The amount of sales of Philippine National Standards (PNS) and international standards grew from Php2.7 million to Php3.2 million while the number of standards sold rose from 5,513 to 6,767 in 2018, showing a 20% increase compared to its preceding year according to the latest sales report generated by the Department of Trade and Industry - Bureau of Philippine Standards (DTI-BPS).
The DTI-BPS serves as the National Standards Body and the Philippines’ official member representative to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), two of the most prominent international standard organizations in the world. As such, the Bureau is the only authorized distributor of PNS, ISO and IEC standards in the country.
“This development reflects the increase in usage of standards by the government and the industry sectors as more offices and companies are realizing the benefits of standards.”, states DTI-BPS Director, Engr. James E. Empeño. “The use of standards by the industry not only enhances the quality and competency of their products, but also simplifies processes to reduce operational costs and makes exchange of technology and best practices easier among industry peers. In the same manner, government offices are able to improve their operations and make better decisions in their policy-making duties with the use of standards.”, Director Empeño adds.
While some standards are voluntary, there are also some which are mandatory as when used as basis for a technical regulation such as the DTI-BPS’ Product Certification Scheme (PCS). Under the DTI-BPS Product Certification Scheme (PCS), certain critical products are required by the DTI-BPS to be compliant with their corresponding Philippine National Standard (PNS), before they can be distributed in the market to ensure the products’ quality and/or safety when used by the consumers.
The PNS sales figures are seen to be consistently growing over the years. From 2015 to 2016, the sales amount grew to 96% while in 2017, the increase was at 27%. The top three (3) standards sold were PNS ISO 9000:2015, Quality Management Systems (QMS) – Fundamentals and Vocabulary; PNS ISO 9001:2015, Quality Management Systems (QMS) – Requirements; and, PNS ISO 9004:2015, Managing for the sustained success of an organization – A quality management approach. Other standards on demand are: PNS ISO 19011:2011. Guidelines for auditing management systems; PNS ISO 14001:2015, Environmental Management Systems (EMS) – Requirements with guidance for use; PNS ISO 14004:2016, Environmental Management Systems (EMS) – General guidelines on implementation; PNS ISO/IEC 17025:2014, General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories; PNS BS OHSAS 18001:2008, Occupational health and safety management systems – Requirements; PNS ISO 31000:2010, Risk Management – Principles and guidelines; and, PNS ISO Guide 73:2010, Risk Management – Vocabulary.
DTI – Consumer Protection Group (DTI-CPG) Undersecretary, Atty. Ruth B. Castelo is optimistic with the effect of the sales increase of PNS and international standards to the consumers. The Undersecretary conveys, “It is the state’s duty to the public to always uphold the rights to health and safety of consumers by ensuring the quality and reliability of the products offered in the market based on PNS and international standards. The DTI is pleased to observe a steady growth in the sales of standards and will exert further effort to promote the use of standards in the industry sector.”
The PNS and ISO and IEC international Standards are available for purchase at the DTI-BPS Standards Data Center (BPS-SDC) located at the DTI Main Office, 3F Trade and Industry Building, 361 Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue, Makati City. To purchase, clients may download the PNS Request Form from the DTI-BPS website, http://www.bps.dti.gov.ph, fill up the form and present it to the BPS-SDC for processing and payment. The prices depend on the number of pages of the specific standard. For non-cash transactions, the DTI-Cashier only accepts a Manager’s or Cashier’s Check payable to the Department of Trade and Industry.
For more information on standards and standardization, please call the DTI-BPS at 751.4740 or 751.4748 or send an email toThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for inquiries.