PH manufacturer airs concern over substandard building materials

A manufacturer of roofing materials has asked the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to set standards for such items and prevent the market from being flooded with substandard materials just as the country is experiencing a construction boom.

Mileage Asia Corp., which makes Cherry Lume and Sumo GI sheets, said in a statement that substandard materials are entering the domestic market due to the lack of DTI standards.

Mileage Asia president Elmer C. Ngo said that presently, there are no standards set by DTI for such products.

“DTI must set a standard tolerance for roofing materials such as in thickness,” he said.

Ngo said the government should ensure the minimum thickness that must be imposed. He said that when a roofing material is said to have a thickness of 0.4 inch, then a standard test should be made to determine the tolerance level.

The businessman also pointed out that the so-called PS logo, which shows that the DTI has checked a product for local standards, must stamped on other construction materials such as electrical implements.

Cherry Lume roofing materials, which are mid-priced, boast of aluminum and zinc coats that toughen the roofing material.

The special treatment of so-called “anti-fingerprint” technology ensures that the roofing material need not be painted on for about three years. Ngo said that the aluminum and zinc coats even work beyond four years before there is need for a paint over.

This is a cost-saving measure, Ngo explained.

As the Philippine economy continues to grow, beating the 7-percent mark for the past seven quarters, economists said both the government and private sectors continue to invest heavily in infrastructure, which has been a critical constraint to development.

According to the National Economic and Development Authority, this can be seen in the double-digit growth rates in construction for the past five quarters. In the second quarter of 2013 alone, Neda said, public and private construction grew by 31.1 and 9.0 percent, respectively. Riza T. Olchondra