PRESIDENT Duterte has signed several bills into law, including a measure institutionalizing the establishment of “Timbangan ng Bayan” centers in public and private markets in the country.
The President on April 13 signed Republic Act (RA) No. 11706, a consolidation of Senate Bill 1241 and House Bill 3255 that was passed by the Senate on January 31 and the House on February 2, respectively, which also amended RA 7394 or the Consumer Act of the Philippines. Copy of the law was only released by Malacanang yesterday.
RA 11706 mandates the use of government-installed weighing scales in all public and private markets, including supermarkets, flea markets and grocery stores, to allow people to check the accuracy of the quantity or measurements of their purchases.
It directs market or mall supervisors to maintain and safekeep the weighing and measuring instruments, and to maintain a record of every product found to be lacking in quantity and substandard.
The new law also adopts the prohibited acts under Article 64 of the Consumer Act that are applicable to Timbangan ng Bayan instruments.
Among the “Fraudulent Practices Relative to Weights and Measures” prohibited under Article 64 of the Consumer Act include: any person other than the official sealer or his duly authorized representative to place or attach an official tag, seal, sticker, mark, stamp, brand or other characteristic sign used to indicate that such instrument of weight and measure has officially been tested, calibrated, sealed or inspected.
It also prohibits the imitation; altering; re-using; selling or using fake, altered or counterfeit seal, sticker, mark, stamp, brand, tags; use of any false scale, balance, weight or measure, whether sealed or not; give short weight or measure in the making of a scale; misrepresent the weight or measure, among others.
Violations of RA 11706 will be penalized with a fine of P50,000 to P300,000 or imprisonment of one to five years. Two successive violations of provisions under the Consumer Act automatically result in the cancellation of the business permit of the erring individual or business establishment.
The Departments of Interior and Local Government (DILG), and Trade and Industry (DTI), in coordination with the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines, the League of Provinces of the Philippines, League of Cities of the Philippines, League of Municipalities of the Philippines and other relevant government agencies shall promulgate the rules and regulation to effectively implement RA 11706.
The President on April 27 signed RAs 11734, 11735 and 11736 establishing a central multi-species marine hatchery in Sta. Lucia in Puerto Princesa in Palawan, Batad in Iloilo, and Basilisa in Dinagat Island, respectively.
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources of the Department of Agriculture (BFAR-DA) will oversee the establishment and operation of the marine hatcheries, and transfer the supervision of the hatcheries in Puerto Princesa and Dinagat Island to the local government units (LGUs) concerned after two years.
