falls and Lake Caliraya

For the next two days the teams made the following joint visits:

May 5, 1975 Philippines Bureau of Standards (PBS)

Department of Trade and Secretary of Trade,

Hon. Troadio T. Quiazon, Jr.

National Science Development Board (NSDB)

Philippine Textile Research Institute (PTRI)

Metals Industry Research and Development

Center (MIRDC)

Test and Standard Laboratory (TSL)

May 6, 1975 Philippine Chamber of Industries (PCI)

Mariwasa Mfg. Corp.

Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (CCP)

These joint activities enabled the participants to become acquainted,

and to familiarize themselves with the overall goals of the Survey and

with the principal Philippine organizations concerned with

standardization and metrology.

Peiser also visited the USAID Mission and U.S. Embassy for general

information and to reiterate the welcome to the Survey's program

extended by the Director. However, during those historic days U.S.

officials stationed in Manila were preoccupied with the emergency

situation in Viet Nam and could only express their support for the

Survey

.

1. Visit to The Philippines Bureau of Standards (PBS)

Although this description of PBS is written from the viewpoint and by

the members of Group A of the Survey it is of cardinal interest also

to the other groups which all visited PBS on May 5. The report of the

visit together with that of subsequent visits is therefore presented

in the section on the joint programs of the Survey Team.

PBS was established in 196A by Republic Act A109 and assigned the

responsibility for issuing mandatory commodity and product standards

for both export trade and domestic use. A Copy of RA A109 is given in

Appendix IV for reference. In addition, a paper on the first ten

years of PBS by Vidalito Ranoa, Director, is given in Appendix VI.

12
A summary of statistics by year from 1965 to 1975 on number of employees,

standards, technical committees and quality certifications is given in

Table 1 as obtained from PBS. This summarizes progress to date and

clearly indicates that a foundation has been laid for the continued

growth of standardization. A Bureau of Standards Catalogue of June 30,

1972 with supplement from July 1, 1972 to January 3, 1975 is available.

This lists the standards by number and subject groupings together with

an alphabetical index of commodities. A list of "Companies Issued PTS

Certification Mark License" (as of December 1, 1974) is available from

the Certification Mark and Quality Control Section. By product groupings,

this lists the names of company, plant site, license number and date of

license expiration. A summary by product groupings is given in Table 2.

As discussed, these data indicate the beginning of a program of national

standardization and certification. Examination of the data in Table 1

reveals setbacks in growth of staffing of PBS (dropping to almost the

1970 level in 1973 and 1974). Corresponding setbacks are seen in the

number of standards issued, technical committees organized, and certification licenses issued.

13
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Table 2

Summary by Products of PTS Certification Mark Licenses

Product No. of Licenses

Bananas 14

Canned Pineapple 2

Canned Pineapple juice 2

Cotton Yarn 1

Fertilizer 4*

Fish 2 Fresh Pineapple 1

Galvanized Iron Sheets 3

Glazed Tiles and Glazed Fittings 2

Laundry Soap 2

Lead-Acid Storage Battery 12

Multi-Wall Kraft Paper Bag 2

Petroleum Products 20**

Plywood 13

Portland Cement 17

Sewing Thread 3

Shrimps 2

Veneer 22

Vitreous China and Sanitary Wares 1

125

*0ne company on four products

**Four companies on five products each.

15
Steady and accelerated progress in all of these categories will need

to be realized for standardization and quality certification

(implementation of standards) to keep pace with national industrial

and economic growth. For comparisons, Table 3 presents growth ov- a similar period for three major economic categories, viz. agrir It

crops, fish production, and manufacturing, all of which require

standardization, export inspection and certification activities.

Table 3

Summary of Growth in Value of Three Major Economic Categories

(Figures in million pesos - - 97 » $1. U.S.)

Value of Crop Value of Fish Value of Gros

Production Production Manuf actur ing

Output

1964 3146.1 785.0 6708.4

1965 3278.4 806.5 7423.4

1966 3644.8 826.0 7467.0

1967 4216.8 963.1 8205.9

1968 5155.2 1361.9 11281.4

1969 5728.0 1457.4 11991.7

1970 8099.9 1725.3 15847.0

1971 9143.9 2613.4 19521.7

1972 10305.1 2827.5

1973 10742.7

Data from NEDA Statistical Yearbook of the Philippines, 1975.

The overwhelming task in national standardization, export inspection,

and implementation of standards via quality certification, etc., is

further evidenced in the data of Tables 4 and 5. Table 4 presents

growth in exports by total and by several categories important to

standardization activities. Table 5 outlines the large number of

product areas included in the Sixth Export Priorities Plan of the

Philippines,

16
Table 4

Philippines Exports by Major Commodity Groups and Total

in $ Million FOB Value

Agriculture Mineral Forest Manufacturing

Products * Products Products** Products Re Exports Total

1964 481 65 178 16 2 742

1965 474 83 195 14 2 768

1966 454 116 240 17 1 828

1967 409 116 249 26 21 821

1968 438 129 262 28 1 858

1969 374 173 259 46 3 855

1970 471 241 295 51 4 1062

1971 545 240 264 79 8 1136

1972 532 231 235 104 4 1106

1973 775 350 444 315 2 1886

*Includes coconut products, sugar and sugar products, fruits and vegetables,

abaca and products, tobacco products

**Includes chemicals, textiles, and miscellaneous manufactures.

(Reflects more than a 200% increase from 1972 to 1973) Data from NEDA

Statistical Yearbook of the Philippines, 1975.

Table 5 Summary of Sixth Export Priorities Plan , 1975

Category List A List B

Food Products 36 8

Wood Products 16 7 Paper Products 7 Fiber Products 5

Processed Rubber Products 16 1

Chemicals & Chemical Products 30 14

Pharmaceutical Products 5

Textile Products 11 6

Non-Metallic Products 15 6

Metallic Products 33 12

Machinery and Equipment

and Parts 12

Electrical Machinery, Equipment

and Parts 17 4

Other Products 23 3

Totals 226 61

Numbers shown are the number of product types listed under each category

in the Sixth Export Priorities Plan 1975, prepared by the Board of

Investments of the Philippines *

List A: Exportable Products of Existing Firms

List B: Exportable Products of Preferred Areas of Investment?

17
It should be noted that the numbers listed in Table 5 often represent

broad types of products under the indicated category - requiring

multiple standards for each product type. To keep up with exports

alone will require an accelerated effort in standardization. Bat

national standards must also serve the domestic area as well. The

present combined efforts of the various existing standards bodies is

Inadequate to meet the needs of the Philippines.

An organization chart of the Philippines Bureau of Standards ie

presented in Figure 1. Organizationally PBS consists of the four

divisions indicated, viz. Administrative, Technical, Inspection and

Certification, and Field Operations. As shown in Table 1, PBS now has

a staff of 113. For its assigned task including standards

developments for commodities and products, export inspection of

standardized as well as unstandardized commodities and products,

implementation of standards via a national quality marks certification

program, etc., this staffing is probably inadequate. Exactly what

level of staffing would be required to fulfill these tasks adequately

is a question requiring considerable study and planning - best

preceded by establishing policies regarding (1) functions which should

be carried out by PBS, (2) whether mandatory standardization is in the

best interests of industrial and economic growth of the Philippines,

and (3) other principles of standardization, metrology, certification,

etc. These matters will be dealt with somewhat later. However, with

respect to the staffing question, a number of internal studies have

been carried out. Under the same type of organization, the numbers

shown next to each organizational entity in Figure 1 are projected

staffing requirements. This proposal represents a projection of 321

staff or a 184% increase. In view of the task it may be reasonable.

A separate study of the technical division only with respect to a proposed reorganization and associated staffing is shown in Figure 2.

This projects staffing requirements for this division only at a total

of 94 or an increase of 34 above the proposed staffing of Figure 1.

An issue parallel to staffing is that of the qualification of staff

members and associated salary scales. There appear to be a number of areas where staff with better qualifications is needed. PBS should be

given serious consideration for exemption under the Wage Position

Classification Office (WAPCO) to enable the recruitment of personnel

with higher qualifications comparable to the industrial personnel with

whom they must work. Short of this, other incentives to attract more

highly qualified staff should be found or created.

In addition to RA 4109 and the paper on PBS in appendices IV and VI

respectively, as well as the BS Catalogue and list of certification

licenses issued, the following rules and regulations and reports are available on the operations of PBS, particularly as they pertain to

the main interests of Group A.

18
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19
PHILIPPINES BUREAU OF STANDARDS

PROPOSED ORGANIZATION CHART OF THE TECHNICAL DIVISION

1 - CHIEF, STANDARDS ENGINEER

1 - Secretary

1 - Senior Standards Editor

1 - Standards Editor

1 - Senior Stenographer

1 - Cop/ Reader

1 - Clerk I

AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD STAND- ARDS SECTION

1 - SuDVg.Stds. Engr. (A.E.)

1 - Sr. Stds. Tech. (Agric.)

2 - Stds. Engineer (A.E.)

2 - Stds. Tech. (An. Husb.)

2 - Stds. Tech. (Agronomy)

1 - Stds. Tech. (Forestry)

2 - Stds. Tech. (Fishery)

2 - Stds. Tech. (Dairying)

1 - Stds. Tech. (Food Tech.)

1 - Stenographer

2 - Clerk II

h - Clerk I 2 - Messenger

1 - Stds. Draftsman/Illustr.

CHEMICAL AND TEXTILE STANDARDS SECTION

1 - Supvg. Stds. Engr. (Che.E.)

2 - Sr. Stds. Engr. (Ch.E.)

1 - Sr. Stds Engr. (T.E.

)

2 - Stds. Engineer (T.E.)

I - Stds. Engr. (Ceramics Engr.)

It - Stds. Engineer (Ch. E.

)

12 - Clerk II

jll - Clerk I

II - Stenographer

|l - Stds. Draftsman/Illustrater

'2 - Messenger

CONSUMER PRODUCTS STANDARDS

SECTION

1 - Supvg. Stds. Engineer

2 - Sr. Stds. Tech. (Food Tech)

1 - Stds. Tech. (Chem)

1 - Stds. Tech. (Phar.

)

1 - Stds. Tech. (Optometrist)

1 - Stds. Tech. (Dentistry)

1 - Stds. Tech. (Vocational)

1 - Stds. Tech. (Food Tech.)

2 - Clerk II

2 - Clerk I

1 - Stenographer

1 - Stds. Draftsman/Illustr.

2 - Messenger

CIVIL, STRUCTURAL AND METALS

STANDARDS SECTION

1 - Supvg. Stds. Engr. (Civil)

1 - Sr. Stds. Engr. (Civil)

1 - Sr. Stds. Engr. (Metal- lurgical ) 2 - Stds. Engr. (Civil)

2 - Stds. Engr. (Metallurgical)

1 - Stenographer

1 - Senior Clerk

2 - Clerk

1 - Stds. Draftsman/Illustrator

2 - Messenger

ELECTROTECHN I CAL STANDARDS

SECTION

1 - Supvg. Stds. Engr. (E.E.)

1 - Sr. Stds. Engr. (E.E.

)

1 - Sr. Stds. Engr. (Elec- tronics Engr.)

2 - Stds Engr. (E.E.

)

2 - Stds. Engr. (Electronics

Engr.

)

1 - Stenographer

1 - Clerk II

2 - Clerk I 1 - Stds. Draftsman/Illustrator

MECHANICAL STANDARDS SECTION

1 - Supvg. Stds. Engr. (M.E.)

2 - Sr. Stds. Engr. (M.E.)

2 - Stds. Engr. (M.E.)

1 - Stenographer

1 - Clerk II 1 - Clerk I

1 - Stds. Draftsman/Illustrator

2 - Messenger

METROLOGY SECTION

1 - Supvg. Stds. Engineer

1 - Sr. Stds. Engineer

6 - Metrologists

2 - Clerk II

U - Clerk I 1 - Stenographer

1 - Stds. Draftsman/Illustrator

2 - Messenger

LIBRARY UNIT

1 - SR. LIBRARIAN

1 - Librarian

2 - Library Aiie

2 - Clerk I 1 - Laborer

'1

II{

12

'2

12

|1

STANDARDS RESEARCH AND

J)EVEL0PMENT_SECTI0I1 * _

Supvg. Stds. Engineer

Sr. Stds. Engineer

Sr. Stds. Statistician

Stds. Statistician

Stds. Engineer

Standards Researcher

Statistical Aide Clerk II Clerk I Stds. Draftsman/Illustrator

'1

lit A

12

I

I

STANDARDS LABORATORY _ _ _SERVICES*_ _ Supvg. Stds. Engr. (Ch.E.)"

Sr. Stds. Analyst (Chem)

Stds. Analyst (Chem) Stds. Technician (Voc.) Stds. Laboratory Aide Laborer Messenger

* To be elevated to a Division.

( A GRAND TOTAL OF VjU )

)

Figure 2

20
SAO 1, Series of 1964

SAO 1.1, Series of 1966

SAO 8, Series of 1965

SAO 20, Series of 1968

SAO 71, Series of 1970

SAO 100, Series of 1970

SAO 146, Series of 1972

Rules and Regulations on the

Standardization and Inspection

of Standardized Commodities and

for Other Purposes.

Amendment to SAO 1

Rules and Regulations on the

Inspection and Standards and Release of

Commodities Imported in the Philippines

and for Other Purposes.

Rules and Regulations Providing for the

Marking of Goods Standardized by the

Bureau of Standards and for Other

Purposes

.

Rules and Regulations on the Rate of

Fees to be Collected and for Other

Purposes

.

Numbering of Commerce Administrative

Orders Converted into Standards

Administrative Orders.

Rules and Regulations in the Issuance

of Commodity Clearances.

Working Procedure in Preparing Standard

PHI/ISE 1-3, August 19, 1973 Bureau of Standards Appointment and

Functions of Technical Committees

.

PHI-71-813, December, 1972 Proposal for New Policy at Bureau of

Standards by David J. Desmond.

IS/PHI/71/816, February, 1975 Project Findings and Recommendations

by A. B. Rao.

Additional observations on standardlzaton in the Philippines are contained in the report of Group A.

2 . Courtesy Call on the Secretary of Trade - Honorable Troadio T. Ouiazon, Jr»

The entire team was presented to the Secretary of Trade, the Honorabl

Troadio T. Ouiazon, Jr., said to be one of the most senior cabinet

21
members and advisors to President Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines.

Despite obvious pressures of important and urgent affairs of state,

Secretary Ouiazon listened and responded to briefings about the Survey

by PBS Director Ranoa and Steffen Peiser. The Secretary showed

genuine interest, concern and encouragement. He expressed the

strongest friendship for the U.S.A. despite current Philippine

insistence on an independent stance which should not mislead the team

members into believing there was any change of sentiment by the

Philippine people toward the American people. The Secretary

surprisingly picked out as of special significance the stated

condition of governmental stability in a country for an NBS/AID Survey

of Standardization and Measurement Services. He requested Peiser to

extend to the U.S. Government the appreciation of his Government tha*- by the fact of this Survey the U.S.A. had thus recognized the present

Government of the Philippines.

The Secretary arranged an elegant luncheon for the entire Survey Team,

although at the last minute the Under Secretary of Trade, the

Honorable Mario R. Reyes, had to preside at this function. The Under

Secretary is also Administrator of the National Cottage Industry

Development Authority (NACIDA).

3. Visit to the National Science Development Board (NSDB)

The NBS/AID Survey Team was received by the Vice Chairman of the

National Science Development Board, Mr. Pedro G. Afable, which has

direct control of major governmental laboratories including:

- the National Institute for Science and Technology (NIST)

- the Philippine Textile Research Institute (PTRI)

- the Test and Standard Laboratory

- the Metals Industry Research and Development

Center (MIRDC).

Present at the meeting were Mr. Ricardo C. Cruz, Director of PTRI and

Mr. Jose Planas in charge of metrology at NIST.

At this meeting a number of key Issues were first debated by the

Survey Team. These issues included:

1. ) The move of NIST to the impressive NSDB site some distance from Manila.

2. ) The air-conditioning of the new NIST building to house

the primary national standards with other equipment mostly

given by the United Nations.

22
3. ) The intent for NIST to emphasize research rather than

principally their test functions for which PBS itself

has no laboratory facilities.

4. ) The publication of standards by organizations other than

PBS (see appendix II) . PTRI is a good example of an organization which develops worthwhile standards, Yet

they tend to be kept away from PBS adoption because

such adoption would entail their becoming law with added

inspection costs to manufacturers.

5. ) The repair, maintenance and calibration of instruments.

Various units of NSDB have started good programs to

assist industry, universities and test laboratories

with those problems. More such services are needed.

6. ) The training of technical personnel in specialized

fields related to their employment in industrial units

too small to organize such training courses. In this

field, too, a good start has been made by NSDB.

A laboratory visit followed. MIRDC, for example, is well equipped to serve in industrial problem solving. PTRI, too, has good facilities

which can be built up further. The chemical and mechanical

laboratories are especially well equipped. The new NIST laboratory Is

a shell that is architecturally impressive. The laboratory is moving

from downtown Manila, thus creating some commuting problems for staff.

NIST undertakes agricultural, biological, nutritional and medical

research.

Visit to Philippine Textile Research Institute (PTRI)

The Philippine Textile Research Institute (PTRI) is a joint project of

the Government and the private sector to promote the development of

the textile industry in the country. It is presently housed in a modern 3-story building located within the 35.6 hectare Philippine

Science Community Site in Bicutan, Taguig, Rizal, some 15 kilometers

from Manila.

Republic Act 4086, passed by the Congress on June 18, 1964 provided

the legal basis and source of funds for the establishment of the

Philippines Textile Research Institute. This Act created a special

textile research fund which was derived from one percent of the gross

sales of textile manufacturers who registered for tax exemptions from

1964 - 1970.

In 1967 the National Science Development Board (NSDB) established the

PTRI to implement the objectives stipulated in Republic Act 4086,

23
namely: to undertake researches and studies that would contribute to

the local production of raw materials, improvement and/or invention of

textile machinery, processes and production methods needed by the

textile industry.

In 1974 the PTRI became a regular agency of the NSDB by virtue of

Presidential Decree No. 1, implementing the Integrated Reorganization

Plan of the Executive Branch of the Philippine Government.

The PTRI is now operating under the general supervision of the National

Science Development Board, as one of its eight regular agencies. It has

five divisions operating under a Textile Research Director. Policies are formulated by an Advisory Committee composed of seven members, four representing private millers upon recommendations of the Textile Mills Association of the Philippines, one member each representing DANR and NSDB, and one member at large.

Pilot Plant and Laboratory Facilities

Aside from the 3-story main building the Institute has a pilot plant,

a single-story building with more than 2000 square meters of floor

space housing PTRI's modern equipment for textile processing

operations, from spinning to finishing.

Physical and Chemical Testing

The PTRI has a well-equipped laboratory to service the needs of

textile mills and allied companies, as well as consumer groups by

undertaking physical and chemical tests of fibers, laps, slivers,

rovings, yarns, fabrics, chemicals and dyestuffs.

Mrs. Maternidad Palmares served as our guide for a tour of the test

facilities, assisted by M. S. Palmain. There was some indication at

the time of the Survey that the facilities may be under-utilized.

Standardization

Since 1971, the PTRI has been undertaking a standardization program

aimed at formulating standards for locally produced textiles. This

program is implemented through working committees created and

organized under the direct supervision of the PTRI Standards Council

in accordance with the priority needs of the country.

To date, at the time of the Survey, PTRI had prepared and published 68

standards, some 60 on test methods, sampling, definition of terms,

etc. f and some 8 performance standards. A list of these standards by

number and title is available. The standards are published in yellow

24
to orange colored booklets approximately 6 1/4 by 9 1/4 inches

(approx. 159 by 234 mm) and make a nice presentation* The standards

list the membership of the technical committee and their affiliation.

Included in the foreword of the standards are references to resource

materials used in preparing the standards. Frequent references are made to ASTM, ISO, BSI, ISI, etc. PTRI indicated some difficulty in

the implementation of their standards, not being in the main stream of

standards promotion. They definitely feel that their constituents

desire to keep the standards voluntary. For this reason they are reluctant to have the standards promulgated by the Philippines Bureau

of Standards - all of whose standards become compulsory by law. This

further retards the implementation of their standards.

Technical Manpower Training

The Institute sponsors training programs, intended to develop skilled

laborers for the industry in order to produce substantial replacements

to fill the gap created by heavy labor turnover.

Seminars and Workshops

As the center for textile research and development, the PTRI sponsors

and promotes scientific meetings, seminars, symposia and workshops for

textile and allied technologists and researchers. This activity is

designed to promote professional growth, coordination of research

activities and wide dissemination of scientific and technical

information among textile technologists and researchers.

Advisory and Consultation Services

The Institute, in its desire to assist industry in solving their

processing and production problems, has availed itself of the services

of foreign experts made available to the Institute by international

bodies like UNIDO and IESC, and some foreign governments through their

Technical Assistance Program.

Research and Development Projects

The PTRI is undertaking R&D projects aimed principally at utilizing

available local raw materials for textile production. For this

purpose the Institute's chemists and textile engineers, using the

latest research instrumentation and equipment, undertake researches on

cotton, ramie, pina, and silk.

The PTRI also sponsors research and development projects through its

extramural program. Under this program, interested government and

private agencies and other organizations can submit project proposals

to PTRI and undertake actual implementation of said projects.

25
Noteworthy among R&D Projects of PTRI are:

1. Cotton Project in Nueva Ecija.

2. Sericulture Project in Baguio City.

3. Development of better handlooms for weaving in Miagao, Iloilo.

A. Ramie Project in Cotabato.

5. Improvement of pina fiber weaving techniques in Kalibo, Aklan.

6. Mechanical pina fiber production in PTRI.

5. Visit to the Philippine Chamber of Industries (PCI)

At the Philippine Chamber of Industries (PCI) , the Survey Team was received by Mr. Raul A. Boncan, President of PCI, and Managing

Director of Philippine Standard Co., Mr. Julio B. Francia, Jr., Vice

President of AM-Parts, a diversified manufacturing group, and Past

President of PCI, Estefanio M. Gacad, Marsteel Corporation, P. S.

Guevara, 1st Vice-President of PCI, B. M. Lopez, Galzaxie Steel and J.

Lumban.

The Chamber is a private organization "consolidating and mobilizing

the resources, talents, and capabilities of the private industrial

sector to promote economic development and to assist the Government in

the formulation and implementation of policies and programs pursuant

to industrial growth".

PCI has just short of 500 member firms manufacturing everything from

pins to ships. A recent bylaws change now allows membership of medium

to small scale industries. Discussion with the Survey Team focused on inspection fees which increased if a PBS standard existed for the item

manufactured. It was fixed at 0.2% of the value of the products. PBS

retains only 25% of the sums collected for Standardization and

Inspection Funds. 75% goes to the Philippine Treasury. Members of PCI

do not receive any service for the greater part of these sums which

are regarded as a tax on production. Moreover, only by obtaining PBS

quality mark recognition can a manufacturer avoid having every batch

inspected. Commercial pressures, rather than the wish to produce

quality products, have become the principal incentives for applying

for the mark.

The discussion also revealed that compulsory standardization (as

undertaken by PBS by virtue of R.A. 4109) has been suspended on imports since 1970. They felt that the net effect of universal

compulsory standards was to interpret these standards for exports

rather than for domestic use. Concern was expressed over the lengthy

time needed to establish a standard. Members of PCI were active in

regional standardization activities, as for example, in the Southeast

Asia Iron and Steel Institute (SEAISI) representing the Philippine

Iron and Steel Institute.

26
PCI/PBS relationships appeared to be entirely satisfactory. There

appeared to be a genuine desire to collaborate on technical programs.

It is our impression that leadership for establishing new, effective

testing programs for quality control would be welcome and supported by

PCI.

6. Visit to the Mariwasa Manuf actur ing Corporation

The entire Survey Team visited the Mariwasa Manufacturing Corporation.

Mr. Voltaire H. Gonzales, Assistant Vice-President, Planning and

Control, was our very knowledgeable and congenial host* The Mariwasa

Manufacturing Corporation is an excellent example of a well-organized

quality conscious successful manufacturer using a flexible mixture of

capital and labor intensive process steps, Mariwasa' s ceramic tiles

(approximately 60%) are exported to many parts of the world including

the U.S.A., Southeast Asia, and Australia. The recession in building

is creating problems which are probably temporary. Metric conversion

would not cause difficulties, because space in the tunnel kilns is not

critically programmed. Inspection steps are introduced at all stages

of production. Rejection rates appear to be a little high (more than

5%) but material recovery is almost complete. The laboratory control

is adequate to ensure a standard product, but more modem methods of

controlling the raw materials and their admixture would perhaps be

rewarding.

Initial company standards and manufacturing technology were adopted

from Italy. Presently SAO No. 22-1968 or PTS No. 662-02.04, 1968,

Gl? zed Ceramic Tiles and Tile Fittings is applicable through the

mandatory program of the Philippines Bureau of Standards. Mariwasa

was granted PTS quality mark license number 34-4 on 15 March, 1975.

The standard specifies two grades of tiles but is very vague as to

make-up of these grades in terms of percentage of acceptable type

defects. Company standards appear to recognize four grades made up as follows

A tiles are those which meet all requirements of the standard, B tiles

consist of those with broken corners, chipped glaze, dents, dirt,

pinholes and underfired, and C tiles consist of those with underfired

and warped defects. Only the standard grade is used for export. The

other grades are used for local consumption with the lowest grade

utilized in low cost housing. Staff and labor relations appear good.

This Corporation enjoys a justified spirit of achievement,

Standard Grade:

Commercial Grade:

Local Grade Nova:

Economy (ECO) Grade:

95% A + 5% B

80% A + 20% B

40% A + 60% B

20% B + 80% C

27
7. Visit to the Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (CCP)

The entire Survey Team also visited the Chamber of Commerce.

The Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (CCP) publishes an annual

trade directory of its member firms (350 in 1975) and individual

members (850 in 1975). It also publishes Commerce , the journal of

Philippine business, on a monthly basis. Its mission is to "promote

and uphold the material interest of the Philippines and the Filipino

people by availing itself of whatever legal means there are which

would advance the steady expansion of the Philippines commercial

relations with other countries and improve the situation of

businessmen in the Philippines, especially the Filipino businessmen".

The Survey Team was received by Mr. Fred J. Elizalde, CCP President,

an impressive Chairman, with many Board Members and Executives,

including Mr. Jesus Sivios, Mr. Kien Go, Mr. E. Silva, Mr. 0. de

Ocampo, and Mr. P. C. Luombas.

CCP has conducted some workshops and seminars on subjects related to

standards and quality control especially focused on the handicrafts

industry. Some discussion on information, metrication, harmonization

of standards, marketing, and building materials problems led to mutual

understanding and considerable agreement between the two groups.

28
IV. REPORT OF GROUP A

TECHNICAL STANDARDS COMMITTEE MANAGEMENT

1. Terms of Reference for Group A

The areas of interest and concentration by Group A were:

1. The organization, infrastructure, and activities of

agencies engaged in the development, promulgation and

implementation of standards with specific emphasis on

the Philippines Bureau of Standards as the principal

governmental agency with assigned responsibility for

this task.

2. Summary and evaluation of progress made to date in the

development, promulgation and implementation of standards.

This includes the number and nature of standards issued,

the number and extent of certification licenses issued,

and the influence of these activities on the industrial

community.

3. Recommendations for the improvement of standardization

activities and their contribution to improved quality

of products and commodities, harmonious industrial

growth, and economic progress of the Philippines.

To assist the members of Group A in carrying out their objectives, an excellent program of visits to a variety of governmental agencies,

trade and business associations, industries, and provincial offices

was arranged by the planning committee organized by the Philippines

Bureau of Standards. This comprehensive and efficiently run schedule

enabled the Group to cover a broad spectrum of their assigned

responsibilities in the short period of two weeks. These visits,

involving discussions with key personnel, together with a study of

related documents and reports, form the basis for the observations,

Impressions, evaluations and recommendations contained in this report.

2. Members of Group A

The following is a list of the members of Group A. Dr. Stephens

served as leader of the group, representing US/NBS. Mr. Cruz

accompanied the team on visits in the Manila area with Mr. Racela

participating in the visits to the provinces. Mrs. Mortera

participated in other groups part of the time. In addition,

Mr. Vidalito Rahoa, Survey Team host, accompanied the group on many of

its individual visits.

29
Dr. Kenneth S. Stephens

School of Industrial & Systems Engineering

and Industrial Development Division, Engr. Exp. Station

Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, Georgia

Mr. Lauro M. Cruz

President

Philippine Standards Association, Inc. (PHILSA)

Mrs. Angeles J. Mortera

Chief, Technical Division

Philippines Bureau of Standards

Atty. R. E. Racela

Project Director

Philippine Standards Association, Inc. (PHILSA)

Mrs. Celia R. Sia

Chemical Engineer

Philippines Bureau of Standards

3. Program of visits by Group A

The following is a list of the program of visits and daily schedule

followed by Group A, in addition to the combined visits with the other

groups of the Survey Team, described above. Information,

observations, impressions and/or items of discussion significant to

the interests and objectives of Group A are presented in the next

section.

May 7 Philippine Standards Association, Inc. (PHILSA)

Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

May 8 Imperial Textile Mills (ITM)

Magnolia Dairy Products Plant

National Grains Authority (NGA)

May 9 Manila Electric Company

Phelps Dodge Philippines, Inc.

May 10 Cebu City Branch Office, Philippines Bureau

of Standards

Durano Sugar Mill

Chamber of Export Industries, Cebu City

May 11 Atlas Consolidated Mining & Development Corp.

Atlas Fertilizer Corp., Toledo City

30
May 12 Iligan City Branch Office, Philippines Bureau of

Standards

Iligan Institute of Technology (Mindanao

State Univ.)

Iligan City - Mayor Camilo P. Cobili

Maria Cristina Chemical Industries, Inc.

May 13 Cagayan de Oro City Branch Office, Philippines

Bureau of Standards

Cagayan de Oro City

May 14 Davao City Branch Office, Philippines Bureau

of Standards

Tagum Agricultural Development Corp,

(TADECO), banana plantation

Standard (Philippines) Fruit Corp.

(STANFILCO), banana plantation

May 15 Zamboanga City Branch Office, Philippines

Bureau of Standards

Philippine Packing Corporation, Zamboanga

Zamboanga Curio Shop (Shellcraft products for export)

Far Eastern Shellcraft (Shellcraft products for export)

Sikatuna Fishing Corp.

May 16 Philippines Bureau of Standards

4.0 Information and Observations on Organizations Visited

4 . 1 Wednesday , May 7 - Visit to the Philippine Standards Association

(PHILSA)

The Philippine Standards Association plays a key role in the

development and promotion of voluntary standards for locally made

commodities for public use. Accompanied by Mr. V. F. Raffoa of PBS,

Group A visited PHILSA to review their organization and work. We were received by President Lauro M. Cruz (also a Member of the Group A

Survey Team) in addition to Remedios E. Facela, Project Director

Ambrosio R. Flores. Past President and Director; Carlos T. Aenlle,

Director of Elizalde Paint and Oil Factory; Lt. Col. Ramon R. Doreza,

Director of Research; Carlos D. Carreon, Project Leader; and

Proceso P. Gatdula, Vice President for Administrative Affairs and

Corporate Secretary.

31
Historically, the Philippine Standards Association (PhlLSA) was born

out of the necessity to standardize local products for public

consumption. This need was first recognized by the National Economic

Protectionism Association (NEPA) as early as 1935 when locally

manufactured products could not compete with imported goods. The move

towards industrialization to improve the economy of the country was supported by the Bureau of Commerce and the Philippine Chamber of

Industries (PCI) and in 1954 the latter passed a resolution pointing

to the necessity of a "standards movement" to complement

industrialization.

The initiative started by the PCI with the full backing of NEPA and

enthusiastic cooperation of both government and private sectors led to

the formation of the "Philippine Standards Association" on June 6,

1955. The Incorporation Papers were formally signed on June 22, 195 5

,

and registered by the Securities and Exchange Commission as a NONSTOCK corporation on June 27, 1955.

PHILSA now has 129 members, some 40 sectional committees, and 30

technical committees preparing standards with 20 more under study. To

the date of the survey visit, 76 standards had been prepared. A list

by number and title is available. Four of these standards have been

adopted by the Philippines Bureau of Standards. Concern was expressed

over the lengthy time (three to five plus years) to produce a standard.

PHILSA* s standards are printed in booklet form approximately 6" x 9"

(153 x 229 mm). Members of the technical committee are listed

together with a table of contents having a standardized format. The

standards make a nice presentation.

Management of PHILSA' s activities is through a nine member board of

directors from which the president, and vice presidents for

administrative affairs (corporate secretary), technical affairs and

finance (treasurer) are elected. A five member advisory council is

organized to advise the board and give consultation in the formulation

and implementation of policies governing the activities and operation

of the Association. In addition, a standards Council is organized

consisting of at least six members for coordinating the standards

preparation activity including testing and certification.

Basically, PHILSA* s organization and operating procedures are similar

to other private and/or government standards bodies in many countries.

To assist in the preparation of standards and production processes,

PHILSA has developed a library by collecting pamphlets and books

purchased from or donated by foreign standardization institutions like

the British Standards Institution (BSI) , United States National

Bureau of Standards (US-NBS), American Society for Testing and

32
Materials (ASTM), the International Organization for Standardization

(ISO), the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), and

similar institutions in Japan, Australia, India and other countries.

A seal of approval under a certification program is also maintained by

PHILSA to promote the implementation of standards and quality

manufacture.

Recognizing the difficulty of financing its operation from funds

coming only from membership dues of individual companies, or institutions, PHILSA has negotiated for financial assistance from

NSDB. A project entitled, "Development of Standards for Philippine

Products" has been set up and funded since April 1963 by NSDB.

This project has been instrumental in achieving a degree of

rationalization of standards promulgation between organizations

otherwise competing and/or duplicating standards work. A Memorandum

of Agreement on the "Extent of Cooperation" was signed on February 15,

1963 by the Bureau of Commerce, Bureau of Supply Coordination, Bureau

of Research and Laboratories, Philippine Chamber of Industries (PCI),

National Economic Protectionism Association (NEPA), Chamber of

Commerce of the Philippines (CCP) and the National Institute of

Science and Technology (NIST). PHILSA also agreed to have a joint

standardization project with NACIDA on February 19, 1963. An

excellent air of cooperation exists for rationalization of

standardization in the Philippines.

4 . 2 Wednesday , May 7 - Visit to the Food and Drug Administration

(FDA)

Members of Group A visited FDA and were received by L. M. Pesigan,

Administrator; A.M. Regala, Deputy Administrator, and Emmanuel E.

Alego, Chief, Inspection and Licensing Division. Vidalito F. Ranoa of

PBS also accompanied the group resulting in an open dialogue between

heads of three standardization organizations, namely, FDA, PHILSA and

PBS.

FDA is chartered by Republic Act No. 3720. They maintain a library of

U.N. Codex Alimentarius standards on food products along with U.S. and

other publications on foods, drugs and cosmetics. A staff of 80

inspectors (equivalent to one or more for every province) is

maintained, being mostly college graduates in Pharmacy.

FDA issues permits on processed foods such as canned pineapple,

pineapple juice, milk, vinegar, meat and meat products, ice cream,

etc. They reported that microbiological requirements have not been

established as yet for the Philippines. Present activities place

emphasis on sampling, testing and reporting rather than controlling.

More rigid controls (via reporting) are placed on foods taken

33
directly without further cooking or processing. A form of control exer- cised by FDA is the issuance of Semestral Commodity Clearance Certificates.

It was brought out that FDA is participating in the activities to

achieve some rationalization of standards with organizations such as PBS, Bureau of Fisheries, NACIDA, PHILSA and Bureau of Supply

Coordination. Agreements have been reached to rationalize respective

areas of standards work with meetings still being held to implement

these agreements.

An area needing further work is the rationalization of the issuance of

certificates of approval to processors of various commodities. It was

brought out that some food processors may require certificates from

three to four organizations covering overlapping aspects.

4.3 Thursday , May 8 - Visit to Imperial Textile Mills (ITM)

ITM is located at Km 21, McArthur Highway, Marulas , Bulacan. It is a large textile mill producing fabrics of good quality with close ties

to Japanese technology. ITM personnel met during the visit include

Pablo Gonzales, Vice President, Pros P. Paredes, Manager, finishing

plant; Delio M. Aseron, Corporate Secretary; Teody Cayetano,

Department Head, T/C Finishing; Mar de Guzman, Department Head, piece

goods dying and Vic T. Cisneros, Department Head, Inspection. We

received a briefing on the company and toured the manufacturing

facilities.

Items of significance to the survey which were brought out in the

discussion were(l) key members of the staff were not aware of PBS or PTRI even though products made (and exported) by ITM are covered by

standards promulgated by these organizations (PBS's being compulsory).

The company essentially uses JIS standards and staff are trained in

Japan, returning to the Philippines with JIS standards for

implementation, (2) Semestral Commodity Clearances to ship export

products covered by compulsory standards are obtained through their

broker and have little or no impact on company operations or personnel.

4 . 4 Thursday , May 8 - Visit to National Grains Authority (NGA)

A combined visit of Groups A & E of the Survey Team was made to the

National Grains Authority located in the Development Bank Building in

Quezon City. NGA was established in 1972 to provide an adequate and

continuous supply of cereal grains to the nation at reasonable prices.

One of their chief functions is price stabilization as they coordinate

grain procurement and distribution.

34
Administrator Jesus Tanchangco and a large number of staff and board

members were present for the meeting and discussion. Particularly

pertinent to the interests of Group A are the following items brought

out in the discussions:

(1) NGA representatives served on the technical committee for milled

rice and rough rice standards, SAO 16 and 17 respectively, promulgated

by PBS. Currently, these standards are not being implemented due to

shortage of rice in the country with 1st class milling waived in favor

of a 2nd class to produce more rice.

(2) The Shelled Com standard, SAO 75, has been suspended by the

Secretary of Trade upon request of the Com Producers Association.

(3) The Grain Sorghum Standard, SAO 125, is only partially

implemented.

4 . 5 Friday , May 9 - Visit to Manila Electric Company

This is a large and well established electric company, generating and

distributing electric power throughout the Metro Manila area. Actually, their area of operation has now been fixed by presidential

decree, placing some constraint on expansion. We were received by

Filemon M. Zablan, Senior Vice President, Technical Service Group and

later by Alan M. Razovsky, Senior Manager for Engineering and

President of MERALCO Industrial Engineering Services Corporation.

The company appears to operate on a very independent basis, lacking

much awareness of or concern for the activities of PBS. They

expressed concern over the quality of local supplies, which forces

them to use imported products mostly to ASTM and ANSI standards. This

precipitated a discussion in which it was brought out by PBS personnel

that a plant closure had been made in the case of cast iron pipe for

failure to produce a quality product in conformance to the standard.

A question was raised as to the selection of products for

standardization. The electric company felt a need for standards and

controls on safety shoes and working gloves. It was brought out that

the Board of Investment listing of urgent products was used to set

priorities for standards making by PBS.

4 . 6 Friday . May 9 - Tfisit to Phelps Dodge Philippines , Inc .

A visit was made to Phelps Dodge Philippines, Inc. manufacturers of

electrical cables and wires, located at Pioneer Street, Mandaluvong,

Rizal. We were received by Manufacturing Manager, Esmeraldo J.

Estrella. Other members of Phelps Dodge staff participating in

discussions and a tour of facilities were Rogelio M. Avenido,

35
Technical Service Group Manager; Alejandro E. Mendoza, Production

Superintendent and Arsenio S. Arboledo, Quality Control Supervisor.

Phelps Dodge is one of two companies producing cables which are licensed by foreign companies. One other has a Japanese affiliation.

Altogether about 20-22 companies are producing cables in the

Philippines. The P-D factory is approved under a Bureau of Labor

Standards Certification Program of Factory Inspections and is visited

annually under this program.

Items of interest to the Survey Group which were brought out in the

discussion are:

(1) P-D is aware and concerned that the quality of cables from some producers is not meeting standards - especially with respect to

reduced insulation and reduced cross sectional area. Such producers

are able to cut their prices - forcing P-D to discontinue production

of standard quality cable in some sizes.

(2) In carrying out its program of certification and product testing,

PBS has the practice of testing inside the factory on company owned

equipment - since companies have complained that they do not derive

any benefit in paying for the tests outside the factory. P-D is

concerned that this practice of test set-up in the factory does not

accomplish an adequate check on the quality of cables produced.

(3) The Bureau of Supply Coordination sets its own standards

different from those of PBS and reference to these standards "Complies

to Bureau of Supply Coordination Standards", often appears in

newspaper advertising.

(4) There is a Philippine Electric Code promulgated by the Philippine

Society of Electrical Engineers with Part I in 1973 and Part II in

1974. This has become the national electrical Code (It is not

metric), but it was not clear whether this was by consensus or by law.

4 . 7 Saturday, May 10 - Visit to Cebu City Branch Office , PBS

Travel to Cebu City afforded an opportunity to meet and hold

discussions with members of the Cebu City Branch of PBS. The branch

consists of nine staff with seven professionals, one clerk and one messenger. Besides the administrative and clerical work, the main

activity of the branch is inspection of locally made products.

Inspection of domestic and export products is done on standardized

products while inspection of exports only is carried out on unstandardized products.

36
It was brought out that the inspection fee is based on 0.2% of the

value for export plus five pesos for certification of each shipment of

standardized products. The inspection fee for unstandardized products

is 0.1% plus five pesos.

Some products inspected in Cebu are rattan poles and furniture, shell

and coral jewelry, hides and animal skins, coconut carvings, abaca

products, etc. Mr. Aniano S. Noval, Provincial Standards Officer,

hosted the group and accompanied the Survey Team on other visits in

the southern Philippines.

4 . 8 Saturday , May 10 - Meeting with Chamber of Export Industries

(CEI)

This meeting was arranged by the Cebu City field office of PBS to

discuss some of the problems with standards and inspection of products

for export. The meeting was presided over by Mr. Guido G. Castillo,

President of CEI and President and General Manager of G.G. Castillo

Tradeways, Inc.

Items significant to the group's interest are:

(1) CEI has to submit their products to three government bureaus for

approvals, viz. PBS, Bureau of Fisheries, and NACIDA.

(2) They have had problems with moisture in wood furniture, with

field complaints of cracking after use in dry environments. This

situation reflects a lack of concern or complacency in adequately

assessing the overall quality requirements of products to be exported.

This is a significant responsibility of a manufacturer and/or exporter

who may require training and/or other assistance in this regard.

4 . 9 Sunday , May 11 - Visit to Atlas Fertilizer Corporation

Company literature received during the visit refers to meeting

specifications of the Philippine Automotive Battery Manufacturers

Association, PABMA and the American Chemical Society. There is no reference to PBS standards or certification for which they have

qualified on ammonium sulfate, complex fertilizer, sulphuric acid and

calcium superphosphate.

4 . 10 Monday . May 12 - Visit to Maria Cristina Chemical Industries , Inc.

MCCI uses primarily, ASTM and JIS standards on calcium carbide, PVC

resins, acetylene and ferro-alloy products.

37
4.11 Monday, May 12 - Visit to Iligan Branch Office , PBS

Members of the PBS staff consulted in Iligan were Arturo B. Castro and

Florence Ong. Products inspected including those under PS

Certification at Iligan were plywood, cement, steel reinforcement

bars, steel bars, steel sheets, liquid caustic soda, hydrochloric acid

and fertilizers.

A. 12 Wednesday , May 14 - Visit to Tagum Agricultural Development

Corp . (TADECO)

Accompanied by Pedro Maceda of the PBS Davao City Branch, Group A

visited the banana packing plant and plantation of TADECO. Generoso

M. Ebo, Personnel Manager, and Diosdada C. Ardone, Comptroller, were our

hosts. The compound consists of 16 farms of approximately 300

hectares each served by 8 packing stations. The giant Cavendish

banana of the Valery strain is grown and harvested primarily for

export to the Japanese market. This is a joint venture with United

Fruit of the U. S. carrying the "Chiquita" brand. Company

specifications are used together with the PBS standard on bananas

under PS certification.

4.13 Wednesday , May 14 - Visit to Standard (Philippines) Fruit

Corporation (STANFILCO)

A second banana plantation and packing plant were visited. STANFILCO

is affiliated with Castle & Cook Foods and its bananas carry the Dole

brand. Almost 6000 hectares of land are devoted to growing bananas

with operations beginning in 1966. Company specifications with PS

certification apply here also. An informational brochure and a map of

the Philippine banana industry are available. Mr. Aurelio Pena and

Rodolfo M. Almendras served as our hosts.

4 . 14 Wednesday , May 14 - Visit to Bacnotan Consolidated Industries , Inc .

Discussions and a tour of the facilities were included in a visit to

the Davao cement plant of Bacnoton Consolidated Industries. This

plant holds a license to use the PS quality mark under PBS

certification. However, plant informational literature refers to

tests to establish conformity to ASTM standards.

4 . 15 Thursday , May 15 - Visit to Zamboanga Branch Office , PBS

At Zamboanga the Survey Team were hosted by PBS staff members, Effendi

P. Shuck, Provincial Standards Officer, and Gulamu Taib, Product

Standards Inspector I. Discussions were held with Mr. Frank S. Lucido,

38
Superintendent of fishery development of the Philippine Packing

Corporation, a subsidiary of Del Monte, preparing frozen tuna for

refrigerated transport to Manila and transhipment to the U.S. for

canning. Visits to the Zamboanga Curio Shop and Far East Shellcraft

were held to survey inspection by PBS of shellcraft products for

export.

5.0 Some Further Observations on Standardization in the Philippines

Section 4.0 and its associated subsections, includes certain information,

observations, impressions, and items of discussion related to the visits

by GrouD A team members to agencies, associations, and industries during

the Survey. A number of topics important to progress in standardization

have been selected from the section 4.0 and associated subsections for

additional emphasis in the following. This will provide partial input

to Part II, Recommendations - Summarized, placed in this report

immediately following the Introduction.

5 . 1 Mandatory vs . Voluntary Standardization _& Certification

RA 4109 specifies the mandatory implementation (via inspection and

certification) of the standards Issued by PBS with respect to

government purchases, safety, exports, imports, and "sold and/or

disposed of in any manner". The Act further requires the inspection

of unstandardized commodities (within the purview of Part III) with

respect to government purchases, safety, exports and imports.

Certification via a quality mark is not mandatory and is not

explicitly mentioned, thus not directly linking quality mark

certification with mandatory standardization or inspection under the

Act. Hence while standardization is mandatory, quality mark

certification is voluntary.

Mandatory (or compulsory) standardization can be an effective means of

implementation of a national standardization system with its

associated benefits. Upon reflecting on the Soviet system with a Ministry for Standardization4 and the impracticality of this for some

economies, Dr. Lai Verman* states:

"Nevertheless, it must be admitted that if a government

were conscious of the far-reaching consequences of

standardization and were anxious to promote a planned

development of its resources at a rapid pace in an

organized, rational and least wasteful manner, it would

stand to reap handsome dividends by adopting a somewhat similar

course of action (the Soviet system) and assuming direct

responsibility for the promulgation and implementation of

standards."

*Verman, Lai C. "Standardization - A New Discipline", Archon Book, 1973,

Page 210

39
Given an adequate infrastructure, this can be a viable

means of developing and implementing standards. In a word of caution

concerning the direct transferability of such a system, Dr. Verman

makes direct references to the Philippines:*

"In particular, the problem presents an interesting

challenge to countries like Brazil and the Philippines

where the NSBs issue mandatory standards but where

the patterns of economy differ considerably from that

of the USSR...".

Mandatory standardization imposes a legal basis on standards in

addition to the technical and economic basis otherwise inherent. It

thus requires enforcement of standards (as other laws) through

constant vigilance by some policing authority with due penalties for

non-observance or non-conformance. The Philippines Bureau of

Standards is assigned this responsibility by RA 4109. Yet as outlined

in Part III above, staffing and organizational infrastructure are grossly inadequate in light of the industrial and economic growth of

the country.

Numerous references to the undesirability and/or ineffectiveness of

mandatory standardization in the Philippines are mentioned in Part III

and section 4.0 and its associated subsections of this part. Some

of these are as follows:

1. It appears to be a deterrent to widespread

development and implementation of standards - constituents of PTRI, PHILSA, and PCI prefer

voluntary standards. (See the report of the visit

to the Philippine Chamber of Industries (PCI) in

Part III, section 5 and section 4.1 of this report.)

PBS's output of standards has been low. (See the

visit to the Philippines Bureau of Standards in

Part III)

2. Suspensions of mandatory requirements have been

made, nullifying the effect - as in the case of

inspection of imports or standards for rice, shelled

corn, grain sorghum. (See the report of the

Philippine Chamber of Industries (PCI) in Part III,

section 5 and of NGA in section 4.4 of this part.)

3. Enforcement and influence on quality improvement

are questioned. (See sections 4.5 and 4.6 of this

part.

)

* Ibid

40
4. Annulment, at least in part, of one of the

principal purposes of standardization, that of a reduction in the number of sizes, grades,

etc., of products and commodities and the economic

benefits of such variety reductions. (See Desmond's

report referenced at the end of section 1, Part III.)

One solution to the problem of mandatory vs. voluntary standards may

be in a better understanding of various forms of compulsion. This is

the subject of a paragraph in a paper by Dr. Ken Stephens* with

recommendations for developing an effective quality control program as follows:

"2. Create government and commercial compulsion for reasonable

levels of quality via quality requirements in purchase contracts,

building specifications, standardization and certification, export

inspection programs, etc. Some quality requirements need enforcement

from an organization or program with a broader perspective than

the manufacturer himself or his immediate customer. (For example, the

higher cost of electricity or even the cost of a fire from poor quality

electrical cable is most often not borne by the manufactuer of the

cable or by the construction contractor; without some independent

enforcement of such quality, they may be tempted to cut their individual

cost by supplying a low grade cable). There are at least two levels of

compulsion which may be created. One can be referred to as a "subtle

compulsion" obtained by the politico-technical activity of convincing

responsible authorities to specify or require quality in products

and services. The other may be referred to as "hard core compulsion"

obtained by the politico-technical-legal activity of decreeing by law

that imported and/or manufactured products must conform to a given

standard with associated liabilities."

In light of the survey results it would appear that the Philippines

have several alternative approaches to improve the development and

implementation of standardization, especially with respect to

mandatory standards. Some alternatives, not necessarily mutually

exclusive, are as follows:

1. Strengthen the staffing and organization of PBS to

enable it to meet obligations specified in RA 4109

including the consideration of raising standardization

and its associated activities to the "Department"

level.

2. Create a separate export (and import) inspection

agency to carry this responsibility while adequately

organizing and staffing PBS to carry out the main

functions of promoting, developing and implementing

Stephens, Kenneth S., "The Modern Concepts of Quality Methodology and

Techniques of Quality Control and Quality Inspection", UNIDO Study Tour

Workshop on Quality control Certification Marking for Industrial Products,

Singapore, 20-25 May, 1974 ID/WG. 180/2,29 April, 1974.

41
standards (including fundamental standards), quality

mark certification, research, inspection, and training.

3. Modify RA 4109 to permit both voluntary and mandatory

standardization with criteria for establishing each

and an infrastructure to create less rigid compulsions

where justified to permit local option in compliance.

4. Delineate, via a mechanism for national rationalization

of standards (including the voluntary and mandatory

standards question as in 3. above, but including interagency responsibilities), the specific areas of mandatory

standards for promulgation and enforcement by such

agencies as PBS, FDA, etc. and voluntary standards for

promulgation, promotion and implementation by PHILSA and

other organizations or agencies (PTRI, etc.). Upon

such delineations of scope and responsibility, further

strengthen the NSDB project with PHILSA to enable more

widespread and accelerated preparation of voluntary

standards and implementation through quality mark

certification.

5. Develop an effective program of certification and

inspection as a means of promoting the PS certification mark and strengthening the application of the

quality control system, particularly in small and

medium scale industries, through the assistance of a quality control expert and close coordination and

collaboration with the Philippine Society for Quality

Control, the UP Institute for Small Scale Industries,

and the chambers or associations of industries.

5.2 Impact of PBS and Standardization on Industry and Public

Awareness

Even after 10 years of operation, the visibility of the Bureau of

Standards in industry and the general public appears to be only

minimal. Numerous instants of unawareness of the existence and/or the

operations and activities of PBS are contained in section 4.0 and its

associated subsections. (See sections 4.3, and 4.5 in particular).

And even where there is awareness of PBS through a direct interface of

activities with industries, many of these industries deliberately

choose to minimize references to PBS standards and quality mark

certification. References in company literature, advertisements and

other publications are to other standards such as ASTM, ANSI, JIS,

PABMA, etc., to the exclusion of PBS standards. (See sections 4.5,

42
4.9, 4.10, 4.12, 4.13, 4.14 of this report and the visit to the

Mariwasa Manufacturing Plant contained in Part III , section 6)

.

Some of this is healthy in terms of promoting regional and

international commerce and standardization, but not to the apparent

extent of exclusion of PBS evident from the Survey.

Strengthening of the entire national infrastructure of standardization

as discussed in section 5.1 will have a profound effect on creating a positive influence and image for PBS and allied standard bodies. But

in addition to this, it is highly recommended that a dynamic program

of industrial, commercial, and public relations for standardization in

the Philippines be launched. An excellent guideline for such a program has been prepared by the project team leader and UNIDO adviser

to the Thai Industrial Standards Institute, Mr. Rohn Hopper.* It

should be consulted and used to develop an effective program.

5.3 Rationalization of Standards and Certification

This activity is included in the alternative recommendations of

section 5.1. At the working level, an excellent start has been made

in the Philippines as brought out by several of the Survey visits

reported in the subsections of 4.0 (See sections 4.1 and 4.2).

However, the enormity of the problem at the policy level is presented

vividly in Appendix II of the Survey Report with the listing of some

22 agencies establishing standards and /or enforcing standards. A

coordinated effort is needed to ratonalize and utilize more

effectively the resources and activities of these agencies. The

creation of a national umbrella, such as a national standards council,

for standards development is highly recommended.

5.4 Presentation and Quality of Published Standards by PBS

A major objective of standardization is to establish and/or improve

the quality of products, services, procedures, etc. This objective is

better achieved if the standards themselves are of a good quality.

There are many characteristics of quality in published standards: a neat, attractive and standardized cover and bond presentation;

standardized, informative and readable format; clear, sharp and

accurate printing; clarity of expression; technical acuity and

completeness; etc.

The image presented by the published standards of PBS is not conducive

to quality motivation or quality consciousness - falling short of good

quality on almost all of the characteristics enumerated above. The

standards have no cover or binding. They are mimeographed (not

printed) on a very low quality paper. Trimmed size is irregular and

*Hopper, Rohn, A Manu?" Eor the Operation of an Information/Public

Relations Department in a Standards Organization, 1974-12-24, TISI/UNDPUNIDO Project, Bangkok, Thailand

43
unstandardized. Printing is very poor, making portions of copies

difficult to read or unreadable. There are omissions of lists of

technical committee members, reference sources, and other information

in some standards.

Lack of clarity of expression (related to technical accuracy) is

illustrated for example in the specification of "Grade 2" in SAO 22 on

Glazed Ceramics Tiles and Tile Fitting. This document states the

following:

Grade 2 "Tiles with some minor blemishes and defect

which are not permissible in Grade 1 but

free from blots and biscuit cracks"

This is a vague specification of grading capable of causing

considerable disagreement between interested parties. Reference to

the application of this standard is contained in the discussion of the

visit to the Mariwasa Manufacturing Corporation in Part III, section 6.

An example of incompleteness of standards is afforded by SAO 38 on Automotive Lead-Acid Storage Batteries. A copy obtained for the

purpose of examining the varieties allowed in the standard (mandatory

standards often allow too many varieties, nullifying the variety

reduction objective of standardization) makes reference to table 2

containing the "requirements specified by the type". Table 2 is

missing from the copy examined with continuous numbering of pages from

1 to 25 plus three unnumbered pages of configuration diagrams. If

table 2 was to follow at the end of the standard as the last page then

its absence in this copy is an excellent argument for a careful

binding in the preparation of the standards. Needless to say, without

table 2 the standard is almost totally useless.

References to the presentation of standards reviewed during the Survey

visits are contained in Part III, section 4. and 4.1 of this part. The

contrasts between the published standards of PTRI and PHILSA with those

of PBS are striking.

The discussion leads to the following recommendations.

1. PBS should undertake a complete redesign of its

published standards. A sufficient budget should

be approved to permit professional printing,

layout, binding and overall presentation.

2. With commitment to the metric system the

international A sizes should be used for the

44
standards. Common sizes are A4 and A5 with

other A size folded sheets used within the

standards to present larger tables, graphs,

etc.

3. A standardized format should be followed by

PBS in preparing the standards. Each should

be subjected to critical technical and copy

editing. Standards should be promoted and

sold to offset preparation expenses.

45
V. REPORT OF GROUP B*

METRICATION

1 . Introduction

The mission of Group B was to survey and assess the progress of metric

conversion activities in the Philippines. Discussions were held with

key government agencies and individuals and appropriate industry

groups. In addition, tours of several important industries and

universities were made. This report presents observations and several

recommendations, based on these observations, which may strengthen the

program of metric conversion already underway in the Philippines.

2. Members of Group B, Metrication

Jeffrey V. Odom, Chief

Metric Information Office

U. S. National Bureau of Standards

Dr. A. B. Rao

Deputy Director

Indian Standards Institute

Dr. Ibara Cruz

Director, Graduate Division

College of Engineering

University of the Philippines

Mrs. Virginia Paraiso

Coordinator, Metric System Board Secretariat

Philippines Bureau of Standards

Mr. Vicente Coloso

Philippine Department of Trade

Metric System Board

(responsible for metrication and other

programs, a very busy person who

was unable to participate fully in

the Survey)

3. Principal Visits of Group B, Metrication

May 5 - Philippines Bureau of Standards

Secretary of Trade, Honorable Troadio T. Quiazon

National Science Development Board

May 5 - Philippine Chamber of Industries

Mariwasa Manufacturing Corporation

Philippines Chamber of Commerce

*Includes additional information supplied by Dir. Rafioa after completion

of the Survey.

46
May 7 - Department of Education

Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical

Services Administration

National Institute of Science and Technology

Secretary of Public Works, Transportation and Communications

May 8 - San Miguel Corporation

Magnolia Dairy Products

National Grains Authority

May 9 - Department of Trade

Mr. Vicente Coloso

Director of Metric Programming

of the Metric System Board

4. Scope of Report

This report will focus on the process of introducing metric

measurements into everyday life in the Philippines, with strong

emphasis on possible actions by the Philippine Government in support

of this changeover.

This report will not cover areas related to measurement science or measurement standards. These subjects are admittedly important to

the Philippines and have in fact formed the major portions of earlier

reports on metrication prepared by Dr A. B. Rao in cooperation with

the Philippines Bureau of Standards. These reports were thorough and

remain valid today

5. Prevalent Measurement System

Indigenous as well as Spanish, American, and English weights and

measures have all been used in trade and commerce.

The meter was never popular for length measurements. The yard , foot

and inch together with the Spanish length measures of pulgada (2.32

centimeters), pie (2.784 decimeters) and legua (5.573 kilometers) were

prevalent.

For weight, the Spanish onza, libra , arroba , and quintal were used.

Kilogram as well as pound and ounce were also used for solids and

packed goods. For bulk sugar trading picul (63.26 kilograms) was used.

For grain capacity, the Philippines was accustomed to chupa (3.75

decimeters), ganta (3 liters) and cavan (75 liters).

For liquid measures, gallon (US), liter and fluid ounce were all used

for different commodities.

47
6. Presidential Decree 187 and the Metric System Board

To eliminate confusion, promote domestic and foreign trade and for

other intrinsic advantages, the President of the Philippines

promulgated a Decree No. 187 on May 10, 1973 (App. V.) prescribing the

metric system of weights and measures for all products, commodities

and materials, services, and commercial transactions in all contracts,

deeds and other legal instruments. The Decree initially specified

complete conversion should be achieved by January 1, 1975; a request

to extend the date to January 1, 1977 was approved on July 17, 1975.

A Metric System Board was created to effect an orderly change to the

system. The composition and functions of the Board are given in

Appendix V.

7. Efforts at Metric Conversion

As in all other countries, metrication in the Philippines is a fourphase program of investigation, planning, scheduling and

implementation. Formulation of basic metric standards and the general

investigation of the problems of metrication in the country have been

practically finished. The Technical Committee, its sub-committees and

working groups have worked to complete this basic phase. A total of

17 documents which include definitions of metric units, rules for SI

style and usage, conversion tables and standard specifications have

been prepared by the Committee and approved by the Board.

Planning for the various levels of physical standards and the drafting

of the implementing rules and regulations have already been done. The

scheduling or programming of the implementation of the system in

various sectors is still in progress.

7.1 Physical Standards

To implement the standards established, various levels of physical

standards are to be maintained in the country for length, weight,

capacity, time, current, temperature, luminous Intensity and plane

angle. The prototype will be maintained by the National Institute of

Science and Technology except for time which will be under the custody

of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services

(PAGASA). A project proposal entitled "Establishment of Physical

Standards of Measurement, Metrology, Testing and Standardization" was drafted by an Ad Hoc Committee composed of National Institute of

Science and Technology, PAGASA, PBS and the National Economic

Development Authority for submission to the United Nations Development

Program.

48
7.2 Rules and Regulations

To carry out Presidential Decree 187, implementing rules and regulations

were drafted complete with technical data such as details of primary and

subsequent levels of standards and calibration, as well as the maintenance

of standards of weights and measures and their certification. The document is under study by the Committee on Rules and Regulations before final

approval by the Metric System Board.

7 . 3 Metrication Programing Committee

Orientation seminars and dialogues with various industries have been

conducted by the Committee, including:

Orientation seminar for officials of private

schools

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Gold and base metal mining industries

Glass bottle manufacturers

Infant milk producers

Philippine Association of Paint Manufacturers, Inc.

Progressive car manufacturers

Purchasing Association of the Philippines

PVC plastic manufacturers

Steel bar manufacturers

Philippine Chamber of Industries

The Department of Education and Culture organized a number of

orientation seminars all over the country. Initially, the seminars

organized in Manila were for officers of the Department and for all

levels of teachers. The seminar outlined a program of introduction of

the metric system in teaching at all levels and in all scientific and

technical expressions. The Association of Physics Teachers in the

Country supported the effort of the Department, the group having

started implementing the system in teaching, school publication,

scientific instruments and gadgets.

Position papers of various industries such as oil refining and

marketing, chemical, paint, iron and steel, milk, and cream have been

49
evaluated to determine the implementation date for each particular

industry.

7.4 Publicity

The Department of Public Information has developed a program in which

various media will be pressed into propagating information about the

metric system to the public. It was proposed to create an ad hoc

committee so that various agencies could help in the matter of

disseminating information regarding the Metric System.

o Pamphlets, Brochures, Tables, etc.

Copies of the 17 metric system standards finalized by

the Technical Committee on Weights and Measures and

approved by the Metric System Board were made available

at the Bureau of Standards. The base, supplementary and

derived units and the designations of multiplying factors

were in a 6-page pamphlet. The Conversion Factors and

Tables and the Rules for Style and Usage of the International

System (SI) and other Related Units are also being disseminated

to the public by the Bureau of Standards. The Conversion Table

includes conversion and interconversion factors ranging from

commonly used units for mass and length measurements to highly

technical factors. Philippine units with their equivalents in the

metric units are also included for historical and reference

purposes.

o Radio and Television

The Metric System of Measurement has been featured in

radio and television interviews with the Metric System

Board Chairman, Executive Secretary of the Board and

Metrication Programming Director.

o Talks and Personal Contacts

Members of the Board and Staff have been kept busy giving

talks to various organizations and institutions.

The Metrication Programing Director and the Staff of the

Secretariat discuss and help solve problems on metrication.

o Press Release

Newspapers were kept well informed of the progress of

metrication through press releases by the Board. The

application of the metric system has been featured in

editorials of leading newspapers.

50
o Exhibitions

Exhibits and posters on the introduction and use

of the metric system was a part of a National Science

and Technology Week celebration.

8. Areas of Implementation

Metric conversion has been done in areas where it is readily

feasible.

1. The PAGASA and the Bureau of Coast and Geodetic

Survey are announcing atmospheric temperature,

barometric pressure, tide and rainfall in metric

units.

2. Under Presidential Decree No. 4 and in consonance

with Presidential Decree No. 187, the National

Grains Authority has introduced the sale of all

food grains by weight. Food grains were previously

sold by the volumetric measure ganta. The bulk

packing of food grains has been fixed at 20 kilograms per bag.

3. The fiber industry has adopted kilogram for weight

measurement and cubic meter for volume measurement.

The commodity is now exported in 125 kg bales instead

of the usual 126.5 kg bale.

4. Petroleum products, especially motor fuel, is sold in

liters.

5. Textiles are already sold by the meter.

6. Sale of many commodities such as fish, meat, vegetables, and certain fruits are in metric weights.

Industry in the Philippines is willing to comply with the new metric

decree. The current President of the Philippine Industry noted

"Metrication is like motherhood; we cannot resist it."

Education is likewise moving towards complete use of the metric

system, recognizing its benefits. In fact, metric is generally taught

in most schools in addition to English units.

51
The Philippine public, like that of all other nations, is resistant to

change. The fact that people have been exposed to metric units in

many areas should prove advantageous as the metric system becomes the

sole measurement system in the Philippines. In remote areas, people

are more uninformed about the metric conversion, its Impact and

timing.

9. Problem Areas

An important aspect of a successful change to metric in any given area

is the availability of reliable Information and advice to government,

industry and the general public. A more vigorous information drive on proper metric units and symbols and advice on proper ways to change to

metric is needed and should be provided by the Government. In

addition, the Government should accelerate the conduct of forums for

industries to help them plan their changes and also to ensure that its

own various departments and agencies (1) do nothing to hinder the

changes by industry and (2) make their own changes at a reasonable

pace.

The following are specific observations which explain the slow pace of

metric conversion:

A. There are many examples of a need for the dissemination

of metric information on two levels:

(1) Technical information on correct SI units, symbols,

style and usage is not adequately disseminated. Incorrect

symbols for SI units are frequently seen in commercial

applications.

(2) Practical information on how to convert to metric,

especially in industry, would facilitate progress in

metrication. For example, industries are assuming

machine tools will need to be replaced because they are not made to metric specifications. Others are uncertain

as to what metric size standards should be adopted.

B. The general public in some instances is not informed about

the changeover to metric and the reasons for the change. One

government agency reports resistance to changes it is implementing

because the public does not understand the reason for the changes.

Key representatives of the faculty for the University of

Mindanao claimed to have no knowledge of the Presidential Order on metrication.

C. Some government departments are not taking the changeover

seriously. They readily admit that the changeover is necessary

but have taken no steps to Implement the changes.

52
10. Possible Solutions to Problems

The Government (if serious about wishing to bring about metrication)

might establish, within the Department of Trade, perhaps in the

Philippines Bureau of Standards, a full time office to direct the

Government's activities with regard to metric conversion. This

office would have three main functions:

1) Educate the general public to the reasons for the change to

metric. An aggressive effort to spread this information to all

citizens is needed and might include public service advertising on radio, television, newspapers, and mailings to heads of households.

2) Serve as a point of contact for the industry and government

agencies concerning proper metric usage and common sense methods of

converting to metric.

3) Encourage and coordinate activities among industry and the various

Government departments. Various departments should not operate

independently. An important activity in this area might be a survey

of existing laws and regulations in the Philippines. A plan could be

developed to ensure prompt and equitable revisions as needed.

A) Develop procedures for the dissemination of information to the

public. Such activity might include setting up v/orkshops or seminars

for various industry groups, developing brochures explaining the reasons for the change to metric, and detailing suggested ways to

ac :omplish the change.

5) Enlistment of the services of an expert on metrication programing

and implementation should be considered.

11. Additional Comments ;

A. The private sector could well be enlisted to aid in publicizing

the changeover to metric. Some firms indicated to the Survey Team a willingness to cooperate in such an undertaking. This could include

distributing information brochures to the general public and providing

additional assistance to employees and their families.

B. The U.S. National Bureau of Standards, through its Metric

Information Office, would be pleased to cooperate with the Philippine

Metric System Board in sharing examples of public information that

might be useful in the Philippines. In addition, the Metric System

Board should take every opportunity to share in the experiences of the

Australian Metric Conversion Board. This Board is directing probably

the most successful of the current metrication efforts.

53
12. Conclusions

The Philippine Metric System Board has and should continue to learn

from dealing with the several problems listed above. There is

currently pending a revision of the Presidential Decree, No. 187.

This revised version, if approved, will create a full time Metrication

Board Director. It further allows each governmental department to

appoint an official of their department to serve as Chief Staff

Metrication Officer for that department.

The Philippine Government should assess the priority to be given to

the changeover. In order to be successful, the program will have to

be supported and financed on a modest but significant scale. A full

time effort is essential, with a minimum of two persons.

Once a metric office is established under the policy direction of the

Metric System Board that office should move forward with a vigorous

program of providing information and coordination. Only then will the

changeover to metric occur - and occur in an orderly manner.

54
VI. REPORT OF GROUP C

BUILDING TECHNOLOGY: PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT

1. Introduction

This report provides the Philippines Bureau of Standards with a preliminary assessment of Philippine building technology and concludes

with 16 recommendations. The report was prepared by a four man group.

The members were: Mr. Noel J. Raufaste, Jr., Federal Building Program

Coordinator, Center for Building Technology, National Bureau of

Standards, (served as group leader); Dr. Jamilur R. Choudhury,

Associate Professor of Civil Engineering, Bangladesh University of

Engineering and Technology. Dacca; Mr. Delfin P. Alesna, Jr., Civil

Engineer, Philippines Bureau of Standards; and Mr. Roser Balinong,

Building Research Service, University of the Philippines.

The assessment was based on an evaluation of the following

building areas:

o professional community,

o building regulatory system,

o building materials,

o testing,

o building research, and

o education

During May 7-15, the group visited over 100 persons representing

20 building design, construction, manufacturing, and regulatory

organizations. These organizations are located in the greater

metropolitan areas of Manila, Quezon City, Cebu City, Iligan City, and

Davao City. In addition, the group participated in other prearranged

non-building related meetings with Philippine industry and government,

i.e., Cebu Chamber of Export Industries, Durano ^.tar Mills,

Philippine Chamber of Industries,, Philiooioe Chamber of Commerce and

the Department of Trade. These visits provided the group members with

a broader view of Philippine trade activities. The building related

organizations are as follows:

o Philippines Bureau of Standards, Manila - Director's Office

and professional staff

o National Science Development Board and Metal Industry Research

and Development Center (MIRDC) , Bicutan (Laboratory tour)

o Government Service Insurance System Quezon City - Engineering

and Development Projects Department

o University of the Philippines, Quezon City - Office of the Dean

of Engineering and Structures Testing Laboratory

55
o National Housing Corporation, Tala - Office of the Executive

Vice President

o Bureau of Public Works, Manila - Office of the Director

o Department of Public Highways, Manila - Office of the Director

o Forest Products Research and Industries Development Commission,

Los Banos - Commissioner's Office and Testing Facilities

o Engineer Ambrosio R. Flores, Quezon City - Consulting Civil/

Structural Engineer

o Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers, Quezon City - Office of

the Director

o Land and Housing Development Corporation, Makati - Office of the

Vice President

o Atlantic Gulf and Pacific Company, Makati - Construction Department

o Manila City Engineer, Manila - City Engineers Office and Materials Testing Laboratory

o Design, Consulting, Construction, Development, Consulting Engineers, (DCCD), Makati

o Mariwasa Manufacturing Corporation, Pasig, Rizol - (Plant tour)

o Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company, Makati - Office of

the Director

o Atlas Consolidated Mining and Development Corporation, Toledo

City (Open pit and laboratory tour)

o Atlas Fertilizer Corporation, Toledo City (Plant tour)

o National Steel Corporation, Iligan City (Plant tour)

o L. S. Sarmiento and Company, Panacan (New Davao City) - Plant

tour)

The next section presents a review of the building technology areas. This is followed by a review of impressions of the above organizations.

Recommendations are found at the end of this report.

2. Evaluation of Philippine Building Technology

From the outset, it was clear that Philippine building practices

fall into two groups: city and rural building practices. The city building practices are quite sophisticated both in use of material and methods

of construction and generally are akin to those found in the United States

and the more modern countries. In the rural areas the practices are less

sophisticated and in some places, no systematic practices were recognized.

With the above background, the following provides the reader with

an overview of current Philippine building technology.

2.1 Professional Community

The professional community consists of many professional organizations. There exists a Council, the members of which are representatives

56
of engineering and technological associations. This Council of Technology and Allied Services of the Philippines has nineteen members listed

below. Within this Council, there are seven associations having direct

impact on building technology. They are shown by an asterisk.

o Association of Management and Industrial Engineers of the

Philippines

*o Association of Structural Engineers of the Philippines

o Institution of Electrical and Communications Engineers of the

Philippines

o Kapisanan ng mga Kimiko sa Pilipinas

*o National Society for Seismology and Earthquake Engineering of

the Philippines

*o Philippine Association of Civil Engineers

*o Philippine Association of Mechanical and Electrical

Engineers

o Philippine Association of Naval Architects and Marine

Engineering

*o Philippine Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering Society

o Philippine Sugar Technologists

o Philippine Institute of Chemical Engineers

o Philippine Institute of Electrical Engineers

o Philippine Society of Agricultural Engineers

o Philippine Society of Electrical Engineers

o Philippine Society of Mechanical Engineers

o Philippine Society of Mining, Metalurgical and Geological

Engineers

o Philippine Society of Sanitary Engineers

*o United Architects of the Philippines

*o Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers

In addition, the Association of Government Civil Engineers with over 2200

members has an impact on building technology.

The mission and operation of the professional organizations are similar to those in the United States: one of their aims is to

maintain high ethical professional standards in the practice and

advancement of engineering. Membership is generally open to

registered engineers or licensed architects. Additional information

may be found in the Philippine Association of Civil Engineers (PACE)

Journal "Philippine Civil Engineering", December 1973. The

professional community appears to be better organized than in many

other developing countries.

2.2 Building Regulatory System

The Philippines have one model code called the National Building

Code (NBC). Prior to 1972, every chartered city, district, community,

etc., adapted and followed its own building standards. About 30 professionals representing recognized technical organizations, city engineers and fire chiefs onder the auspices of the committee on Housing,

Urban Development and Resettlement under the Philippine Senate drafted

57
a bill to Institute a national building code. Building Codes from

other countries including the Uniform Building Code of USA, 1967

edition, were used as the basis of the Bill which was passed in 1972.

The National Building Code is designed to apply to all chartered

cities, municipalities and districts with a population of 2,000 or more persons. The Code also applies to dwellings valued at more than

¥ 5,000 (about $725 U.S.). The Code includes the following sections:

o General Provisions,

o Enforcement

,

o Fire Zones and Fire-Resistive Standards,

o Requirements Based on Occupancy,

o Types of Construction,

o Light, Ventilation and Sanitation,

o Regulations for Use of Public Property,

o Engineering Regulations,

o Detailed Regulations,

o Mechanical and Electrical Regulations, and

o Special Subjects

Complementary to the NBC, the National Structural Code for Buildings (NSC) was developed in 1972 by the Association of Structural Engineers of the Philippines and the Philippine Association of Civil Engineers. The Structural Code is divided into seven chapters: General

Design Requirements; Lateral Forces; Wood; Steel and Iron; Concrete;

Masonry; and Excavation, Foundations and Retaining Walls. The code is

mostly a compilation of provisions from nationally accepted codes and

practices of the American Concrete Institute, Institute of Steel Construction, the Uniform Building Code of the United States and others.

The NBC and NSC are deficient in several areas; fire safety, wind and

seismic loading, material and live loading.

The building codes are currently undergoing revision to

incorporate new technology. For example, Section 2.05 on Wind

Pressures of the Philippine National Structural Code for Buildings is

scheduled to be revised by September 1975. Selected tests from the

AID sponsored NBS high wind project are being incorporated into this

code. A revision of Section 2.01 on Earthquake Forces is also

scheduled for completion in about one year. In all likelihood, many

years will be required to completely revise the Building Code.

Philippine building standards originate by consensus standards and

industry specifications. The Philippine: Standards Association

(PHILSA), Philippine Bureau of Standards, (PBS) and Bureau of Supply

Coordination (BSC), develop standards by committee approval. These

organizations work closely with each other in developing new

standards. The other groups within the Government and private

industry adopt standards for their own internal use. The standards

58

i
are adopted by each respective technical section proposing the

standard. There are no uniform methods for reviewing standards.

The PBS developed over 200 standards (including specifications and

methods of test) which pertain to export and domestic trade. Over

half of these are for domestic trade. About 16 are related to

building technology.

Building inspection and code enforcement is performed by a division of the Office of the City (Province) Engineer. The building

inspectors are usually graduate engineers or architects, (licensing is

not required)

.

In order to obtain a building permit, all non-government building

owners must submit working drawings to the City Engineer's Office

The drawings must be prepared by a licensed architect or civil

engineer. One half of the permit fee is due_at this time. After the

building plans are reviewed by the City Engineer (for structural

aspects), the Fire Department (for fire safety and electrical

aspects), the Health Department (for health related aspects), and the

Department of Public Service (for plumbing aspects), the remaining 50

percent permit fee is due. Construction may now begin. It appeared

to Group C that the plans are reviewed in only a cursory fashion.

The City Engineer's Office is responsible for inspecting (1)

privately owned buildings, (2) buildings to be ovned or acquired by

the city, and (3) school buildings. The Bureau of Public Works

inspects buildings owned by the National Government. Lending

institutions such as Peoples Homesite and Housing Corporation, Social

Security Systems, and Government Services Insurance Systems, provide

inspectors for each of their funded housing development projects. The

Department of National Defense employs its own inspectors as does the

Philippine Veterans Association for their hospital construction.

Architects, engineers, and contractors are liable for buildinp

failures (up to 15 years after construction); the regulatory body is

not responsible for such failures. This body has responsibility only

in assuring that plans and specifications comply with city standards

and with codes.

2.3 Buildings

a. Materials

Philippine buildings are classified as permanent, semi-permanent,

and temporary. Permanent buildings are usually designed for long life

(50 or more years) and are made of steel, masonry, or concrete. Semipermanent buildings are constructed for concrete and/or lumber usually

with galvanized iron sheets for roofing. Temporary buildings are made

of lumber, coconut tr^iks, bamboo and other fibrous plants such as

59
nipa. Roof covering is made from nipa palm leaves, cogon grass,

and galvanized iron sheets.

Approximately 95% of the low-rise buildings use indigenous

materials. Some finished hardware materials and asbestos are imported. Since hot rolled steel is totally imported, most high-rise

buildings are constructed of concrete. Use of plastics is small.

Philippine manufacturers rely on local, as well as on imported, raw

materials and machinery. Floor tiles and drain pipes are the two more

popular items being produced and their share of the market is minimal.

Very little is known about the weathering properties of plastics as compared to the more traditional building materials. Products

purchased within the major cities are usually superior to those

purchased in the provinces.

A review of the most abundant indigenous Philippine building

materials is briefly presented below.

Soil - Natural earth is one of the most common building materials.

Adobe (sun-dried earth) is not used to the extent it is in other

developing countries nor as it was in the Philippines prior to World

War II.

Wood - One of the most abundant Philippine building materials is

lumber, which ranks among the best in the world and includes narra,

akle, mahogany, rosewood and pine. Lumber, logs, and plywood make up

the majority of Philippine forest exports. Bamboo is widely used in

home and furniture construction. Rattan, a palm product, is used for

furniture, rope and other uses. Nipa, another palm leaf and bark

product is used in roofing, house construction and cottage products.

There are also several varieties of trees producing resins used for

varnishes and oils. Others produce tannin. The processing of lumber,

and the manufacture of plywood and veneer is a major source of

building materials and source of foreign exchange.

Gypsum and Lime - Gypsum and lime are plentiful in the

Philippines. The quality ranges from acceptable to very good which is

partly due to the quarry and quality control in mining. These

products are used for plastering exterior and interior walls.

Filipinos enjoy decorating their buildings with colorful plasters. It

also serves to hide defects. Little gypsum is used for manufacturing

wall boards. The Atlas Fertilizer Corporation, near Toledo City,

Cebu, is experimenting with producing gypsum wall boards, a building

component that is not manufactured locally. Cement is used almost

exclusively in the building industry. Block construction is very

economical for low-rise buildings and reinforced concrete is used in

high-rise commercial and industrial building construction.

60
Stone, Aggregate and Sand - Most are collected from river beds.

Others are quarried. With the exception of some ocean sand (because

of contamination with calcium silicate which is corrosive), the quality

of the above is considered good to excellent.

Metals - The Philippines possess an abundant supply of metals.

The common metals used in buildings are copper, zinc, and iron.

Copper - Copper deposits are found in Luzon, Cebu, Negros»

Occidental, and Davao provinces. The Atlas Consolidated Mining

and Development Corporation in Toledo, Cebu, is the largest

single source of copper. The lack of copper smelter and

refinery capability results in exporting the ore to Japan and

other developed countries for processing. Fabrication of rods

and bars is performed locally.

Zinc - Zinc is produced as a by-product of other ores. Small

amounts are being produced.

Iron - Iron deposits are found throughout the Philippines. Most

are mined through strip mining methods. Most of the high-grade

iron ore is exported to Japan due to the lack of appropriate

refinery capability (lack of inexpensive sources of power).

The National Steel Corporation in Iligan City provides some refinery capability, thus increasing the supply for local use.

b. Low-Cost Housing

While the need for "low-cost housing" (affordable to other than

the top one-third income group) is great, the effective demand is low

because of high costs. The cost of land is the driving factor in

preventing houses from being truly low-cost. The production level

cannot be raised high enough to result in a low-cost house. Few

government programs provide low-cost housing. There is no accepted

standard to distinguish a low-cost house. Designers and planners have

their own standards. Planning and constructing low-cost houses is not

keeping up with the growth in population. There are no considerations

for user needs. Generally, new technology has not reached the housing

industry. Little information is exchanged between the Government and

private sectors about buildings.

c. Some Observed Construction Practices

Several housing projects were visited during the two week survey.

Most of the houses were priced in the mid to upper cost range. The

following section is a description of housing construction practices

and summarizes building practices as observed in the Philippines. It

is taken from the NBS report NBSIR 74-567 titled FY74 Progress Report

61
on Development of Improved Design Criteria of Low-Rise Buildings to

Better Resist Extreme Winds, by Raufaste and Marshall. Houses are constructed typically by excavating a shallow trench around the

perimeter of the site. Since most houses are constructed on-grade

without basements, the walls are constructed in the trench. Footings

are not used, the block walls are laid directly on the ground.

Although footings are not required to compensate for freezing and

thawing, the placement of the block directly on the ground does not

provide an adequate distribution of the wall loads to the soil. High

bearing pressures occur under the blocks which eventually result in

unequal settlement. Cracking of the walls as a result of this unequal

settlement is a possibility. This construction practice does not

provide any resistance to uplift forces, for resisting overturning by

winds, other than dead weight of the structure. While this is

unlikely, small displacements can result in cracking the structure.

The mortar joints are poor. The irregular nature of small pieces

of block is apparent. In some cases large voids exist in the mortar

joints which severely decreases the strength of the wall. The load

distribution for the reaction from the roof beam is very irregular

resulting in high local stress. These local stresses cause cracking

of the block, settlement of the pier, and very little ability to

resist lateral load.

Footings are also not used for the corner columns which are major

supporting elements for the roof loads. It was observed that there

existed, at times, a lack of a positive connection between the

columns. The block does not provide for lateral load; therefore, the

two units act independently and the stiffening effect of the walls

does not exist.

Minimum anchorage was observed to exist between the supporting

columns and the roof members. Long reinforcing bars from the

supporting columns are bent over roof members to provide anchorage.

This connection provides a very flexible joint which could be

subjected to large displacements under lateral or uplift loads

encountered during high winds and seismic loading.

Framing details for the window openings appear to lack positive

attachment between the window frame lintels and the walls. Irregular

filler blocks forming the lintels and large amounts of mortar to hold

the blocks together provide very little strength. Wind loads on the

windows would cause the entire window unit, including the frame, to

fail.

The weaknesses noted above are not apparent following completion

of the house. Application of finish material (stucco or plaster)

62
covers up these defects. Under natural loading, however, the effects

of these weaknesses show up.

As another example, when tying the roof material to roof trusses,

minimal connections are usually provided between the roof sheeting and

the main supporting members. Usually a thin piece of galvanized strap

(2 cm. by 20 cm.) connects the sheeting to the wood truss. It is

riveted to the underside of the sheeting and nailed to the truss

member. The thin strap providing a very flexible connection is

subjected to large displacements when under load. In addition, the

eccentric attachment causes torsion of the roof beams and localized

bending of the roof sheeting in the vicinity of the nails. Nailing

through the thin metal strap reduces its strength and increases the

possibility of its tearing under load. It was observed at some other

housing construction projects, that a "J" bolt replaced the thin

strap. While this is an improved connection (rigid connection), the

torsion problem remains.

Generally, the Philippine new houses are assembled without

adequate regard to good building practices. Applying a cosmetic

finish to building surfaces to hide structural and other flaws is

prevalent.

d. Architectural Considerations

Most new low-rise buildings are styled after western designs,

especially those of the USA. Most of these buildings are single story

with total floor area of 30-60 square meters. As mentioned above, the

predominant building materials are concrete and masonry for floor and

walls, and wood and corrugated galvanized iron for the roof system.

The roof overhang ranges from 1 to 2 meters. Asbestos is becoming

more popular. It is aesthetically pleasing, possesses improved

thermal and accoustical properties, and does not rust. The material,

however, cracks easily, is less durable, and more expensive than

corrugated galvanized iron.

Included in the low-rise building category, are community centers,

libraries, hospitals, schools, health facilities, etc. Many of these

buildings lack good workmanship and building practices which is very

evident, especially in the pre-war buildings. There is also a lack of

technology to prove adequate safety of buildings.

Within the past five years or so the Philippines have placed an increased emphasis on promoting tourism,, More and more of the new commercial building designs (apartments, hotels, civic centers,

theaters), are becoming more free in design and are more aesthetically

pleasing. The local architects and engineers are beginning to emerge

as a capable force, with the expertise to design, engineer, and

63
construct buildings with character, warmth, structural safety, and

class. The professional community appears ready to tackle problems

associated with quality design.

2.4 Testing

a. Facilities

There are at present five major laboratories recognized to test

building materials and products:

1. University of the Philippines (UP), Diliman, Quezon City

(Department of Civil Engineering)

,

2. Metal Industry Research and Development Center (MIRDC),

3. National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST),

4. Department of Public Highways (including the branch attached

to the Manila City Engineer's office, and

5. Forest Products Research and Industries Development Commission

(FORPRIDECOM) , Los Banos (near Manila).

The University of the Philippines laboratory is capable of performing destructive testing on almost all the commonly used building materials. The Metal Industry Research and Development Center is capable

of carrying out non-destructive analysis of metals. NIST carries out

only routine tests of concrete and steel. The Department of Public

Highways laboratories usually perform routine tests on concrete and

soil and building structures. FORPRIDECOM is involved primarily in

tests on timber, bamboo, and lumber. Although their facilities are somewhat limited, they have improvised some methods for carrying out

full scale testing of structures, e.g., trusses, roofs, shells, etc.

They are also performing tests on and developing locally produced

connectors and fasteners.

b. Methods

In the absence of Philippine specifications for tests, the methods

prescribed by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) are widely used* For concrete tests both cylinders (15.24 x 30.48 cm) and

prisms (2.54 x 2.54 x 15.24 cm) are used. Group C members expressed

doubt whether some of the specimens tested were representative of the

material used. Some moulds used for casting prisms, (usually of

plywood), produced specimens with shapes and sizes significantly

different from those intended. Timber products are tested either

64
according to ASTM methods or BS methods. The Bureau of Public

Highways refers to the American Association of State Highway Officials

(AASHO) methods and specifications.

c. Calibration

The testing machines in almost all the laboratories were said to be

calibrated approximately once every six months using standard proving

rings. Most of the machines are graduated in Imperial units, so conversion to metric system or SI could be a problem.

d. Testing Personnel

Most of the laboratories appeared to employ engineers to perform

tests. Some of these engineers were university graduates who failed to

qualify in the Board examination (see section 2.6a below).

Additional information on testing may be found elsewhere in this

document. Refer to Group E's Report on Testing Facilities.

2.5 Building Research

Minimum building research is being performed toward developing improved building technology and for better and wider use of indigenous materials. The degree of government participation in building technology is

minimal. No one government agency has the responsibility for building

research. Little emphasis is placed on research efforts directed toward

developing local building technology. With the exception of FORPRIDECOM,

almost no research is conducted on the use of local materials such as coconut tree, bamboo, timber, reeds, etc. The large and well-known manufacturers have reached a satisfactory level of innovative research, and

their standards establish the quality of their products. They are

thus reluctant to submit their products to a standardization or testing agency.

2.6 Education

a. Education and Training

There are 53 engineering schools in the country. As in the United

States, approximately 30 percent of the incoming freshman students graduate. The graduates must pass a Board of Examinations before they are licensed to practice as professional engineers. About 1400 engineering

students take the examinations annually. No statistics were available on

the passing percentages.

The education standards among the 53 schools differ significantly.

There is talk of initiating a pilot program consisting of five colleges

and universities to evaluate themselves for accreditation.

65
Post-graduate education at Philippine universities is not popular

and most Filipino engineers prefer going to the United States, Australia

and to other foreign universities.

Manufacturers usually do not provide their employees with incentives

to register for off-site courses of further professional or trade education. Some government departments and building component manufacturers

however, hold in-house training programs. For example, in-house short

courses are taught by university personnel and some specialized training

is provided by the management staff,

b. Curriculum

Most of the courses at the University of the Philippines (considered one of the best engineering schools in the Philippines), are similar to

those in the United States, both in format and content. However, there

is a lack of emphasis on advanced engineering courses; thus the graduate

is deficient in certain basic knowledge. There is also a lack of emphasis on developing local building technology and maximizing the use of

indigenous materials. A review of one engineering university catalogue

suggested that building construction, the only course dealing with materials and methods of construction, is offered only as an elective to

final year students.

3. Additional Background Information Gathered During Visits

The following provides the reader with additional understanding

about Philippine building technology.

3.1 Metals Industry Research and Development Center (MIRDC)

MIRDC was founded in 1966 as a semi-private organization to provide

metals research and testing. The Center is divided into five departments:

training, testing, research and development, industrial economics, and

special projects. Their laboratory facilities are located in the new

science complex in Bicutan, south of Manila. A review of their testing

capability was given previously.

They provide some non-destructive tests on metal building components. Their standards group is performing basic tasks. They appear to

have an adequate number of staff, yet, all are somewhat under-utilized.

It appears that much of the testing equipment is not often used. This

may be due to other government agencies which also perform similar re- search and testing programs, or because not enough tests are carried out.

66
3.2 Government Service Insurance System (OSIS)

The OSIS is a government agency concerned with building houses. The

agency is a lending institute to building contractors. They have many

financial housing projects scattered throughout Central Luzon. Most of

their buildings are one-story with 3 bedrooms. They are usually constructed of hollow concrete block, wood truss, concrete with corrugated galvanized iron roofing. Asbestos sheets (material usually imported from

West Germany) are becoming more competitive. The roofing is connected to

the truss by straps (rivited sheeting and nailed to truss. They are beginning to standardize all buildings.

3.3 University of the Philippines (UP) , Diliman, Quezon City

The following are impressions gained from discussions with UP staff,

professors, Dean of Engineering and the Assistant Dean of Engineering:

1. There are 53 engineering schools in the country.

2. Roughly 1400 students take the Board examinations every ypar

(conducted annually).

3. Most of the graduates (engineering and architectural) are employed by the private sector.

4. The UP produces 4% of all engineering graduates in the country.

5. There appears to be a necessity of intermediate level professionals to lead to better utilization of the engineering manpower .

6. Only 9 6000 ($850 U.S.) /year is spent on building research.

A National Science Development Board grant of 9 12,000 (about

$1700 U.S.) per year has been furnished. Presently, there is no full-time research staff.

7. The UP Industrial Research Center provides testing facilities

and services to industry.

3.4 National Housing Corporation (NHC)

The National Housing Corporation, a semi-government housing manufacturer, produces porous concrete panels, chip board, PVC pipe and floor

tiles, doors and windows and fabricates building components. The NHC

plant has a rated capacity of about 1000 housing units per month

Presently, the plant averages less than 250 per month. The units have

an are* ot 47.5sq.m. Their costs are about ? 28,000 ($ 4000 U.S.)<

67
A lightweight aggregate is being used to produce blocks or panels

for low-cost housing. Lime, cement, sand, and aluminum powder are com- bined to produce FOAMCRETE. This product was patented in the United

States but the inventor could not find a market. The manufacturing

method was transferred to the Philippines where it has shown promise

for producing housing components. NHC develops tests for their

material as it is needed, (no acceptance tests are performed).

Other companies producing similar products to those at NHC are:

a. Pres tress (concrete panels)

b. Cons tress (concrete panels)

c. CDCP (concrete panels)

d. PACWOOD (roof trusses)

There is nominal government participation in developing new technology.

For a conventional house, about 70-75% of the costs are attributed

to material and the remainder to labor. NHC claims for their factoryproduced houses, that material cost represents 85% and labor costs are

15%. Building costs have doubled in the last three years.

NHC management has a concern for employees and their families.

Since the factory is located more than 30 km from downtown Manila, a housing community was erected for workers and their families. The

houses are the same as those sold on the open market. Volunteer

housewives are trained and employed to assemble wood floor tiles for some of the manufactured houses.

In addition to producing and selling single family buildings, NHC

is experimenting with duplex, triplex and quadplex houses. A duplex

costs NHC about the same as a single family detached house. The NHC

management is in the process of educating prospective buyers that they

may save 50% by purchasing a duplex. Currently, these buildings are more appealing to the low-income family.

NHC accepts orders from individual clients; however, construction

does not begin until a minimum of 50 units are on order.

3.5 Bureau of Public Works (BPW)

BPW designs and constructs all national government buildings.

Since 1970, BPW has been responsible for designing and constructing

school buildings to replace those which were damaged and destroyed by

68
the disastrous typhoons of 1970. It has its own construction work

force; at times work is contracted out. It provides a fairly complete

laboratory for testing building products. BPW is becoming more aware

of construction management technique. It is very concerned about

improving scheduling prior to any construction award. BPW is

concerned about Philippine building practices and is trying to improve

its practices. It claims to be following appropriate work safety

regulations established by the U.S. Department of Labor.

The Bureau follows ASTM standards. As new Philippine codes are

developed, BPW informed the group that it will implement them. During

construction, the Bureau assigns engineers permanently to the

building. The engineers are trained in all aspects of building

construction.

3.6 Department of Public Highways

Discussions were conducted with about 12 engineers, including the

Director of Special Projects. The Department is responsible for planning,

designing, constructing, and maintaining all national highways, bridges,

and airports. The following are impressions gathered during the meeting:

o AASHO (American Association of State Highway Officials) specifications are followed in the design of bridges.

o A departmental code, popularly known as the "Red Book" is extensively used.

o Design methods developed at the Portland Cement Association (PCA)

U.S.A., are used for pavement design,

o Asphalt used in flexible pavements are obtained from local refineries (e.g., PETROFIL).

o Testing facilities exist for testing steel, concrete and soil.

A 400,000 pound capacity Tate-Energy Universal Testing Machine

(made in U.S.A.) is used for tension, compression and other tests.

The departmental laboratories are used not only by other Government departments, but also by private organizations.

o Materials are tested before acceptance. AASHO method of sampling

is used.

o Standard precast prestressed beams are used for bridge spans 50

ft. to 100 ft.

o New graduates undergo departmental training for two months. No

in-service technical training program exists but management

training is given under "Career Executive Branch'1 . o More engineering graduates now join the private sector because

of higher salaries. The department is losing young engineers

to private sectors.

o Computer programs are used for the planning of highways, e.g.

,

origin-destination studies. The National Computer Center provides the facilities. The Bureau of Telecommunication Computing

facilities are also used. The computer is not used for

structural design.

69
o Steel is more popular for long-span bridges and reinforced/prestressed concrete for short and medium-span bridges.

o The department employs about 1000 graduate engineers.

o Graduate engineer inspectors perform regular inspection at all

stages of work. They have the power to stop work when specifications are not followed.

3.7 Forest Products Research and Industries Development Commission

(FORPRIDECOM)

FORPRIDECOM has considerable expertise in timber products. They

were formed with the assistance of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

They are providing technical support in developing timber related specifications, including plywood, and developing test methods for connectors

and fasteners. Also research is being carried out in wood waste utilization and they have been studying the use of plant fibers for building

products. FORPRIDECOM has constructed several experimental buildings

using various building block materials and material combinations for

possible use for mass production.

3.8 Ambrosio R. Flores - Consulting Engineer

Mr. Flores, a practicing civil engineer and past president of

various prestigous professional associations including PHILSA, provided

much useful information which was used in developing this report. During

his forty-seven years as a civil engineer, he served in many capacities,

from university professor to author and consulting engineer. His background includes over 100 individual buildings including churches, theaters,

offices, banks, and industrial facilities. He played a major role in

developing the National Building Code and National Structural Code for

Buildings, and is responsible for updating portions of the Structural Code.

3.9 Philippine Institute of Civil Engineer (PICE)

The Institute represents the merging, in 1973, of two major civil

engineering societies; the Philippine Association of Civil Engineers

and the Philippine Society of Civil Engineers. The Constitution and

By-Laws of PICE are similar to counterpart U.S. societies and associations.

PICE is a very strong professional association with a fairly large membership roster covering the entire Philippine Islands. Its president,

Cesar Caliwara, has taken strong leadership since his term commenced in

1971. The PICE members interviewed during this Survey were not familiar

with the Philippines Bureau of Standards. They have little appreciation

for what PBS can do to assist the building industry.

70
3.10 Land and Housing Development Corporation (LHDC)

LHDC is a private housing development organization which designs

and provides construction services primarily for the middle income individual. They are also designing townhouses and other low-rise structures

such as churches and community facilities. Their building practices

appear to be quite good.

3.11 Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific Company of Manila, Inc. (AG and P)

The AG and P Company is engaged in engineering, construction, metals,

fabrications, manufacturing, sales, offshore and marine s true tures. They

provide services and products in the Philippines and to most of Southeast

Asia. The company , established in 1900, was organized in the United States.

In 1901, a Philippine branch was opened. The company has grown into a highly diversified business organization. Their professional staff number over 600 persons; approximately one-third are civil engineers. Others

include architects, mechanical, electrical and marine engineers.

Their construction group provides engineering services for largeconstruction jobs ranging from fractionating towers, to sugar mills and

refineries, cement plants, electric generating stations and high-rise

office buildings.

Since most of their activities are on a contract basis (as are other

similar organizations), they have little impact toward improving product

standardization, or building technology, other than providing good building practices.

3.12 Materials Testing Laboratory (Manila City Engineers Office)

The laboratory is equipped to perform routine tests on concrete,

soil and highway materials. The testing personnel employed were civil

and chemical engineering graduates.

In general, every six months the testing machines were calibrated.

It appeared that the sizes of concrete specimens tested- varied widely,

e.g., 15.24 cm cubes undergoing tests were found to have sides as great

as 16.51 cm. This is because non-standardized plywood moulds were used

at the site.

3.13 Design Construction Consulting Development Corporation (DCCD)

DCCD is typical of many architectural /engineering firms within the

U.S. They provide engineering, design and construction services. The

vast majority of their involvement is in the commercial and industrial

area. DCCD provides total services such as; architectural, structural,

mechanical, plumbing, electrical and construction. This firm appears to

71
be very well qualified and to follow good building practices.

3.14 Mariwasa Manufacturing Company

This company .using standards from Italy, manufactures ceramic tiles,

vitrified flooring tiles, and refractory materials. Twenty million tiles

are produced monthly under three grades:

Grade I - used for export, represents 60-65% of total

Grade II - used for local consumption - 30% of total

Grade III - used for low-cost housing - 5-10% of total

The quality control methods appear to rely solely on the workers

who usually inspect, during its production, almost 100 % of the manufac-4- tured items at several stages in production. About 5% of the prod" is

relected which by observation would hp a lov-estimate on the day we

visited. Raw material is recovered from rejected tiles. It was observed

during the plant tour that there is an absence of adequate safety

practices for the workers when judged by U.S. standards. For example,

workers are not provided basic personal safety devices (goggles, dust

mask) or occupational safety protection (guard rails, marked walkvays, fans,

dust removal equipment). In addition, many workers must walk over conveyor

belts when leaving their work station, are exposed to frayed wiring, and are confronted with hot and humid conditions, to name but a few of their

unsafe and unpleasant conditions.

3.15 Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company, Makati, Manila

The building/construction related activities of the organization

are:

o Design, erection and maintenance of steel towers for microwave

antennas in various locations of the country

o Design, construction, and maintenance of telephone exchange

buildings (16 in Greater Manila and 14 in Provincial towns).

The following are impressions gathered from discussions with company

representatives

o The tallest tower is 306 feet high; the majority of towers are around 100 feet high. Most are self-supporting; guyed towers

appear to be economical for heights greater than 120 feet.

o Steel for the towers is imported - mostly from Japan

o The UP testing facilities are extensively used - usually for

testing concrete and steel. ASTM standards are used.

o Design of towers must get approval from the City Engineer*

s

office.

o In the absence of a reliable wind code, a 200 miles/hour wind

72
is assumed in design - for all parts of the country.

o 'National Building Code' recommendations are usually followed.

o It appears that inspection (by qualified graduate civil engineers)

is carried out in case of steel structures but this may be re- laxed for concrete designs. All their structures are insured,

thus the insuring company also arranges an inspection.

o 'National Safety Standards' are followed. Compensation arrangements exist for injuries to construction workers, as provided

for in the "Workman's Compensation Act".

o It appears that "fire safety" provisions are not explicitly mentioned in the National Building Code. However, in view of the

extremely strategic importance of the telephone exchange buildings, various types of fire safety provisions (e.g., smoke detectors) have been installed. The City Fire Department is consulted

in such cases.

o Conversion to the metric system is posing some problems. At

present 'soft conversion' is used only in 'length'. Next to be

converted would be the gauge of the cables.

o The engineers, in general, felt the necessity of a more comprehensive national building code and a better mechanism for

enforcement of standards.

3.16 Atlas Consolidated Mining and Development Corporation

The entire survey team toured copper strip mines near Toledo City,

Cebu. A laboratory visit followed. The copper is refined to about 27%

pure. It is then sold to highly industrialized countries with capability

to process the copper to 99.5 percent.

3.17 Atlas Fertilizer Corporation

The entire survey team was hosted for lunch by the Atlas Fertilizer

Corporation. A short briefing on the production of fertilizer and chemicals was made by key staff members. There was a discussion about expanding their plant capacity to include production of gypsum board wall panels.

Little or no production of gypsum panels exists in the Philippines, since

most building interiors are finished in plaster or wood. A very brief tour

of their plant was provided after lunch.

3.18 L. S. Sarmiento and Company

A visit with L.S. Sarmiento and Company, (wood paneling), Panacan,

near Davao City, was scheduled for the building technology team. Although both Mr. Raufaste and Professor Choudhury had returned to Manila,

Mr. Peiser accompanied the Philippine members of the group from PBS and

the UP, Messrs. Del fin Alesna, Jr. and Roger Balinong.

Sarmiento is an important producer of high quality plywood, veneer,

73
and very attractive narra paneling, with some expansion into

furniture, paint manufacture, etc. The plant manager, Mr. Luisito Lopez

guided the tour. Discussions and a luncheon were chaired by the VicePresident.

Worldwide recession in building activities has created problems for

this company, affecting possibly even its survival. Technical problems

generally concern economically dictated measures. Savings in raw materials have to be made, yet the grading of the product quality demands a high percentage of highly perfect products. Waste and reject

material are used as fuel for the steam plant.

The firm is rightly proud of its pre-finished panels which are

used, for example, in mobile homes in the U.S.A. The organic solvent

paints no longer have a cost advantage over water-based latex paints.

The company will switch its output to water-based paints with resulting

improvements to the health of workers and to fire safety. The laboratory is equipped to handle the standards requirements of the American

Hardwood Plywood Association. In paint testing, there is no advanced

measurements technology, so that for titania paints, for example, there

is no way to check the rutile/anatase ratio. Clues have not given trouble;

paper lining with very small holes for glue penetration comes mostly from

Taiwan.

The Philippine mahogany reserves are being gradually depleted. This

trend is even more serious for narra wood with a replacement time of about

a century. Clearly this was not the place or indeed the right survey to

look Into the reforestation policies of the Philippine Government.

Sarmiento is more concerned with employing its production facilities closer

to capacity. Use of rejected shavings by pulping, processing, and com- pounding, into, say doors, suggests itself, but the company is perhaps too

short of capital to try new ventures.

It is Mr. Peiser's personal impression that we were entertained more

out of courtesy to PBS than for reasons of needed advice or technical ex- changes. The company is well organized, with good working conditions.

Recommendations

Sixteen provisional recommendations classified in five groups were

developed by Croup C. They are based on the above discussions and are suggested for implementation. They are not rank ordered since the PBS

is in a better position to make those judgments. The following

recommendations are presented as an aid to help PBS shed its current

lack of an image; characterized by people asking such questions as "who are they and what do they do"? and to help PBS become more

responsive to the building needs of the Philippines. Several of the

recommendations may be implemented immediately while others will

74
require coordination between PBS, other government agencies, private

organizations and the professional building community.

Institution Building

o A dialogue should be maintained between the Philippines Bureau of

Product Standards, the National Bureau of Standards and the Agency

for International Development to provide survey feedback to all

parties for coordinating local responses to the project report and

recommendations, for assessing impact of the survey on Philippine

building technology and for identifying additional local technical

needs

»

o Communications about building technology between Philippine

Government agencies, professional societies and the private sector

should be improved. One of the means of achieving this would be

by holding periodic workshops on different subjects.

Application of Codes and Standards

o Codes and standards should be upgraded by inclusion of provisions

for more comprehensive fire safety regulations, wind and seismic

forces and other live loading. This will lead to an improvement

in the quality and safety of buildings and would minimize the loss

of life and property due to natural calamities and fires.

o The enforcement of codes and standards should be improved, harmonization with the NBC should be favored with a minimum of local departures. Zoning practices should be more widely adopted.

o ^ wider dissemination of building standards and specifications to

the professional community, government agencies and private

industry is needed.

Laboratory Services

o An accepted uniform laboratory accreditation program should be

developed for use by all government and private organizations.

This will lead to a better enforcement of test methods and

standards.

o There is a need for developing standard methods of test for

indigenous products such as bamboo, coconut, lumber, aggregates,

cement, sand, etc.

o In order to ensure better quality control of building products,

the facilities at testing laboratories should be expanded.

75
o Facilities for full-scale testing of building components should be

available, at one laboratory facility.

o Sampling methods - particularly of concrete - should be better en- forced at the construction site.

Education

o An accreditation system for engineering schools should be

introduced. This will ultimately lead to more uniformity in the

quality of graduates.

o Undergraduates should receive more exposure to current building

practices and building technology; this should lead to an improvement in building practices.

o An intermediate level of education (para-professional) should be

provided to produce specialists to perform certain functions like

inspection and supervision of construction and testing of

materials. Releasing the engineers, who currently perform the

above jobs, for more vital ones, will lead to better utilization

of engineering manpower.

Res earch

o Collaboration between PBS and government, manufacturers and the

building community toward establishing a national building

research program would be beneficial to all parties concerned with

improving buildings. For this to occur, some form of government

subsidy would be needed to finance the high cost of research.

o Research efforts should be directed towards developing a safe

shelter which is truly low-cost for transients, displaced families

and the poor. This will necessarily mean a further use of the

local natural resources.

o Develop and standardize simple prefabrication systems for use in

various building types. Such a system could offer a savings in

material costs as well as in future maintenance costs. It would

also lead to a better enforcement of codes and standards.

76
VII REPORT OF GROUP D

TECHNICAL DATA HANDLING IN THE PHILIPPINES

OBSERVATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

I. Introduction

Progress in scientific and industrial development depends In large

measure on the development of techniques and systems for collecting

and disseminating scientific and technical data arising from original

experiments or derived from published reports of such experiments.

Until the last few decades, the systematic codification, collection,

and dissemination (publication) of technical data was supported either

by professional societies, by large industrial organizations, or by

trade associations. More recently technical information and data have

been recognized as important national assets and governments have

taken on more responsibility for improving the flow of information and

data to the technical community.

In the U.S. even large companies have found a need to band together to

support projects for data acquisition and dissemination. The American

Petroleum Institute, the Copper Development Association, the American

Gas Association, etc. are examples of trade organizations which have

for a long time supported data collection and dissemination projects.

Corresponding efforts exist in Germany, Japan, France and other highly

industrialized countries where these patterns of industrial

cooperation have emerged over the last AO or so years.

In today's faster-paced world a developing country cannot wait until

such patterns of cooperation emerge. Today governments must take

positive action to encourage and foster more effective systems for

handling scientific and technical data.

Governmental assistance in this area would seem particularly crucial

in the Philippines because,we understand, the Philippine Government

and people have mapped for themselves a plan to develop local

industry, locally financed and managed, to produce products to compete

in world trade. Frequent consultation and license agreements will be

required from abroad, but most of the technical knowledge needed is

buried in about 15,000 technical journals, totalling several million

pages a year. Without help, the individual, or even the local

company, simply cannot manage its input data problems. Only the

Government of the Philippines has the resources to help, and this

would appear to be a duty if its industrialization program is to succeed on a reasonable scale.

77
Technical data handling has both a classical and a modern aspect.

While the modern aspect involves the use of computers and is the subject of much discussion here and abroad, the resolution of problems

associated with classical librarianship is still essential and even crucial to progress in the modern world. Thus, this report will

address itself to both aspects of the technical data handling problem.

In our numerous visits we found organizations with strengths in each

of the fields. We also found a number of pockets of excellence in

both library and computer operations.

2. Libraries Visited in the Manila Area

We visited nine libraries and examined their cataloging of certain

well known NBS and other publications as a crude measure of the

accessibility of important technical data to persons in the Manila

area.

Among the libraries we visited were those at the following institutions:

Philippines Bureau of Standards

Philippine Chamber of Industries

Philippine Textile Research Institute

Bureau of Supply Coordination

Board of Investments (Chemical Industries Library)

Board of Investments (MIRDC Library)

National Institute of Science and Technology

Central Bank of the Philippines

University of the Philippines

Later in this section we record some comments and observations on the

libraries we visited. Here, we wish to draw attention to a troublesome aspect of library practice in standards organizations. It seems to be a common practice for standards organizations in the

Philippines and in other countries to acquire collections of published

standards from sister institutions throughout the world. It is,

therefore, not unusual to find a standards library burdened with

literally thousands of standards. We use the word burdened advisedly

because even the most rudimentary control of such a collection forces

the usually limited library staff to spend effort on documents they

may never have a need for. It is also difficult to be certain that

the standards on the shelf are the most current. Often too, they are in languages which the staff cannot easily read.

The practice of distributing or exchanging standards on a wholesale

basis is a burden for all parties. A more rational plan would be to

78
request from sister institutions only those standards which are required for the problem at hand. Thus, if it is on the schedule to

prepare a new standard on a particular commodity, then requests can be

made via correspondence or Telex to sister institutions to furnish

copies of their most current standards that bear upon the subject at

hand. Such a practice, it seems to us, would greatly increase the

overall efficiency of both the requesting and the granting

institutions.

We recognize that foreign standards are needed for purposes other than

the writing of local standards. If foreign standards are required to

perfect a manufacturers process or for control of export products, it

would seen better to request them, one by one, as needed than to

depend upon a collection acquired 5 or more years ago.

As a result of this survey, we have established valuable personal

connections with the librarians at the Central Bank, at the University

of the Philippines, at MIST, and at the Board of Investment, as well as the Philippines Bureau of Standards. We found the librarians cognizant

of many of the current bibliographic aids and observed only one troublesome problem —the inadequate cataloging of the NBS collection at the

NIST Library.

For some years now, the NIST Library has been receiving all of the NBS

publications without cost. They are shelved in a special section in

the library and are, of course, available to persons who have the privilege of entering the stacks. Even if one knows of the existence of

the various series of NBS publications, it would be very difficult to

find a specific NBS Technical Note, Monograph, Circular, or Handbook

since none of the publications are cataloged individually. We can appreciate the reason for this state of affairs as we have observed

similar conditions at depository libraries in the U.S. This does not,

however, change the fact that the utility of this extensive and

expensive NBS collection is seriously compromised by the inadequate

cataloging. That situation is more serious in the Philippines than

elsewhere because there is a scarcity of other announcement and

abstract mechanisms as well. We offer no solution to this problem at

present. There is a possibility, since the problem is more universal,

that the solution to it can best be handled at NBS. The details of

how NBS might itself remedy this situation will be the subject of

further study.

3. The Need for Computerized Selective Dissemination of Bibliographic

Information (SDI)

In the past, progress in science and technology depended heavily upon

published abstract bulletins. Among the more important of these, one

79
finds Chemical Abstracts , Science Abstracts , Engineering Index , Biological Abstracts , etc. As the volume of the published literature

has increased so has the bulk of the abstract bulletins and their cost

to the user. A full subscription to the published version of Chemical

Abstracts now costs $3000 per year. At that price, it is

understandable that universities find it harder and harder to justify

multiple subscriptions. This situation is especially serious in

countries where dollar exchange is a problem.

In the entire Philippines, there are only 4 subscriptions to Chemical

Abstracts , and 3 of these are in Manila. In the case of Engineering

Index ,. the U.P. Library does not subscribe to the monthly issues. It

receives only the annual volumes and no one else gets Engineering

Index . In the case of Biological Abstracts , there is a total of 4

subscriptions in the entire country.

This state of affairs argues strongly for the establishment of a computerized SDI (Selective Dissemination of Information) system in

the Philippines. Such a system makes use of magnetic tape versions of

the major abstract journals which are searched to agree with a user's

interest profile. These tapes are made available under a variety of

leasing arrangements in which the payment depends upon the extent of

use. It is our view in the case of Chemical Condensates (the

computerized version of Chemical Abstracts ), that an SDI system

serving 100 or so chemists or chemical technologists would cost little

more than the cost of 3 or 4 additional subscriptions of the printed

version.

For industrial development, an SDI system based on COMPENDEX (the

computerized version of Engineering Index) should receive high

priority. In view of the priority given to industrial development, it seems reasonable for such an SDI project to be funded by the Board of

Investments and/or other agencies concerned with the industrial and

technical development of the country.

We are strongly inclined to nominate a University with a strong

tradition of library service and with a computer center that can easily be upgraded. Other organizations which we visited could handle

an SDI system also, but we feel that they have broader missions under

which an SDI system might get lost. It seems better to assign this

project to a group for whom it will represent a major long-term

undertaking and where interest in such service already exists. The

University of the Philippines seems to us to be the most likely

candidate for operating an SDI system for Scientific and Technical

Information.

80
4. Computer Facilities in the Manila Area

We visited computer centers at the following institutions:

1. Central Bank of the Philippines (CB)

2. The National Computer Center (NCC)

3. The University of the Philippines (UP)

In addition, we visited with the staff of the Development Academy of

the Philippines (DAP) concerned with designing and building

information systems. Though they have no computer of their own, they are heavily engaged in assisting government agencies who need to

introduce computers to solve their data handling problems. We say

"need to use" rather than "wish to use" because the DAP charges for

its services. Only those agencies that recognize a need sufficient to

budget for it can avail themselves of DAP Services. The DAP group

uses computers at MERALCO , at NCC and sometimes at the IBM service

bureau.

Assistance from the National Computer Center also entails a financial

commitment. We also visited the. responsible individuals at IBM

Philippines to round out the picture viz-a-viz existing computer

facilities and the status of teleprocesssing.

At the National Computer Center we saw the beginnings of remote use of

computers over telephone lines. They now have six terminals located

in important government offices including: the Office of the

President, National Economic Development Authority , Bureau of the

Treasury, Budget Commission, etc. These are used over leased lines.

The computer hardware has room for a dozen terminals, but the demand

for them is not yet strong as they require leased lines. There is no immediate prospect of dial-up service. That must wait until

improvements are made in the telephone system.

In the Manila area at least, it is our observation that enough

computer hardware exists, or will soon be installed, and that internal

staffing and external training programs are being pushed vigorously

enough by both DAP and NCC to serve any agency with its serious data

handling problems. Both the Development Academy and the National

Computer Center have taken on country-wide responsibilities in promoting the proper use of computers. Plans have also been laid to

provide regional centers to help users in the more remote locations.

81
5 . Recommendations

Time did not permit an exhaustive inquiry into the extent to which the

existing libraries in the Manila area are used by industrial and

governmental personnel outside of the organization in which the

library is situated, nor the extent to which the libraries provide

services to outlying regions. The impression one gets even from

casual observations is that whatever service is being offered to

outlying regions now, it is a small fraction of what is needed to meet

the information needs of an expanded industrialization and development

program.

We therefore concur in recommendation six made by Group A that it is

very important to "expand library and technical information services

to industries and other technical and scientific organizations".

For a variety of reasons (financial, hard currency posture, urgency,

cost/benefit ratio, etc) we would give the highest priority to the

initiation of a computer-based Selective Dissemination of Information

system (SDI) in an institution which has a long tradition in classical

library service and has access to a computer of reasonable capability.

For reasons stated in item 3 above we favor the University of the

Philippines over other organizations we visited in this survey.

82
VIII. REPORT OF GROUP E

TESTING FACILITIES

1. Introduction

The mission of Group E was to survey and assess the current status of

the testing facilities in the Philippines. The membership of Group E

consisted of the following:

Mr. Arnold Wexler - Group Leader

Chief, Humidity Section

National Bureau of Standards

U.S.A.

Ing. Orlando Donoso T.

,

General Director for Standards and Technology

Ministry of Industry and Commerce,

La Paz, Bolivia

Mr. Napoleon F. Manalo,

Science Research Associate IV

Tests and Standards Division

National Institute of Science and Technology

Philippines

Mr. Rodrigo S. de Cos to

Master Sergeant, Philippine Air Force

Philippines

Mrs. Elsie L. Griarte

Chief Chemist

Philippines Bureau of Standards

Philippines.

Unfortunately, Ing. Orlando Donoso T. could not join us in the

Philippines. Visits were made to typical government, educational,

industrial, and commercial establishments which possess physical and/or

chemical laboratories for testing materials, products or commodities,

engage in quality control operations, have instrument maintenance and

repair shops, perform inspections or provide measurement services.

These visits were augmented by discussions with public officials,

industrial and commercial plant managers, scientists, technicians and

university personnel. This report presents some of our major

observations and conclusions and offers recommendations on improvements in facilities and services which we believe may assist

and accelerate technological development within the country.

83
2. Key Testing Facilities in the Philippines

There are a number of government agencies which have facilities for

supplying testing and measurement services. In general, these

facilities are mission oriented, that is, they are dedicated to

fulfilling specific objectives of the parent organization. Most,

however, also provide services to other agencies within the government

as well as to the private sector. Not all of the facilities were

visited by Group E.

The Tests and Standards Laboratory (TSL) of the National Institute of

Science and Technology (NIST) conducts tests of products and materials

and performs limited calibrations of weights and measures. In

accordance with the decision of the Metric System Board, NIST was assigned the responsibility for maintaining and disseminating the

physical standards for five of the seven base units of the S.I. system

of units: length, mass, electric current, temperature and luminous

intensity. TSL has just transferred (in 1976) to a new building of their

own located at the Science Center in Rizal.

The Metals Industry Research and Development Center (MIRDC) has

laboratories which perform chemical analyses, surface treatment and

corrosion testing, metallographic tests and analyses, mechanical tests

of physical properties, and non-destructive tests of metallic

materials. MIRDC also has inspection and dimensional metrology

laboratories as well as an instrumentation shop for the repair and

calibration of optical pyrometers, temperature indicators and

recorders.

The Philippine Textile Research Institute (PTRI) is an agency under

the National Science and Development Board (NSDB) with laboratories

for testing textiles and textile products. It has considerable

facilities and equipment for conducting both chemical and physical

tests.

The Philippine Air Force maintains a Precision Measurement Equipment

Laboratory (PMEL) for servicing, repairing and calibrating

aeronautical instruments and equipment, especially of an electronic

nature. This laboratory maintains close liaison with Clarke Air Force

Base (U.S.A.), the latter providing back-up service and standards

traceable to the U.S.A.. The Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA)

maintains a well equipped laboratory for the testing and calibration

of aircraft instruments and equipment. CAA works in close

collaboration with the Philippine Airlines which maintains a similar

laboratory.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services

Administration (PAGASA) has the responsibility for meteorological

84
observations and weather forecasting as well as the responsibility for

maintaining and disseminating time and frequency standards.

The Forest Products Research and Industries Development Commission

(FORPRIDECOM) maintains a laboratory at College, Laguna with

facilities for testing wood and wood products.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is an agency of the Government

charged with the responsibility for setting standards on foods and

drugs. It is equipped with chemical and microbiological laboratories

for conducting research and tests on food, drugs and cosmetics.

The Bureau of Public Highways (BPH) has cognizance over highways and

bridges for which it sets standards and specifications. It is

equipped with facilities for making tests on engineering materials and

structures

.

The National Grains Authority (NGA) is an agency, established in 1972

by Presidential Decree No. 4, with the mission of providing an adequate and continuous supply of cereal grains to the nation. To

assist it in safeguarding the quality of cereal stocks and in checking

grains for conformance to standards, NGA maintains a laboratory for

analysis, inspection and testing of grains.

Food Terminals Inc. (FTI) is a project of the Development Bank of the

Philippines with the broad objectives of increasing farm incomes,

Improving the quality of farm products and stabilizing food supply and

prices. Among its extensive facilities is a large central

refrigeration warehouse. FTI has a Food Research and Processing

Department with chemical and microbiological laboratories for

performing research and testing of food and food products.

The heights and Measures Division of the Bureau of Internal Revenue

(BIR) has cognizance over the standards employed by municipal

governments for checking the weights and measures used in trade and commerce. Such testing facilities as exist are operated by the local

jurisdictions.

Within the private sector, testing facilities generally are found in

such large industrial and commercial companies as automobile assembly

plants, plants for the manufacture and assembly of small appliances,

steel mills, textile mills, electric power plants, and telephone and

radio communications systems. Food processing plants, mining

companies, oil refineries, pharmaceutical firms, sugar mills,

fertilizer manufacturing plants, and cement mills also are among the

technologically oriented companies that perform such operations as inspection, quality control, chemical analysis, and product testinp.

Often these companies are affiliated with parent organizations in

85
highly developed countries. A common pattern appears to he one in

which the parent organization has transferred its technology to the

affiliate in the Philippines, including the establishment of quality

control ind testing laboratories and the training of personnel. Often

the parent organization monitors the quality of the product by testing

samples shipped to its home laboratory. For example, the Philippine

Packing Co. daily ships samples by air freight to California for

additional quality control tests over and above those performed in its own plant. Small establishments, especially the cottage industries, are essentially devoid of resources for physical testing and quality

control. Some medium-sized companies avail themselves of the limited

services supplied by government agencies such as TSL of NIST. A few

universities attempt to fill the void by making their scientific and

engineering laboratories available to the industrial community. Thus,

members of the staff at the University of the Philippines have

established an independent organization called Technics, Evaluation,

Simulation and Testing (TEST) to supply testing services and

consultation, using the facilities of UP when the latter are not

employed for teaching purposes. Similarly, members of the chemistry

faculty of the Ateneo de Manila University have set up an organization

which offers analytical /chemical services for a fee. The faculty also

runs workshops on the use of modern physical (instrumental) methods of

measurements.

3. Philippines Bureau of Standards

The Philippines Bureau of Standards (PBS) was established in 1964 by

Republic Act 4109 and assigned the responsibility for issuing

mandatory commodity and product standards for both export trade and

domestic use. This law provides that "Physical biological and/or

chemical tests or analyses necessary for the examination of products

under the provisions of this Act may be undertaken in any branch of

the Government having facilities for the purpose until such tine as the Bureau may have its own facilities." To date PBS is in the process

of establishing testing facilities of its own, simultaneously utilizing the

laboratories of other Government agencies and, to some extent, those

in the private sector. The following is a list of the organizations

whose testing facilities are being utilized by PBS and the corresponding

types of tests they perform:

NIST chemical analyses of resins, soap

detergents, fertilizers, cement, plywood

MIRDC mechanical tests on reinforcing bars

BPH tests on cement, concrete products,

hollow blocks

PRTI tests on textile materials

86
FORPRIDECOM tests on paper, paper board, plywood

PETROLEUM COMPANIES - tests on petroleum products

PBS has taken steps to set up its own laboratory. It is obvious that an organization with a legal mandate to establish obligatory material

commodity and product standards must have access to high quality

testing facilities not only for ascertaining compliance with the

standards but also for doing the necessary research and tests on which

the test methods and specification requirements in the standards are based. However, the question arises as to whether the great diversity

of equipment, instruments, scientific skills and trained technical

staff for doing this type of work could or should be encompassed in one laboratory. It can also be asked whether there are adequate

financial resources for establishing such a laboratory. These are questions which only the Philippine Government can resolve. Whatever

the decision, for PBS to function effectively, its capability for

obtaining analyses, tests and measurements on a broad spectrum of

materials, products, and commodities must be significantly

strengthened. PBS would profit from a study by a USAID or UN

consultant on its specific needs for testing facilities, equipment and

scientific staff. Such an expert could help PBS plan a laboratory, if

that is the course the Government wishes to pursue, or to help PBS

work out a more effective arrangement with other eovernment agencies

for prompt testing, measurement and research services. It should be

noted that PBS has 19 field stations scattered throughout the country.

The proposed study should include the testing needs of these field

stations. It should examine whether testing facilities located in

Manila can adequately serve the needs of the field stations or whether

local or regional facilities for testing are required.

A. Tests and Standards Laboratory

Every industrial nation has a measurement system that enables it to

engage in scientific investigations, to perform engineering work, to

manufacture a broad range of products and to participate in commerce

and trade. A developing country likewise must have a measurement

system, although the sophistication and precision requirements are necessarily on a more modest scale. At the apex of this measurement

system generally there is an organization that has the responsibility

for establishing, maintaining and disseminating the national standards

of measurement throughout the country and for insuring that these

national standards are consistent with the international standards

maintained by the Bureau International des Poids et Mesuren (BIPM)

.

In the Philippines, the legal responsibilities for the national

standards (except for time and frequency) have been assigned to MIST

87
and, by the latter to one of its divisions, the Tests and Standard

Laboratory (TSL)

.

Unfortunately, TSL currently has no national standards and therefore

provides little in the way of calibration services. Such

instrumentation as exists in the Philippines - whether for scientific

measurements, process control or engineering metrology - is imported.

Precision instruments initially are supplied with calibrations by the

manufacturers so that these instruments often show traceability to the

national standards of an industrially developed foreign country and,

through the latter, to BIPM. Once delivered, such instruments are seldom, if ever, recalibrated. In fact, if an instrument malfunctions

or requires a replacement part, it is seldom repaired. The cost of

shipping an instrument back to the manufacturer is prohibitively hi^h.

Limited repair service is available from the Scientific

Instrumentation Division of NIST in such areas as glassblowing,

optics, electrical instruments and fine mechanics and from MIRDC for

optical pyrometers, temperature indicators and recorders. Large

manufacturing concerns that are affiliated with parent companies in

industrialized countries often obtain calibration and repair services

through the parent organization. Some of these concerns have built up an in-house capability for the maintenance, repair and calibration of

process instruments. Here again, the calibration depends on traceability to national standards of foreign countries. Concerns

occ isionally send scrie of their staff abroad for training in

instrumentation and calibration. It is this tenuous connection of the

measurement system in the Philippines with those of the devcJopel

countries that has sustained the industrial technology of the coantry

thus far.

Starting in 1962, a succession of UK missions (see references) has

assisted the Philippine Government in developing plans for improving

its national measurement system, particularly for establishing

national standards and calibration services. It is encouraging to see that a new laboratory has been constructed for TSL for the custody of

such national standards as the country will eventually acquire and for

providing calibration and testing services. Group E visited the site

but did not tour the new facility. It is important that the plans for

equipping this laboratory, for utilizing foreign consultants and

experts, for sending staff to national laboratories in developed

countries for training and for upgrading the professional staff to a high technical level be implemented expeditiously. The absence of air

conditioning for this laboratory is a serious deficiency which should

be rectified. It cannot be stressed too strongly that one of several

prerequisites for the industrial development and growth of a country

is an effective national measurement system and that the linch pin in

such a system is a competent physical standards laboratory.

88
5 . Add itional Observations and Recommendations

The following additional observations were made in the course of this

survey

1. Although there are a number of government agencies to assist the

private sector, this is not well known especially in the remote

provinces. As mentioned earlier, the Scientific Instrumentation

Division of NIST and the Instrumentation Shop of MIRDC can provide

instrument repair service. Small-scale and cottage industries can obtain assistance from the National Cottage Industries Development

Authority (NACIDA) , the Design Center of the Philippines, Cottage

Industries Development Enterprise (CIDE) and the University of the

Philippines Small Scale Industries Institute. Some means should be

devised for publicizing the availability of these services.

2. Modern electronic equipment is not very prevalent either in

industrial companies or in government laboratories. Selected

procurement and use of such equipment would be beneficial in upgrading

the country's scientific and technological base.

3. There is a dearth of institutions capable of training technicians

and instrument repair men. In the Government this type of training is

available in selected areas from NIST, MIRDC and PAF. Better

pu1

. licity in these training prog^ms would be beneficial to the

country.

4. Residual chemicals on bananas is looming as a serious problem for

banana growers. Importers, e.g., Japan, are becoming sensitive to the

presence of any residuals. It is quite clear that assistance could be

given to the growers in solving this problem. There are known

measurement techniques for detecting one or more of the insecticides,

fumigants, and similar contaminants which are applied during the

growing or harvesting of the fruit. The detection could be made

during the packing operation.

5. A number of companies, institutions and agencies have indicated

that the acquisition of instruments and spare parts is a serious

problem. For some organizations the long delay is critical; for

others, it is the availability of foreign currency.

6. The Philippine Chamber of Industries stated that the Government

does not have adequate facilities to do all required testing.

Industry has offered its testing facilities for inspection and

certification but this offer has been declined.

7. Scientific organizations (e.g., Manila Observatory) need precision

standards for their work. In the absence of any government

calibration services, these organizations try to maintain their own physical standards. Unfortunately, without national standards,

compatability betweer institutions cannot be assured.

89
ANNEX

Visits by Group E.

1. Hon. Troadio T. Quiazon, Jr., Secretary of Trade. Courtesy call.

2. Pedro Afable, Vice Chairman, National Science and Development

Board. Courtesy call and discussion.

3. Philippine Textile and Research Institute. Tour of the laboratories,

pilot plant spinning mill and weaving section.

A. Metals Industry Research and Development Center. Tour of tool

and die workshop, inspection laboratory, metrology laboratory,

mechanical testing laboratory, instrumentation laboratory,

c atallographic laboratory and chemical laboratory.

5. Test and Standards Laboratory of NIST. Visit to site of new building.

6. Philippine Chamber of Industries. Round-table discussion.

Philippine Chamber of Commerce. Round-table discussion.

7. Mariwasa Mfg. Corp. Tour of plant to see manufacturing of tile

and ceramics. Visit to laboratory.

8. Ateneo de Manila University. Tours of the Manila Observatory

with Fr. James Hennessey, Director Research in seismology and

sun-earth relationships. Discussion with members of the chemistry

faculty. Dr. Modesto Chua, Dr. Amando Kapauan, Dr. Ana Maria

Javellana, Dr. Antonio Samson and Dr. Wm. J. Schmitt, Chairman.

9. National Grains Authority. Discussion with officials. Visit to

laboratory. Pablo V. Pablo, Jr., Director Grains Eusiness

Regulat ions, Frank. L. Tua, Director, Tech. Research & Services

Dept. , Atty. Antonio Bello, Manager, Inspection & Investigation

Office, Maximo T. Ramos, Asst. Director, Technical Research & Services Dept., Roberto E. Fronda, Deputy Administrator, Teofilo

Vergara, Chief, Standard & Quality Control Division, Jaeson Romeo,

Director, Marketing Operations, Jesus E. Tanchanco, Administrator,

NGA.

10. Food Terminal Market, Inc. Tour of warehouse, laboratories and

instrument control room. Col. Jeremias Carolino, Exec. Officer

and Col. Orlando Bautista, Mgr. Trading Dept., Araceli L. Dolendo,

Mgr. Food Research & Processing Dept. and Alicia 0. Lustre, Asst.

Mgr.

90
11. Forest Products Research and Industries Development Commission.

Tour of laboratory facilities. Discussions with Joaquin 0. Scopingco,

Felipe R. Lopez, Pancracio V. Bawager, Rodrigo R. Valbuena, Dr.

Francisco N. Tamolang, Commissioner, Mario A. Eusebio, Leonides

A. Barcenas, Recardo T. Casin.

12. Durano Sugar Mill. Tour of mill and laboratory.

13. Chamber of Export Industries, Cebu. Discussion.

14. Philippine Packing Corp., Cagayan de Oro. Tour of plant, laboratory,

and instrumentation laboratory. Wesley J. Anderson, Plant Manager;

James S. Reyes, Plant Operations Superintendent; Guido R. Ongpln

Asst. Personnel Supr't. and Mr. Hernandez, Personnel Supr't.

15. University of the Philippines, Los Banos. Discussion. Vice-chancellor

D. M. Lantican, Engineer Herminio Benaza, Dr. Armando Villaflor,

A. S. Paris, Jr., V. V. Garcia and A. E. Urtula.

16. Atlas Consolidated Mining and Development Corp. Tour of open pit

copper mining operation and laboratories.

17. Atlas Fertilizer Corp. , Toledo City. Tour of plant and laboratory.

18. Ateneo de Davao University. Discussion with Dr. Josephine G. Flores,

Head, Science Department. Tour of laboratories and library.

19. Davao Fruit Corp. Tour of banana plantation and packing operations.

Mr.Emilio Arenata, Plantation Manager, George Whittmen, Sr. Supervisor

Plantation 2A and Gabriel Macabua, Supervisor of Shipping.

20. Association of Banana Growers. Discussion.

21. Philippine Air Force, Nichols Air Base. Tour of Precision Measuring

Equipment Laboratory. Col. Aquino Jr. and Col. Emilio Barroga.

,

410th AMW.

91
REFERENCES

1. "The Development of National Tests and Standards Laboratories in

the Philippines." Report prepared by A. B. Cox, Principal

Scientific Officer in the Defense Standards Laboratories of the

Department of Supply, Australia, for the Philippine Government.

Issued 1963. Technical expert provided by UN Technical Assistance

Board.

2. "Request for Assistance from the UN Special Fund for the Establishment

of a Testing and Standards Center." Report prepared by Arnold Wexler,

National Bureau of Standards, USA, for the Philippine Government.

Issued 1965. Technical expert provided by UNESCO.

3. Mr. Godwin. Technical expert provided by UNIDO. Details unavailable.

4. Dr. L. C. Verman, ECAFE Regional Adviser on Industrial Standardizations.

December 1967. Report unavailable.

5. "Report of UNDP/UNESCO Joint Consultant Mission to the Philippines on Request of the Philippine Government for Assisting the 'Testing and

Standards Centre"1 . (DP/SF/310 PHI 27- DP/SF/214 PHI 27). Report

prepared by E. W. Nagelstein, Senior Consultant, UNDP and J. F.

McDivitt, Director, UNESCO Regional Centre for Science and Technology

for Southeast Asia. 2nd Edition issued May 1968.

6. "A Preliminary Survey of Precision Measurement in Southeast Asia"

by M. C. Probine, Physics and Engineering Laboratory, DSIR, New

Zealand. Issued September 1970. Technical expert provided by UNESCO.

7. D. J. Desmond. Technical expert provided by UNDP /UNIDO in 1972.

Report unavailable.

8. "Assistance to the Philippine Metric System Board, Philippines."

(IS/PHI/73/026) . Project Findings and Recommendations. Terminal

report prepared for the Government of the Philippines by A. B. Rao,

Deputy Director, Indian Standards Institution, New Delhi, India.

Issued January 1975. Technical expert provided by UNIDO/UNDP.

9. "Metric System of Measurements in the Philippines." (PHI/ISE/2 . 1)

.

Report prepared by A. B. Rao. Issued December 1973.

10. "Metric System of Measurements - Physical Standards." (PHI/ISE/2 . 2)

.

Report prepared by A. B. Rao. Issued December 1974.

11. Draft Proposal, "Assistance for Establishment of Physical Standards of

Measurement, Metrology, Testing and Standarization. " Report

prepared by A. B. Rao. Project No. PHI/74/007.

92
APPENDIX I

THE PHILIPPINE ECONOMY : 1973 - 1974

1973-1974 WERE YEARS OF SIGNIFICANT ADVANCES

AND CHALLENGES FOR THE R. P. ECONOMY, GAINS

WHICH MUST BE PRESERVED AND CONVERTED INTO

A SOLID BASE FOR NEW EXPANSION.

1973-1974 were years of significant advances for the Philippine

economy. Our gains during the two years were both numerous and

extensive in character, ranging from a recovering agricultural sector

to vigorous industrial expansion and improved development activities.

These advances were In immediate contrast with the sluggish growth

registered in 1972. They were a bright result of the enormous socioeconomic reforms ensuing since the institution of the new order and

dramatically transforming the economy Into a foundation of continued

dynamism. They were, additionally, a product of attractive price

trends and responsive display of Filipino energy and productivity

during the two years.

Economic Gains

In overview, the national economy expanded impressively in 1973 and

1974 amidst the difficulties imposed by worldwide shortages in basic

consumer items and in critical raw material inputs. The Gross

National Products (GNP) , which is the aggregate value of final goods

and services produced during the year expanded remarkably from ?55.8

billion (about US $ 8 B) in 1972 to #94.8 billion (US $ 13.5 B) in

1974. In real terms, the GNP grew by 16.5 per cent - a growth which

can be considered a breakthrough in Philippine economic history. Per

capita GNP increased from SI, 433 (US $ 205) in 1972 to #2,296

(US $ 328) in 1974.

The performance during the two years surpassed general targets and

essentially benefited from a combination of well-timed economic

reforms and price incentives in the world market. Substantial gains

were made in all productive sectors and demand conditions were much

improved compared to those prevailing in 1972.

Thus, agriculture recovered vigorously during the two years with the

gains coming mainly from accelerated crop production and broad

advances in forestry. In addition, poultry, fishery and other

agricultural activities grew considerably to bring the aggregate

growth of the sector to as much as 11 per cent.

93
These gains in production can be related to the different production

drives of the Government during the year, notably the Masagana 99 Rice

Program, the Palayan ng Bayan, and the expanded Green Revolution

campaign. At the same time, it will be noted that agrarian

improvements like land reform, cooperative strategies, and better

credit and marketing facilities, actively enhanced agricultural

capacity during the two years.

Industrial Expansion

The industrial sector, including manufacturing, mining and

construction, also turned in a very strong performance in the past 2

years. This resulted not only by virtue of the sector's linages with

an accelerating agriculture but also from the various price and policy

inducements obtaining in 1973 and 1974.

Manufacturing growth, in particular, was most pronounced in the areas

of non-metallic products, metal products and food manufacturers.

Important increases were similarly made in textiles, footwear, paper,

rubber, electrical and non-electrical machinery and transport

equipment industries which moved very slowly prior to the new order.

In mining, production picked up by 8.7 per cent as the export-oriented

sector posted resurging advances in major mineral exports. Such

advancing exports included gold, iron ore, chromium ore, and non-metal

products, whose market prices literally soared during the year.

Likewise, construction efforts improved as infrastructure provision in

the form of transportation, water resources, power and rural

electrification, and schools, hospitals and national building,

received accent and stepped-up implementation. Private participation

in this area was also extensive and characterized industrial

acceleration during the year.

Other Contributing Sectors

The other major productive sectors of transportation-communicationstorage-and-utilities, commerce, and services grew by supportive rates

of 7 per cent during the years 1973 and 1974. Specifically, the

transportation group invited close attention because of the direct

economic effects of the oil problem while commerce expanded as a result of the operational changes in banks and insurance companies

during the year.

The consolidation of all these gains resulted in a national production

picture of gainful strides and sectoral rejuvenation in 1973 and 1974.

Such picture was importantly reinforced by redirected spending and

buoyant demand factors during the year.

94
Government and Household Expenditures

Thus, public spending was clearly development-oriented in 1973 and

1974 compared to the consumption-oriented expenditures of the past.

Government finances were considered strengthened by the rise in

national revenues and the host of fiscal reforms of the new order.

These patterns were complemented by increases in household or personal

spending, which was in turn influenced by generally rising income

levels in 1973 and 1974. They reflected improved economic conditions

and formed a wider source of continued expansion in the years ahead.

Investments

In relation to business demand, investments picked up very rapidly

during the two years. This resulted from a more invigorating climate

for both domestic and foreign investors, provided not only by the

liberalized investment laws but also by the capital-inducing campaigns

in several development ventures in both years. Total paid-in capital

investments of newly organized enterprises rose by 70 per cent,

slightly higher than the 64 per cent increase from 1972 to 1973.

Foreign paid-in capital of newly registered firms grew by about 300

per cent from *37.0 million in 1973 to #147.5 million in 1974 after a 40 per cent increase from 1972 to 1973. Fifty per cent of the total

foreign investments went to manufacturing, while 25 per cent went to

banks and other financial institutions.

The rise In capital formation was highest in durable equipment

expenditures and in Increases in stocks. In addition, government and

private construction grew substantially to pull up aggregate

investment flows and fuel the spurt in industrial activity during the

year.

It may also be noted that generous incentives attracted strong

participation in certain targets of expansion during the two years,

e.g., progressive car manufacturing, oil and mineral exploration,

export activities, banking and finance, and tourism. At the same

time, reforms in tax and tariff and in the monetary structure were of

supportive character in the two years passed.

Exports and Imports

On the external front, exports of goods rose by 59 per cent in real

terms in 1973 - 1974 from US $1709 million to US $2725 million

constituting 23 per cent of the gross domestic products in 1974. This

acceleration was set by intensified promotional efforts, highly

rewarding prices, and subsequent production gains in many areas during

the year.

95
Tremendous gains were realized in principal exports like logs, lumber,

and plywood, sugar, copper and the various coconut products. Among

new or non-traditional items, a number continued to grow rapidly,

including textiles and clothing, ceitfent, wood manufactures, paper

products, fish exports and other manufactures. These areas represented significant sources of growth in 1973 - 1974.

Relatedly, tourism receipts increased enormously and underscored

external confidence on the economy under the new order. This was essentially induced by highly-changed peace and order and economic

conditions during the two years.

With respect to imports, heavier payments in 1973 - 1974 flowed in the

dire tion of essential consumer items like rice and important producer

goods like raw materials and machinery. This import momentum was mainly brought about by the expanded productive activity during the

year. Industry, especially the accelerating sectors, had to be freed

from the input constraints of the past and continuous support via the

increased utilization of both domestically-produced and imported raw

materials, had to be undertaken.

On the whole, the surpluses in trade were reinforced by favorable

balances in other transactions so that a very buoyant external

position emerged in 1973-1974. The international reserve rose from US

$ 876 million at the end of 1973 to US $ 1,165 million at the end of

1974, or 33 per cent increase. Comparing with the 1972 figure of

US $ 282 million, in a two-year period, international reserves grew

more than four fold.

96
APPENDIX II

LIST OF

AGENCIES ESTABLISHING STANDARDS AND/OR ENFORCING STANDARDS

1. Bureau of Supply Coordination - undertakes standardization of

commodities for government use.

2. Food and Drug Administration - undertakes standardization of

foods, drugs and cosmetics.

3. Philippine Fisheries Commission - undertake formulation

(standardization) of standards for fish, fishery products and

codes of practice for fishery establishment.

4. Bureau of Labor Standards - undertakes formulation of safety

control orders or regulations for work places including its

operating procedures and operation of equipment and machineries.

5. Bureau of Construction and Maintenance, Dept. of Public

Highways - undertakes standardization of construction

materials and specification for construction of highways,

bridges and airports.

6. National Grains Authority - undertakes standardization of

grains, flour and bakery products.

7. Bureau of Animal Industry - undertakes standardization and

inspection of poultry, hogs and livestock feeds; conducts

inspection.

8. Bureau of Fiber Development and Inspection Services - formulates and enforces a uniform standard classification of

abaca and other Philippine fibers intended for export or for

domestic consumption.

9. Philippine Tobacco Administration - sets classification and

grading standards of native tobacco leaves for its trading

purposes.

10. Philippine Coconut Authority - sets qualification standards

of and inspects copra, coconut oil, dessicated coconut,

coconut shell charcoal, coconut coir and other coconut

products for export and domestic consumption.

97
11. Board of Transportation - sets standards of and regulates

the operation of public utilities and transport except air

transport and issues certificates thereof, Coimnunica t ions , sets standards of and regulates the operation of telephone,

telegraph, telex and other wireless means of communications

and issues certificates thereof, Powers and Waterworks -

sets standards of and regulates the operation of electric

plants and water systems; issues certificates of public

convenience and necessity for its installation, operation

and maintenance.

12. Bureau of Forest Development - sets grading standards for

logs and lumber for export and undertakes its inspection.

13. National Irrigation Administration - sets standards or criteria specifications for the investigation, design,

construction, operation and maintenance of irrigation

systems.

14. Human Settlements Program, Development Academy of the

Philippines - sets standards for the design and construction

of human settlements.

15. National Pollution Control Commission - sets standard limits

of pollutants from industrial discharge.

16. Philippine Atomic Energy Commission - sets standards for

radiation protection of human, animal and plant lives.

17. Civil Aeronautics Administration - sets safety standards for

aircrafts and equipment abroad.

18. Philippine Standards Association - a private agency sponsored

by manufacturers and producers which undertakes standardization

of commodities.

19. Metals Industry Research and Development Center - a non-profit

research and technological institution which undertakes

researches on metals and metal products. It gives recommendations

to and assists the Bureau of Standards in the formulation and

implementation of national standards for materials and products

of the metals and allied industries.

20. Philippine Textile Research Institute - a semi-government

agency subsidized by textile industries which undertakes

standardization of textiles including its test methods.

21. Bureau of Public Works - a government authority responsible

for establishing building by-laws and regulations.

98
n V ,

°

f SClenCe 311(1 Techno^gy - operates a Test and Standard Laboratory which is intended to serve the needs of a number of authorities and private interests for testing of goods and chemical analyses of products.

99
APPENDIX III

LIST OF GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE AGENCIES WITH METROLOG ICAL LABORATORIES

1. Philippine Air Force. The organization maintains a Precision

Measurement Equipment Laboratory (PMEL) for assuring accuracy

of measurement of air navigation equipment. The laboratory

performs calibration and repair services for the Philippine

Air Force as well as other government and private agencies.

Atmospheric conditions at the Laboratory are strictly maintained

and the personnel are subjected to yearly evaluation of their

technical ability to ensure high standards of service.

2. Civil Aeronautics Administration. The government agency maintains a well-equipped laboratory for the testing and calibration

of aircraft equipment and instruments. CAA works in close

collaboration with the Philippine Airlines. The CAA facilities

are available to other government as well as private entities.

3. Philippine Airlines. The Philippine Airlines maintains a laboratory similar to the CAA which may also be utilized by

government as well as other private companies.

4. National Institute of Science and Technology. An agency of the

National Science Development Board which operates a Test and

Standards Laboratory intended to serve the testing needs of other

government offices and private interests. At present, testing

facilities of the Laboratory for the engineering and construction

industries are limited, however, the agency has recently

established an Instrument Repair Unit with assistance from the

UNESCO. The facilities of the new unit is available for use by the

Tests and Standards Laboratory.

5. Metals Industry Research and Development Center. The laboratories

of the Center are equipped with new and modern instruments for

chemical analysis of metallic materials (semi- finished and finished

products), metallographic analysis, micro and macro photography,

mechanical and non-destructive testing of metallic materials and

products, and standardization of metallurgical laboratory equipment.

The laboratories are manned by well-trained metal technocrats to

better foster the advancement of the metals, engineering and allied

industries in the Country.

6. Philippine Textile Research Institute. An agency under the National

Science Development Board, with a laboratory for the testing of

textiles and textile products.

100
7. Philippine Atomic Research Center. The agency maintains a laboratory

for research on the beneficial use of nuclear energy and the detection

of radiation for protection of humans, animals and plants.

8. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services

Administration. (PAGASA). A government agency, charged with

weather forecasting as well as the maintenance of time and frequency

standards

.

9. Municipal Governments (under the supervision of the Weights and

Measures Division of the Bureau of Internal Revenue) are responsible

for checking the weights and measures used in trade and commerce.

101
APPENDIX IV

FIFTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC ) OF THE PHILIPPINES ) S. No. 202

) Third Session )

(REPUBLIC ACT NO. 4109)

AN ACT TO CONVERT THE DIVISION OF STANDARDS

UNDER THE BUREAU OF CO?GIERCE INTO A

BUREAU OF STANDARDS, TO PROVIDE FOR THE

STANDARDIZATION AND/OR INSPECTION OF PRODUCTS

AND IMPORTS OF THE PHILIPPINES AND FOR OTHER

PURPOSES.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives

of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. The Division of Standards under the Bureau of Commerce is

hereby converted into a Bureau of Standards under the Department of

Commerce and Industry.

SECTION 2. The Bureau shall have as its head a Director of Standards

and two Assistant Directors, one for technical matters and the other

for administrative matters, who shall be appointed by the President of

the Philippines with the consent of the Commission on Appointments.

There shall be in the Bureau such officials and employees to be

appointed by the Secretary of Commerce and Industry as may be

necessary to carry out the purpose of this Act: Provided, that

personnel of the Bureau whose duties and functions are technical in

nature shall be exempted from the operation of the Wage and Position

Classification Office.

SECTION 3. The Bureau shall have charge of the establishment of

standards for, and inspection of, all agricultural, forest, mineral,

fish, industrial and all other products of the Philippines for which

no standards have as yet been fixed by law, executive order, rules and

regulations; and the inspection and certification of the quality of

commodities imported into the Philippines, to determine the country of

origin of the articles which are the growth, raw materials,

manufacture, process, or produce, and to determine if they satisfy the

buyer's or importer's requirements or specifications for domestic

consumption; and to prohibit the discharge and/or release of any

article which are the growth, raw materials, manufacture, process, or produce of countries without trade relations with the Philippine

government. Physical, biological and/or chemical tests or analyses

102
necessarv for the examination of products under the provisions of this

Act nay be undertaken in any branch of the Government having

facilities for the purpose until such time as the Bureau may have its own facilities.

SECTION 4. Subject to the general supervision and control of the

Secretary of Commerce and Industry, the Director of Standards shall

possess the general powers conferred by law upon Bureau Chiefs, and

the following specific powers and duties which he may perform

personally or through his duly authorized representatives:

(a) Under such rules and regulations as the Director of Standards may

promulgate which the Secretary of Commerce and Industry must approve

within one year, to establish standards for the products within the

purview of Section three of this Act; to inspect in order to sample

and determine the standards of said products, and to certify the

inspection and standard thereof:

(b) Before the government, including government owned or controlled

corporation, make any purchase of any of the products within the

purview of Section three of this Act, and/or the producer,

manufacturer and/or dealer offers for sale any commodity which affects

the life, health and property of the people, to inspect and sample in

order to determine if, and to certify that the products satisfy the

requirements as to kind, class, grade, quality or standard in

accordance with the provisions of sub-section (a) above;

(c) Before the exportation or shipment abroad of any of the products

within the purview of Section three of this Act, for which no standard

has or shall have, as yet, been established in accordance with the

provisions of sub-section (a) above, to inspect and sample in order to

determine if, and to certify that, the whole shipment satisfies the

buyer's or importer's requirements as to kind, class, grade, quality

or standard: Provided, however, that shipments which are not

standardized but conform to buyer's or importer's requirements shall

have their corresponding customs or shipping papers or documents

stamped conspicuously with the caption "not under government commodity

standardization" and may be released by the Collector of Customs in

accordance with the existing Tariff and Customs Laws.

(d) Before any commodity imported into the Philippines Is discharged

and/or released by the Bureau of Customs, to inspect such commodity in

order to sample and determine the country of origin where the articles

are the growth, raw materials, manufacture, process or produce, and to

certify that, the whole shipment satisfies local buyer's or importer's

requirements as to kind, class, grade, quality or standard which may

be indicated on the corresponding customs or shipping papers or commercial documents: Provided, however, that imports which are not

103
shown to be covered by, or do not conform to, buyer's or importer's

requirements, shall be labelled or stamped conspicuously with the

caption "do not conform to buyer's or importer's specifications";

Provided, further That imports of any article which are the growth,

raw materials, manufacture, process or produce of countries wherein

the Philippines has not trade agreement shall be confiscated and/or

seized at the disposal of the government.

(e) To fix and collect fees for the services of inspection and

certification of inspection and standard, and/or testing or analyzing

samples and certification of tests or analyses, and other services,

the nature of which require scientific and/or technological knowledge

skill.

(f) To take testimony or evidence on matters of official business

relating to the exercise of his powers, the performance of his duties

and the accomplishment of the purpose of this Act or any of the rules

and regulations promulgated in accordance therewith.

(g) To initiate and undertake official investigation to determine the

nature of organization and business methods of any entrepreneur,

person, corporation, association, partnership or firm engaged in the

manufacture, marketing and distribution of the products within the

purview of Section three of this Act: Provided, however, Thnt this

power shall be exercised only in connection with any known or reported

violation any provision of this Act, or non-compliance with any rule

of regulation promulgated in accordance therewith.

SECTION 5. Any person who fails or refuses to comply with a legal

summon, or subpoena, or subpoena duces tecum, of the Director of

Standards or his duly authorized agent or representative, or refuses

to be sworn to, prior to giving testimony or refuses to answer

pertinent questions, or gives false or misleading data or information

or willful concealment of a material fact, in any investigation made

pursuant to subsection (c), (d), (e) , (f), and (g) of Section four of

this Act, shall be punished by imprisonment of not less than two nor more than six months, and by a fine of not less than five hundred nor more than one thousand pesos and deportation if he is an alien after

serving the entire period of his imprisonment: Provided, however,

That, if the false or misleading data or information shall have been

given under oath, the maximum penalty for giving false (sic) shall be

imposed.

SECTION 6, No customs export entry, import entry, declaration,

release certificate, manifest, clearance, import permit, or permit to

ship abroad and/or discharge shall be issued for any of the products

within the purview of Section three of this Act and/or imported

commodity, unless it is first inspected in accordance with provisions

104
of sub-sections (b), (c), (d) , and/or (e) of Section four of this Act:

Provided, however, That no product of the Philippines for which a Standard has been established and promulgated by virtue of this Act

shall be sold and/or disposed of in any manner and/or exported unless

and until its standard shall have been certified bv the Director of

Standards or his duly authorized representatives as conforming to the

standard set for, either for local distribution and/or for export:

Provided, further, That no such certification shall be required upon

application under oath by the manufacturer and/or exporter to the

Director of Standards that the shipment is in small quantitv and the

product is not for sale but for private use of consumption only. It

shall be the duty and the responsibility of all collectors of customs

to enforce the prohibition on the exportation and/or importation of

any product herein above referred to.

SECTION 7, Any public official, employee, individual, cornoration,

association, partnership, or firm effecting or abetting the shipment

abroad and/or facilities [ sic ]* the discharge or distribution and/or sale

for domestic consumption of any product in violation of any of the

provisions of Section six of this Act or any rules or regulations

issued therewith, shall be punished by imprisonment of not less than

six months nor more than two years and by a fine if not less than one thousand nor more than five thousand pesos, and deportation if he is an alien after serving the entire period of his imprisonment.

Whenever the violation is committed by a corporation, association,

partnership, or firm, the President and each one of the directors or managers of said corporation, association, partnership or firm who

shall have knowingly permitted or failed to prevent the commission o^

said violation shall be held liable as principles thereof.

In case the offender is a naturalized citizen he shall, in addition to

the penalty prescribed herein, suffer the penalty of cancellation of

his naturalization certificates and such registration in the civil

registry and immediate deportation.

In case the violation is committed by, or in the interest of a foreign

juridical person duly licensed to engage in business in the

Philippines, such license to engage in business in the Philippines

shall immediately be revoked.

If the offender is a public officer or employee, he shall, in addition

to the penalty of imprisonment and fine prescribed herein, be

dismissed from office and perpetually disqualified from holding public

office.

SECTION 8. The Division of Standards under the Bureau of Commerce is

hereby converted and its personnel, appropriations, and share in the

*Presumablv "facilitating" would reflect the intended meaning.

105
appropriations of the Bureau of Commerce, funds, furniture, equipment,

properties, supplies, records, assets and liabilities are hereby

constituted to the Bureau: and all powers conferred upon, and all

duties, functions, and activities assigned to the said division and to

the Director of Commerce by virtue of the provisions of Sections one hundred fifty-five, one hundred fifty-six and one hundred fifty-seven

of Executive Order Numbered ninety-four, series of nineteen hundred

and forty-seven, together with the execution and enforcement of

Commerce Administrative Orders on Standardization and inspection of

Philippine products already promulgated in accordance with the

provisions of the said sections of the executive order, are hereby

transferred to the director of standards.

SECTION 9. In addition to such funds and appropriation as may be

transferred to the Bureau as provided in Section eight of this Act,

there is hereby appropriated, out of any funds in the National

Treasury not otherwise appropriated, the amount of one million pesos

for the salaries, wages, sundry and other expenses, furniture, and

equipment of such personnel of the Bureau as will be needed and

required to carry out the purpose of this Act.

SECTION 10. Twenty-five per centum of all receipts and collections

accruing from the enforcement of this Act and the rules and

regulations on inspection and certificate of inspection and standard

shall be set aside and be available for disbursement for salaries,

wages, sundry and other expenses, furniture, and equipment of such

additional personnel as may be needed and required to intensify or extend the activities and services of the Bureau. Any amount thus set

aside or so much thereof as may be needed for the intensification or extension of activities and services, shall be itemized in special

budget to be approved by the President upon recommendation of the

Secretary of Commerce and Industry; and any such special budget thus

approved shall be incorporated in the draft of the regular budget for

the ensuing fiscal year for the consideration of the Congress in its

regular or special session. Unitemized and unexpended balances of

amounts thus set aside shall be cumulative from year to year, and

shall constitute, a special fund to be called "Philippine

Standardization and Inspection Funds" to be used for the purposes

herein stated, and for such other aims and projects as may render the

services of the Bureau efficient and effective.

SECTION 11. All Acts, executive orders, administrative orders and

proclamations or parts thereof inconsistent with any of the provisions

of this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. If any part

of this Act shall, for any reason, be ajudged by any court of

competent jurisdiction to be invalid, such judgment shall not affect

the remainder thereof, but shall be confined in its operation to the

106
part directly involved on the controversy in which such judgment shall have been rendered.

SECTION 12. EFFECTIVITY - This Act shall take effect upon its

approval

.

Approved, June 20, 1964

107
APPENDIX V

MALACANANG

Manila

PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 187

PRESCRIBING THE USE OF THE METRIC SYSTEM OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES AS

THE STANDARD MEASUREMENT FOR ALL PRODUCTS, COMMODITIES, MATERIALS,

UTILITIES AND SERVICES AND IN ALL BUSINESS AND LEGAL TRANSACTIONS.

WHEREAS, the concurrent usage of different

standards of weights and measures in the Philippines

abets confusion, waste of time in computations and

diversity;

WHEREAS, although the Revised Administrative

Code specifies the metric system as the national

standard, the use of other weights and measures is

allowed by 1 aw ir certain cases, compounded by

customary weights and measures;

WHEREAS, the metric system, which employs

decimals, is officially adopted by many countries

and even the United Kingdom and the United States are planning to gradually adopt it in lieu of the

English system; '

WHEREAS, several bills to adopt the metric

system exclusively were filed in Congress but they

failed to be enacted;

NOW, THFREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President

of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me

by the Constitution as Commander-in-Chief of all the

Armed Forces of the Philippines, and pursuant to

Proclamation No. 1081 dated September 21, 1972, as amended, in order to effect the desired changes and

reforms in the social, economic and political structure

of our society, do hereby order and decree:

SECTION 1. Official use of metric system.

The system of weights and measures to be used in the

Philippines for all products, commodities, materials,

108
utilities, services, and commercial transactions in all

contracts, deeds and other legal instruments publicly and

officially attested; and in all official documents shall

be the metric system, in accordance with the provisions

of this decree and its implementing rules and regulations.

SECTION 2. Creation of Metric System Board .- In order to effect the orderly change from the

English and other systems of weights and measures

to the metric system, a Metric System Board, hereinafter referred to as Board, is hereby created,

which shall be composed of the Secretary of Trade

and Tourism as Chairman, and the Secretary of

Finance, the Secretary of Agriculture and Natural

Resources, the Secretary of Public Works, Transportation and Communications, the Secretary of Education,

the Secretary of Justice and the Chairman of the

National Science Development Board as members. The

Department undersecretaries and the board vicechairman concerned shall serve as alternates.

SECTION 3. Powers and functions . The powers

and functions of the Board shall be as follows:

a. Cause the conversion of all weights and

-neasures to their equivalents in the metric system

subject to the approval of the President of the

Philippines

;

b. Draw up a program, after consultation

with the private sector subject to the approval

of the President of the Philippines, for the

nationwide use of the metric system, including

the respective starting dates, in the different

agricultural, commercial, industrial utilities,

scientific, services and other sectors; Provided,

That the metric system shall be fully adopted in

all sectors throughout the Philippines by January

first, nineteen hundred and seventy-five. The

Board shall consider the need to provide adequate time

for the modification of existing devices or acquiring

new devices in conformity with the standard weights

and measures in the metric system and the need to

disseminate widely the official equivalents in the metric

system of other weights and measures, the starting

dates of their use in the various sectors and the

other implementing rules and regulations;

109
c. Promulgate rules and regulations for the

implementation hereof, and, after approval thereof

by the President of the Philippines, widely

disseminate the same to all government offices and

instrumentalities and the general public, including

publication once for three consecutive weeks in at

least three newspapers of general circulation in

the Philippines;

d. Appoint such personnel as may be necessary,

preference to be given to qualified persons who were

laid-off from the government service as a result of

the government reorganization; and

e. Create advisory and technical committees

from the public and private sectors and call upon

any government office, agency or instrumentality

and upon any government official or employee for

assistance in the effective performance of its

functions*

SECTION 4* Secretariat .- The Director of the

Bureau of Standards shall serve as Executive

Secretary of the Board. Initially and until such

time as funds become available, the personnel of

the Board may be detailed from other government

offices and instrumentalities.

SECTION 5. Appropriation,- The sum of Fifty

thousand pesos (P50 000.00) is hereby appropriated

out of any funds in the National Treasury not

otherwise appropriated, for the expenses of the

Board for fiscal year nineteen hundred and seventyfour. The same amount shall be included in the

national budget for fiscal year nineteen hundred

and seventy-five.

SECTION 6. Penalties .- Any violation of the

provisions hereof, or the rules and regulations

promulgated pursuant hereto, shall, upon conviction, subject the offender to a fine of not

more than one thousand pesos or imprisonment for

a term of not more than one year, or both, upon

the discretion of the Court. If the violation

was committed by a juridical person £ the manager,

representative, director, agent or employee of

said juridical person responsible for the act

shall also be liable to the penalties provided

110
herein. If the offender is an alien, he shall be

deported after serving the sentence, without need

for further proceedings for deportation.

SECTION 7. Effectivity.- This decree shall

take effect upon its approval but persons or entities allowed under existing laws to use the

English system or other standards of weights and

measures are given until the dates fixed for them

to use the metric system pursuant hereto. The

Board shall cease to exist by June thirty, nineteen hundred and seventy-five.

SECTION 8. Repealing Clause .- The provisions

of the Revised Administrative Code and of all

other laws and rules and regulations inconsistent

herewith are hereby repealed or amended accordingly.

Done in the City of Manila, this 10th day of May,

in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventythree.

(SOD.) FERDINAND E. MARCOS

President

Republic of the Philippines

Ry the President:

(SOD.) ROBERTO V. REYES

Assistant Executive Secretary

111
APPENDIX VI

A DECADE OF STANDARDIZATION AND A

. YEAR OF METRICATION IN THE PHILIPPINES

Vidalito F. Ranoa

Director

Philippines Bureau of Standards

Manila, Philippines

NBS /AID/OAS Workshop

on Standardization and Measurement

Services in Industrializing Economies

National Bureau of Standards

November 4, 1974

First of all, I would like to congratulate the NBS for conducting this

Special Workshop on Standardization and Measurement. I also want to

take this opportunity to express my profound thanks to Dr. Richard W.

Roberts for his kindness in inviting me to this special occasion.

You may be interested to learn of our experience on standardization in

the Philippines. Since we are so new in this field, you will

certainly not so much profit by our experience as you can help solve

standardization problems encountered in our country.

1. Introduction

Despite a decade of efforts directed along this line, standardization

and metrication, strictly speaking, have not yet made their full

impact in the Philippines today. Neither their advantages nor the

benefits derived from their adoption have been realized. To hasten

the achievement of our goals, we are at present in the process of

reorganizing the governmental machinery to make it more effective and

responsive under the demands of the New Society in my country.

2. Standardization

The Philippines Bureau of Standards was created in 1964 by Republic

Act No. 4109 with the main objective of promoting and protecting the

quality of commodities for both local and international consumption.

Responsibilities and powers are defined and entrusted by that

legislative measure.

Essentially, Republic Act 4109 enjoins compulsory standardization and

inspection of commodities so as to ensure quality acceptability for

all goods offered for sale,, particularly those for export. For all

112
standardized products, it is mandatory for the Bureau "to inspect in

order to sample and determine the standards of said product, and to

certify on the inspection and standard thereof".

This law, together with its implementing rules and regulations,

requires that the Bureau shall:

1. Establish standards for all

a) agricultural,

b) forest,

c) mineral,

d) fish,

e) industrial, and,

f) other products of the Philippines for which

no standard has as yet been fixed by law,

executive order, rules and regulations.

2. sample, inspect and certify the quality of;

a) all standardized commodities and prevent the

sale of all commodities which do not comply

with the requirements of the Philippines

Standards Law.

b) all products, standardized and not standardized,

offered to Government or Government-owned or -controlled corporations which affect life,

health or property of the people.

c) all shipments for export prior to release by

the Collector of Customs.

d) all commodities being imported prior to release

by the Bureau of Customs. (The Bureau until a few years ago had confiscated all articles

originating in countries with which the Philippines has no trade agreements.)

3. Fix and collect fees for:

a) inspection,

113
b) certification,

c) testing or analysis,

d) other services rendered.

4. Make rules and regulations to enable these duties to be

performed efficiently.

5. Grant licenses to manufacturers to operate under the

Philippine Trade Standard (PTS) Mark Scheme when the

Bureau is satisfied that the manufacturer:

a) can consistently produce goods of the required

quality.

b) has adequate testing facilities to measure the

quality produced.

c) maintains records of the routine quality tests

performed.

d) permits a Bureau inspector to visit the plant

at any time to verify that the above-stated

conditions are satisfied.

e) provides the Bureau inspector with any sample

product he requires which can be tested by an

independent authority in order to verify that

the routine records truly represent the quality

sold in the market.

6. Grant commodity clearances to exporters registered with

the Board of Investments (BOI)

.

The present organizational set-up of the Bureau of Standards consists

of four (4) main divisions, namely: Technical, Standards Control,

Field Services, and Administrative. The Technical Division is manned

by technical personnel who are charged with the preparation of

standards, while the Standards Control Division, together with seven

(7) Field Service Units distributed in various parts of the country,

is concerned with the control of quality of export and local products

covered by the standards promulgated by the Bureau or the buyer-seller

standard in the absence of Philippine standards. The present size of

the staff is hardly adequate to cope with the extensive and complex

nature of the work involved. For a span of ten years the Bureau

has promulgated 186 national standards covering agricultural and

industrial products. Tha Bureau also operates a certification mark

114
scheme known as the PTS Mark and has since 1968 issued 143 licenses to

itianuf acturers to use the mark as a guarantee that their products

comply with relevant national standards.

At the time when the Bureau came into existence, there existed and

there nov; still continues to exist a number of other government

agencies and organizations which were and are still concerned with

standardization matters within specified fields. These are:

1. The Bureau of Fiber Inspection Service, which deals with

the grading and inspection of Philippine commercial fibers

for export, especially abaca, coir, ramie and maguey.

2. The Eureau of Forestry, now reorganized as Bureau of Forestry

Development, which deals with grading rules for timber logs.

3. The Bureau of Public Highways, which is concerned with

standard specifications for highways and bridges.

4. The Bureau of Public Works, now the Department of Public

Works, which is the authority on materials and products for

building and construction.

5. The Bureau of Supply Coordination, which is concerned with

specifications for and inspection of goods processed for

government use.

6. The Food and Drug Administration, which is responsible for

the standards on food products and drugs.

7. The Philippine Coconut Administration, which is concerned

with the grading and inspection of copra and coconut

by-products.

8. The Philippine Tobacco Administration, which is concerned

with classification and grading of native leaf tobacco.

9. The Sugar Quota Administration, which is responsible for

the grading of sugar and for packing of sugar.

10. The Bureau of Labor Standards, which is concerned with

codes of practice for wiring and electrical safety.

11. The Eureau of Internal R.evenue, which is the Philippine

authority on control of weights and measures.

12. The National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST)

,

which is equipped with testin3 and standards laboratories,

115
and charged with the task of maintaining national standards and conducting on a high scientific level specific

tasks intended to serve the needs of a number of entities

and private enterprises in matters of testing of goods

and making chemical analyses of products.

13. The National Cottage Industry Development Authority, which

deals with the standardization of cottage industry products.

14. The Bureau of Soils, which deal6 with the standards

and testing of fertilizers.

15. The Bureau of Plant Industry, which is the agency for

classifying plants in the Philippines.

16. The Bureau of Fisheries, which deals with the classification of fish and marine products.

17. The Bureau of Animal Industry, which deals with the grading of poultry feeds and animal products.

18. The Philippine Standards Association, which is a private

agency composed of and managed by manufacturers and producers.

With such many and varied agencies in mind, it would not be difficult

to imagine the considerable problem of coordinating, unifying and

rationalizing their different standardization operations and responsibilities.

3. Metrication

Historically, the metric system was introduced in the Philippines in

the year 1906 and the then Bureau of Science (now National Institute

of Science and Technology) was authorized to maintain the "meter" and

"gram" as standard units of measurement. A meter bar certified by

the International Bureau of Weights and Measures with Serial No. 71

and calibrated at 999.9862 mm had been procured. The meter bar has

not been calibrated since then.

In actual practice, the use of the English system and other local

measures is still prevalent in the country. With the emergence of the

New Society, Presidential Decree No. 187 was issued on May 10, 1973,

recognizing only the metric system of weights and measures and

enjoining complete adoption of the system in the Philippines effective

January 1, 1975.

116
To realize this objective, the decree created the Metric System Board

under the chairmanship of the Secretary of Trade, with the following

duties:

1. Cause conversion of existing measures,

2. Draw up a program for nationwide use of the metric

system,

3. Promulgate rules and regulations,

A. Acquire new devices conforming to standard weights

and measures in the metric system,

5. Disseminate information on the new system, and

6. Provide official equivalents for the old measures.

The Metric System Board has already agreed on the terms relating to

fundamental units, conversion factors (including those for old

measures), specifications on commercial length, weight, and capacity

measures. With respect to the definitions of fundamental units, the

Board has decided that national prototypes be maintained by the

National Institute of Science and Technology, but the maintenance of

National Time remains the responsibility of the Philippine

Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration

(PAGASA) , formerly called the Weather Bureau.

Physical standards at various levels (prototype, reference, secondary

and working) have to be procured and maintained in the country and

these have to be traced back to the international standards. The work

involves metrology of many types. The maintenance of physical

standards of various accuracies and the related metrology is very

important In view of the expanding industrialization of the

Philippines, not to mention its remarkable economic growth and social

stability. At the request of the Metric System Board, a UNIDO

Metrication Expert on loan to our Bureau with the assistance of

officers of the Tests and Standards laboratories, NIST, the Philippine

Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration

(PAGASA) , the Precision Measurement Association of the Philippines and

representatives of trade activities, prepared an estimate of the cost

involved in the procurement of various devices and the associated

metrology. The estimated cost of various units and measuring

instruments was about U.S. $1.5 million but, considering the global

inflationary trends, the amount may actually exceed U.S. $2 million.

The Philippines Bureau of Standards has no laboratory of its own, a handicap since its inception. It avails itself of the testing

117
facilities of the National Institute of Science and Technology and

other government agencies, including private laboratories, but these

facilities have been found to be inadequate to serve for all products

subject to standardization. The Bureau has now taken definite steps

to set up its own laboratory.

As the science of measurement has become sophisticated, advanced and

intricate, it is felt extremely important that we in the Philippines

undertake studies in such highly developed countries as the United

Kingdom, U.S.A., Switzerland, France, West Germany and Japan. The

studies would effectively help us in the maintenance of highest

accuracies and in the work with commercial weights and measures, as we] 1 as in bringing about complete metrication.

A. Conclusion

That, in brief, is a modest presentation of the condition of

standardization in the Philippines, together with its attendant

problems. It is hoped that all the participating countries in this

Workshop can assist each other in improving their standardization

activities, particularly in solving our common problems, under the

enlightened leadership and guidance of the host country, the United

States of America.

116
U.S. DEPT. OF COMM. BIBLIOGRAPHIC DATA

SHEET

1. PUBLICATION OR REPORT NO. NBSIR 76- 1083

2. Gov't Accession

No.

3. Recipient's Accession No.

4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE

REPORT TO AID ON A PHILIPPINES SURVEY ON STANDARDIZATION

AND MEASUREMENT SERVICES

5. Publication Date June, 1976

6. Performing Organization Code

7. XXttKEJU&iX EDITORS:

H. Steffen Peiser, Robert S. Marvin

8. Performing Organ. Report No. NBSIR 76-1083

9. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME AND ADDRESS

NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20234

10. Project/Task/Work Unit No.

11. Contract/Grant No.

12. Sponsoring Organization Name and Complete Address (Street, City, State, ZIP)

Agency for International Development

Department of State

Washington, D.C. 20523

13. Type of Report & Period Covered

Final Report

14. Sponsoring Agency Code

15. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES

- .-J 16. ABSTRACT (A 200- word or less (actual summary of most significant information. If document includes a significant

bibliography or literature survey, mention it here.) A survey of standardization and measurement services in the Philippines was carried

out in May, 1975, as part of a National Bureau of Standards program sponsored by

the Office of Science and Technology of the Agency for International Development.

The Survey Team included five NBS staff members, one other U.S. participant, three

third-country participants, and a number of Philippine specialists. The Survey

was made under the direction of Mr. Vidalito F. Ranoa, Director of the Philippine

Bureau of Standards.

The team was divided into five groups which concentrated on: Technical Standards

Committee Management, Metrication, Building Technology, Technical Information

Handling, and Testing Facilities. Each group mad* extensive visits to the

governmental, academic, and private organizations and facilities relevant to their

topic. In each area the report summarizes the existing situation, identifies

current problems, and offers suggestions and recommendations for their resolution.

17. KEY WORDS (six to twelve entries; alphabetical order; capitalize only the first letter of the first key word unless a proper name; separated by semicolons)

Building technology; information handling; measurement services; Philippines;

standardization; testing facilities.

18. AVAILABILITY ^Unlimited

CD For Official Distnb ution. Do Not Release to NTIS

[ j Order From Sup. of Doc, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, D.C. 20402, SD Cat. No. CH

5<J Order From National Technical Information Service (NTIS)

Springfield, Virginia 22151

19. SECURITY CLASS

(THIS REPORT)

UNCL ASSIFIED

20. SECURITY CLASS

(THIS PAGE)

UNCLASSIFIED

21. NO. OF PAGES

123

22. Price

$5.50

USCOMM-DC 29042-P7'