TO:	The Minister of Trade and Industry The Chairman, Board of Investments

WHEREAS, it has come to the attention of this Office that frequent occurrences of fire in residential houses and commercial establishments are traceable to, or caused by, faulty electrical wiring primarily due to the sub-standard quality of electrical wires, materials, components and devices;

WHEREAS, fires when detected at the early stage can be prevented with the use of fire protection and fire fighting equipment, systems and devices; and

WHEREAS, there is an imperative need to ensure that electrical wires, materials, components and devices as well as fire protection and fire fighting equipment, systems and devices comply with established Philippine and international standards.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, do hereby order the Minister of Trade and Industry and the Chairman of the Board of Investments to require all firms engaged in the manufacture, importation and/or distribution of electrical wires, materials, components and devices as well as fire protection and fire fighting equipment, systems and devices to have their products qualified prior to distribution and sale in the market; and their manufacturing processes comply with the requirements of overall product quality assurance; and to establish in their factories quality control schemes under the supervision of the Product standards Agency which, shall be vested with the authority and responsibility to:  (a) give clearance for the manufacture and/or importation of electrical wires, materials, components and devices as well as fire prevention and fire fighting equipment systems and devices; such clearance to be imposed as a prerequisite before any manufacturer and/or importer is permitted to distribute and sell his products to the public; (b) inform the consuming public of the findings on the quality of said products; (c) order the withdrawal of unqualified products from the market.

Done in the City of Manila, this 9th day of March, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and eighty-two.