NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE
)
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
)
First Regular Session
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
HOUSE BILL NO. ____
Introduced by REPRESENTATIVE VIRGILIO S. LACSON
Standardization reflects a country’s level of industrialization. Consistent and widely
adopted standards are essential because they guide industries to produce and perform in ways that
are efficient, safe, and of high quality. By setting standards, both public and private entities are
provided with the specifications, guidelines or characteristics that can be used consistently to
ensure that materials, products, processes and services are fit for their purpose. It allows industries
to work seamlessly. Standards provide a level of understanding of what is to be expected from a
specific product or service.
There is no debate that we have seen strict standards imposed upon private entities. While
it is vital to assure the quality of products and services in the private sector, it is equally important
to guarantee that the Government and its agencies meet the same standards. Sadly, there are many
news reports that show the proliferation of substandard work in many government projects.
Various complaints from beneficiaries of government housing projects state that
contractors were using below-par materials, including undersized steel bars. A group of
Congressmen led by then Negros Occidental Congressman Albee Benitez, who inspected a
Yolanda housing site in Eastern Samar in the 17th Congress, discovered that the contractor used
substandard steel products.
But the cry against substandard products and services are not unique to construction.
Under the Duterte administration, the trade chief said the DTI has made stricter rules on standard
compliance. He stated that the Department is including more products in the list of mandatory
compliance and have even increased the sample size of products to be tested.
This bill seeks to institutionalize the semestral review of products, projects, and services of
the government, its agencies and instrumentalities, as well as local government units, to ensure
their conformity to existing product and service standards. Through this bill, we hope to eliminate
July 28, 2022
3:06 pm
2680


the use of substandard materials across all government projects to safeguard the health and
welfare of our citizens.
In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this bill is sought.
VIRGILIO S. LACSON
Manila Teachers Partylist


NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE
)
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
)
First Regular Session
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
HOUSE BILL NO. ____
Introduced by REPRESENTATIVE VIRGILIO S. LACSON
AN ACT
INSTITUTIONALIZING THE REVIEW OF PRODUCTS AND SERVICES IN THE
GOVERNMENT,
ITS
AGENCIES,
AND
INSTRUMENTALITIES,
AND
LOCAL
GOVERNMENT
UNITS,
TO
ENSURE
ITS
CONFORMITY
WITH
EXISTING
STANDARDS SET BY THE DEPARTMENT OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY, AMENDING
FOR
THE
PURPOSE
REPUBLIC
ACT
4109,
OTHERWISE
KNOWN
AS
THE
STANDARDS LAW OF THE PHILIPPINES
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:
Section 1. Declaration of Policy. – It shall be declared the policy of the State to promote
safety and quality standards in all Government products and services in order to advance the
national economy, support sustainable development, benefit the health, safety and welfare of
workers and the public, assist and protect its citizens, facilitate domestic and international trade
and further international cooperation in relation to standardization.
Section 2. Section 4 is hereby amended to read as follows:
“Sec. 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 Trade 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 Acts,
2680


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 conforms to buyer's or importer's requirements,
shall have their corresponding customs or shipping papers or documents stamped
conspicuously with 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 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 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 no 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 and
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, that this power shall be exercised
only in connection with any known or reported violation of any provision of this Act, or
non-compliance with any rule or regulation promulgated in accordance therewith.


(h) TO CONDUCT A SEMESTRAL REVIEW OR INSPECTION OF THE
PRODUCTS PROCURED BY THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT, ITS AGENCIES
AND
INSTRUMENTALITIES,
AND
LOCAL
GOVERNMENT
UNITS,
TO
ENSURE THEIR CONFORMITY TO EXISTING PRODUCT AND SERVICES
STANDARDS,
(g) TO PROVIDE IDENTIFICATION AND EVALUATION OF THE NEED FOR
NEW
STANDARDS,
REVISIONS
TO
EXISTING
STANDARDS
AND
ADDITIONAL CONFORMITY ASSESSMENT SERVICES,
(h) TO ACCREDIT, IN ACCORDANCE WITH CRITERIA AND PROCEDURES
ADOPTED BY THE BUREAU, GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, OFFICES, AND
INSTRUMENTALITIES,
LOCAL
GOVERNMENT
UNITS,
THAT
ARE
ENGAGED IN CONFORMITY ASSESSMENT, AND MAINTAIN A RECORD OF
THOSE ENTITIES AND OF THEIR MARKS OF CONFORMITY;
FAILURE
OF
THE
APPROPRIATE
GOVERNMENT
OFFICIALS
TO
IMPLEMENT THE PROVISIONS UNDER THIS ACT SHALL SUBJECT THEM
TO EXISTING ADMINISTRATIVE SANCTIONS.
The subsequent sections are hereby renumbered accordingly.
Section 3. Section 7 is hereby amended to read as follows:
Sec. 7. Any public official, employee, individual, corporation, association, partnership, or
firm effecting or abetting the shipment abroad and/or facilitate the discharge of
distribution, procurement, 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 and regulations
issued therewith, shall be punished by imprisonment of not less than six months nor more
than two years and by a fine of not less than ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND PESOS
BUT NOT MORE THAN TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND PESOS, and deportation if
he is an alien after serving the entire period of his imprisonment.
[XXX]
Section 4. Section 12 is hereby amended as follows:
“SECTION 12. ANNUAL REPORT. – NOT LATER THAN THE END OF THE
FIRST
QUARTER
OF
EVERY
YEAR
OF
IMPLEMENTATION,
THE
SECRETARY
OF
TRADE
AND
INDUSTRY
SHALL
SUBMIT
TO
THE
PRESIDENT AND CONGRESS, AN ANNUAL REPORT CONTAINING THE
STATUS OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS ACT.”
The subsequent sections are hereby renumbered accordingly.
Section 5. Repealing Clause. – All other existing laws, rules and regulations
inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. 


Section 6. Separability Clause. – If any part or section of this Act is declared
unconstitutional, such declaration shall not affect the other parts or sections of this Act.
Section 7. Effectivity Clause. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in two (2) newspapers of general circulation or in the Official Gazette. 
Approved,