The Philippine Iron and Steel Institute (PISI) has urged the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to accelerate the implementation of a new national standard requiring the use of seismic-grade reinforcing steel bars, saying a prolonged transition period could put more lives at risk, on Friday.

In a letter dated 23 July to DTI Secretary Maria Cristina Aldeguer-Roque, PISI asked the agency to shorten the proposed timeline under the draft memorandum circular implementing the updated Philippine National Standard for Deformed Steel Bars through Department Administrative Order No. 18-08.

The draft circular is open for public consultation until 21 September 2026, while full compliance is set to take effect on 30 April 2027.

PISI President Joey Ronquillo said the timeline does not match the urgency behind the measure, which was developed to improve the country's resilience against earthquakes, asserting that delaying transition to 1017 does not reflect the urgency the moment demands.

"We stand ready to support an immediate transition, and we urge the department to act with the same sense of urgency the Filipino public expects," Ronquillo said.

Alongside Federation of Philippine Industries (FPI) Chairman Jesus Arranza and FPI Committee Chair Ernesto Ordonez, they noted that earthquakes over the past 90 days alone have resulted in 121 deaths, 1,316 injuries, and affected about 1.65 million people.

“Earthquakes like the one in Sarangani and Davao Oriental left a lot of Filipinos dead, and thousands injured,” Arranza said.

Arranza added that non-seismic-grade reinforcing steel remains legal for use in construction and would continue to be allowed under the current transition period.

Meanwhile, they also said local manufacturers already have sufficient capacity to produce seismic-grade reinforcing steel and recommended ending the production of regular-grade rebar.

“Transition period should not be nine months. It should be immediate; that is,” Ordonez asserted, adding that, “PISI [is already] on the right track and we cannot allow these long transitions [to continue].”

Ordonez also said that if it concerns the well-being and safety of Filipinos, it should be a priority.

“It should be one day, not nine months. If it is dangerous, you stop.” He also posed a question: “Why are they so greedy? They have other businesses where they can make money.”

The institute proposed shortening the public comment period to no more than seven days after the consultation closes, rejecting the April 2027 compliance deadline, and requiring implementation immediately or within three months.

Former Trade Undersecretary Ernesto Ordonez also backed the proposal during the public consultation, saying safety standards should be enforced without delay.

"If it is safer, then we must protect our consumers. Therefore, if something is wrong, you do not wait for nine months before you start implementing; you implement it immediately," Ordonez added.