DTI Sorsogon issues mandatory certification of protective helmets and visors

By Benilda A. Recebido

SORSOGON CITY, July 16 (PIA) -- The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) provincial office here issued an advisory to motorcycle users to secure clearance from the agency prior to the use of their protective helmets and visors.

DTI Sorsogon Consumer Welfare Desk officer Evelyn Paguio said, in compliance with the Department of Transportation and Telecommunications (DOTC) and the DTI Joint Administrative Order (AO) No. 01 series of 2012, all users of helmets and visors must secure clearance from DTI prior to their use of said protective paraphernalia to ensure safety of all drivers and passengers of motorcycles.

She said the AO requires all protective helmets and visors to comply with the specifications prescribed by the DTI and bear the Philippines Standard (PS) mark or the Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) of the Bureau of Product Standards (BPS).

Paguio called on the users of helmets and visors to secure clearance at once saying that DTI Sorsogon provincial office is now accepting applicants for certification.

Said AO on motorcycle requirement is pursuant to section 6 of Republic Act No. 10054 or the “Motorcycle Helmet Act of 2009” which provides rules and regulations for the manufacturing, selling or dealing of protective helmets.

RA 10054 requires the use of standard protective motorcycle helmets by all motorcycle drivers and back riders in any type of roads and highways in the country giving exemptions to those driving tricycles.

The law also punishes violations such as driving without wearing any helmet or without the standard protective motorcycle helmet and/or failing to require back rider(s) to wear standard protective motorcycle helmet; selling and/or dealing of a new motorcycle unit without making available a new standard protective motorcycle helmet to the buyer; selling, dealing or distributing of substandard motorcycle helmets or those which do not bear the PS or the ICC marks; and tampering, altering, forging and imitating by a seller or dealer of the PS and the ICC marks in the helmets.

DTI Sorsogon shows optimism that all concerned will comply with the said requirement for their own safety. (MAL/BAR-PIA 5, Sorsogon)