Ernesto Ordoñez, director for quality enforcement at the Philippine Safety and Quality Foundation, has said the group holds concerns over the latest administrative order released by the Department of Trade and Industry.

The order allows pre-shipment testing of cement imports. Therefore, the inspection of the product can be completed at the point of origin, followed up by a verification process once the product arrives in the Philippines.

Ordoñez fears that the new rule could lead to a conflict of interest, with testing being completed in laboratories which may be owned by the cement manufacturers themselves, reports the Business Inquirer. Another concern being that suppliers could submit samples for testing which are not representative of the product they are exporting.