SUBSTANDARD reinforcing bars or rebars have flooded markets in Luzon and Mindanao, the Philippine Iron and Steel Institute (PISI) warned, raising the risk of construction failures.

They said that random test purchases in Mindanao last September had found rebars that were below weight standards and also prone to brittleness. The results were the same for tests conducted in July by the Bureau of Philippine Standards for rebar from Northern Luzon, it claimed.

"Based on the information gathered from the test buys, the inferior rebars are enough to build more than 10,000 houses per month putting to risk up to 30,000 people," PISI said in a statement issued over the weekend.

It said that the rebar was purchased from from random hardware stores from September 9 to 13 in Davao del Sur, Davao del Norte, Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Lanao del Norte, Zamboanga del Norte, Samal Island, Cotabato City, Pagadian City and Iligan City.

The goods that failed laboratory tests were said to carry the marks Davao Mighty Steel, Philippine Sanjia Steel, and Keim Hing Steel.

Rebar from Northern Luzon also failed to meet the minimum standard requirements for mass variation and elongation and were found in the provinces of Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Pangasinan, La Union, Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, Cagayan, Isabela, and Nueva Vizcaya.

PISI President Ronald Magsajo has said that public safety was a major issue and that they were coordinating with the Department of Trade and Industry's (DTI) Consumer and Regional Operations Group and various government agencies to address the problem.

In the first quarter, the DTI seized over P2.4 million worth of noncompliant steel products following several enforcement operations.

The department's Fair Trade Enforcement Bureau confiscated a total of 7,723 units of uncertified steel products after inspecting hardware stores in Calabarzon and the National Capital Region.

The department said that it was continuing a nationwide campaign against the selling of noncompliant and uncertified products under the Task Force Kalasag, which aims to crack down on uncertified consumer products, including substandard construction materials.

The department also enforces technical regulations mandating compliance with Philippine Standard Certification Mark Schemes in accordance with Department Administrative Order 02, Series of 2007, as well as the Consumer Act of the Philippines.