ARAYAT, Pampanga — Two hardware stores in Barangay San Antonio, this town, have been issued Notices of Violation (NOV) by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) for allegedly selling substandard construction materials.

During a routine enforcement operation under the E-Kalasag program on Tuesday, DTI inspectors found that Nathan Hardware Construction Supply and Gelo and Nathan Hardware were selling construction materials without the required Philippine Standard (PS) and Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) markings.

Specifically, Nathan Hardware Construction Supply was found to be selling steel bars that did not meet the required size and weight specifications, while Gelo and Nathan Hardware was discovered to be selling substandard electrical wires and plywood.

The DTI will fine Nathan Hardware Construction Supply ₱50,000 and Gelo and Nathan Hardware ₱125,000. Both establishments were also issued NOVs, prohibiting them from selling the substandard materials.

According to Atty. Genaro Jacob, Officer-in-Charge of the DTI Fair Trade Enforcement Bureau (FTEB), these substandard products pose a serious threat to public safety.

“Structures built with these materials may be weakened due to the lack of required weight, size, and durability, as they have not undergone DTI compliance testing,” Jacob told reporters during the inspection.

In their defense, the store owners claimed they were unaware of the DTI’s product standard regulations.

Joefel Cunanan, owner of Nathan Hardware, said they were not informed about the policies.

“If we had known, we would not have accepted these defective products ourselves,” Cunanan said.

Cunanan also urged the DTI to focus inspections on factories producing the materials rather than the hardware stores selling them.

“They should be looking at the steel factories, not us, because we're just buying from them,” he added.

He lamented that businesses are often penalized before being properly trained on regulations, saying training is essential to avoid mistakes and meet international standards.

He emphasized that he would “readily comply” if fully aware of the guidelines.