‘Substandard’ steel bars held, sealed in Pampanga

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO—Several bundles of steel bars manufactured by Wan Chiong Steel Corp. in San Simon, Pampanga were sealed by the Department of Trade and Industry’s Fair Trade and Enforcement Bureau and regional officials on Friday.

The sealing was done to prevent the sale of the items and for further testing, an official confirmed to the Inquirer by text messages.

“Apparently the plant has been previously warned of product standards violations,” the official said, adding, Wan Chiong could still appeal or make corrective actions.

The inspection was done amid reports of the proliferation of supposed substandard steel bars.

In January last year, the Environmental Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources had not ordered the closure of three steel smelting plants in Pampanga although an investigation by the agency found these to have violated several major requirements of Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999. Tonette Orejas/lzb