In a statement issued over the weekend, PISI said this comes just weeks after similar findings in Northern Luzon, underscoring a widespread issue with inferior construction materials in the market.
In random test-buys conducted from Sept. 9 to 13, PISI identified defective rebars being sold across several provinces, including Davao del Sur, Davao del Norte, Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Lanao del Norte, and Zamboanga del Norte.
These subpar products — which failed to meet industry weight and brittleness standards — were manufactured by Davao Mighty Steel, Philippine Sanjia Steel, and Keim Hing Steel, the report said.
According to PISI’s data, the volume of these inferior rebars is sufficient to build over 10,000 houses monthly, potentially endangering up to 30,000 residents.
The institute is urging the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to launch a surveillance audit on the companies involved to address the issue and ensure public safety.
PISI’s test-buys also revealed that the faulty rebars were sold by multiple hardware stores in Mindanao, including KLM Enterprise, A&V Construction Materials Trading, D Nine D Builders, and Joneff Mercantile.
These findings mirror those of the Bureau of Philippine Standards (BPS) Testing Laboratory, which identified similar substandard products in Northern Luzon during tests conducted in July.
PISI continues to work closely with DTI in its efforts to prevent the distribution of unsafe construction materials, aiming to protect consumers and uphold public safety standards.
