SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique — The Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI) office in Antique province is enjoining local government units (LGUs) to calibrate weighing scales in their public markets for the protection of consumers.
Engineer Lynna Joy Cardinal of DTI-Antique, in an interview Thursday, said many LGUs are unaware of the Consumer Act of the Philippines that stipulates their obligation on the calibration of weighing scales.
“The only town which I know that is compliant and calibrates the weighing scales is San Jose de Buenavista,” Cardinal said.
She said the calibration of vendors’ weighing scales should be done every six months by the Treasurer’s Office.
“The LGUs also do not know that by having an ordinance for the weighing scales of vendors they could collect revenue as inspection fee,” Cardinal added.
She said the DTI will be in Culasi on Aug. 8 and in Sibalom the following day to meet with the LGUs and stakeholders to teach them about calibration and check if they already have a local ordinance on this.
“We are also going to seal the calibrated weighing scales in the market,” she said.
Cardinal also urged consumers to always pass by the DTI-provided weighing scales or “Timbangan ng Bayan” in the public markets to check the weight of goods they have bought. (Annabel Consuelo Petinglay/PNA)
