Cheap does not always mean sturdy. This was the message that local steel manufacturers expressed yesterday as they sounded the alarm against what they say are counterfeit steel angle bars being sold in Metro Manila.
The Steel Angles, Shapes and Sections Manufacturers Association of the Philippines (SASSMAPI) warned that the products pose great danger to public safety and also hurt the country’s construction industry. The group cited that the illegally sourced materials have cost some P500 million in lost revenues.
SASSMAPI executive director Ramon Khu said the angle bars, which are mainly used in building and bridge construction, were “poorly manufactured and contain materials that are not in compliance with the local industry requirements.” Khu stressed that the materials place construction firms and individuals who use them at great risk.
Khu reiterated that the use of these counterfeit angle bars could make structures collapse in the event of strong earthquakes.
SASSMAPI further said that this year alone, their group and the DTI have sealed, destroyed or confiscated some 800 tons of counterfeit steel bars. These steel bars from China were rounded up from 105 hardware stores in located in Metro Manila and the Bicol region, Interaksyon.com reported.
