WHEREAS, Portable fire extinguishing manufactured by firms not licensed by the Philippine Bureau of Standards proliferate in the market;

WHEREAS, this situation not only undermine the interest of the public, but also constitute unfair competition against those which are licensed by said Bureau to manufacture portable fire extinguishers locally or to import these appliances from foreign manufacturers who follow internationally recognized standards;

WHEREAS, one of the causes of the rapid development and consequent spread of fire is the use of sub-standard portable fire extinguishers which fail to extinguish the fire in its incipient stage;

WHEREAS, some locally manufactured fire extinguishers contain chemicals that are toxic or hazardous to health;

WHEREAS, the Philippine Bureau of Standards has issued Standards Administrative Order No. 375 and published its Implementing Rules and Regulations on December 11, 1980;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby order that:

1. Procurement of portable fire extinguishers by all government agencies, government-owned or controlled corporations as well as provinces, cities, municipalities and barangays, shall be limited to those which fall under any of the following categories:

a. Portable fire extinguishers which are manufactured locally by firms licensed by the Philippine Bureau of Standards, Ministry of Trade and authorized to use the PBS mark on their products; or

b. Portable fire extinguishers which are original imports from foreign manufacturers which are listed and authorized to use proof marks of the standards organization of the country of manufacture, or which are manufactured in accordance with standards recognized and accepted by the Philippine Bureau of Standards.

2. All portable fire extinguishers to be procured shall be of the type not otherwise prohibited and shall bear the labels and markings required by Rule 37 of the Fire Code (PD 1185) and to the Rules and Regulations implement of SAO No. 375 issued by the Philippine Bureau of Standards.

3. Notwithstanding the possibility that the same information may already be indicated in the label, suppliers shall be required to submit a certification as to the chemical name and formula of the extinguishing agents inside the extinguisher, to include their weight or volume. Percentage composition shall be also indicated whenever the agent is a mixture of two or more chemicals. Such certification shall constitute an additional documentary requirement before payment is authorized or effected.

4. All agencies within the scope of this Order shall require similar certifications as to the contents of their present portable fire extinguishers from suppliers who previously sold such units to the agency, and from persons or firms which have refilled or recharged the agency ™s fire extinguishers. All suppliers or charging firms or persons which refuse or fail to submit such certifications within fifteen (15) days from receipt of notice from the agency, shall be barred from transacting business with the agency. The head of agency shall inform the Director, Bureau of Supply Coordination of such refusal or failure so that the Suppliers Identification Certificate issued by the Bureau may be cancelled.

5. The Director, Bureau of Supply Coordination is hereby directed to insure the strict implementation of this Order.

Done in the City of Manila, this 17th day of March, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and eighty-one.


By the President:

(SGD.) JUAN C. TUVERA
Presidential Executive Assistant