SURIGAO CITY (MindaNews/ 11 Aug) — The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in Surigao del Norte will start giving Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) stickers this week to motorcycle helmets in line with the implementation of Republic Act 10054 or the Motorcycle Helmet Law.
Josephine Gabutin, DTI provincial development specialist, said the ICC stickers would only be given to motorcycle owners whose helmets pass the quality set by the Bureau of Product Standard (BPS).
Gabutin told MindaNews that majority of helmet products in the country are imported, with at least 40 brands compliant to Philippine standards.
The law requires imported products to have an ICC seal before they are sold to the market. Local manufacturers, on the other hand, shall obtain a Philippine Standard (PS) mark from the BPS.
Gabutin urged owners of motorcycle helmets that have no ICC stickers but are compliant with the BPS standard to apply at the DTI office.
She said helmets that do not have ICC stickers will be considered substandard during the implementation of the helmet law here starting next week, hence subject to apprehension by the Land Transportation Office (LTO).
Gabutin said that other cities have started implementing RA 10054 last August 1.
The implementation of the ICC or PS stickers on motorcycle helmets aims to ensure that riders use only quality helmets on the road.
Motorcycle accidents account for majority of road accidents in the country in 2010 and 2011, reports said.
The fatalities are usually those who do not wear helmets or other proper protective gears.
Gabutin urged those who want to buy a helmet to only purchase the brands recommended by the DTI.
She said they will give ICC stickers to old helmets provided these have passed the BPS standards.
Gabutin said that motorcycle riders can get the ICC stickers for free at the DTI office.
For his part, Cesar Espejon, LTO-Surigao del Norte chief, said their main office in Manila has issued a memorandum directing them to conduct aggressive public information on the implementation of the Motorcycle Helmet Law.
The LTO is an enforcement body under the Department of Transportation and Communications. (Roel Catoto/MindaNews)
