Cement manufacturers willing to undergo import shipment inspections

Three of the country’s biggest cement manufacturers have offered to waive their exemption from inspection procedures for cement shipments which are currently required only from pure importers.

This was contained in a letter dated August 24, 2017 to Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon Lopez by Ernesto M. Ordonez, president of the Cement Manufacturers Association of the Philippines (CeMAP).

In essence, Ordonez said, Taiheiyo (Cement Philippines, Inc.), Cemex (CEMEX Holdings Philippines, Inc.) and Republic (Cement Group) are willing to undergo the same shipment inspection procedures as the traders.

Ordonez said the offer was aimed at fostering industry harmony and ensuring adequate supply for the Duterte government’s infrastructure push.

However, Atty. Vic Dimagiba, president of consumer group Laban Konsyumer, Inc., said it is misleading for Ordonez to say that the cement firms have offered to waive their import shipment privilege because the Bureau of Product Standards of the DTI has already come up with a draft Department Administrative Order repealing DAO 17-05 that will require all cement importation to undergo inspection procedures regardless if the importer is a cement manufacturer or a pure or direct importer. DAO 17-05 came under fire as it allows double standards on cement importation as it exempted cement manufacturers to import without shipment inspection but requires direct cement importers to undergo shipment inspection.

"I call that press statement 'image makeup' or 'credit grabbing'. The DTI-BPS had published a draft DAO that repeals DAO 17 05 immediately. What else is to waive," Dimagiba pointed out. Deadline for the submission of position papers on the draft DAO was last August 18.

Ordonez, however, said the three companies have adopted this conciliatory position on import procedures, which have caused a running feud between manufacturers and importers.